Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1911-07-27
y Tribute no KANSAS.

At the twenty-flfth anniversary OF
the admission Of Kansas into the
Union, heald at Topeka January 20,
1885, D. w. Wilder, who died Sun
day at Hiawatha, Kan, said in an
address:
Kansas is a child Of the North, not
of the Union; the Union was her
enemy until she made It. and she Is
the child Of the newspapers. Before
we had an influential press, the edi-
tors, Horace Greeley, Joseph Medill,
Charles A. Dana, Doctor Ray, Henry
Ward Beecher, John Wentworth
Charles IT. Congdon, William @. Bry-
ant, Parke Goodwin, the aggressive
Republican editors Of the North,
made our cause their own, fought
for US, raised money for us, and sent
Us men, clothing and rifles. During
the darkest days Of SO Greeley pub
lished daily in the Tribune q Kansas
fund; 1t reached more than $4,000
and was one Of the newspaper gifts
to US. The present was repeated dur
ing the drought Of 1850. These gifts
from so many persons, like Gerrit
Smith, George L. Stems and Horace
B. Clhflin, saved the life Of Kansas
and made US kindly, charitable peo--
p!e-saveG US from ruffains and
from locust plaques, and taught US
70 pay back in kind when other peo-
Die were afflicted. Now Kansas
sends money to yellow fever Memphis,
to inundated Cincinnati. to burned
Boston and Chicago. and to suffer-
ing ireland and Germany. The Kan
sas editors long ears hre joked
about, but they do not flap above
his head without hearing the cry
Of distress raised anywhere on Gods
green earth. A kindly people these
TO whom so much was given; good
to each other, good to foreigners,
and the evangel TO spread the glad
tidings and to put the red blood OF
love into the hearts Of the people.
In the same address Wilder paid
thia tribute to the newspapers OF
Kansas:
We can get along without rain
and enjoy It; make fun Of the rain;
and say 1t don't amount to much;
but Kansas cannot get along without
newspapers, and lots Of them, The
press Id the iron, the editor the
blood; they are the first things on
every townsite. The editor is harm
less; sometimes Instructive and
amusing. He invents words and
phrases for us, and fills the place
Of the Homeric balladist and the
middle age troubadours. The editor
Is usually insolvent, but his paper
is the universal solvent-thaws the
Ice and dissolves, not devours the
fluids in all societies which 1t enters.
It is the good natured man, who
makes every person feel at ease as
soon as he comes into the room. Jack
George Isbell, Eugene
Ware, Noble Prentis, Ham Dennis,
Bill Hutchinson, George McLane, Sol
Miller, Jim Steele, Henry King, Ed
ward Howe, Aleck Butts-kansas
mas never passed an instant without
he wit, humor, originality, quaint
ness of these peculiar men Of genius.
It was thought that prohibition would
be- fatal to them, but they are Its
most taking and attractive friends
they take that dry drink and turn
INTO a healthful and sparkling cham
,agne. We have prohibition because
we want to save the boys-want to
ave the boys-they are too good
% lose. irhe best society is "Ovsr
here" called up because they are
he brightest; but we who have Kan
sas to live in find such earthly at
fractions around us that there Is one
procession that we do not join with
alacrIty. We believe in the
procession, have a pass, and like the
layout up there-but Kansas Is go
Ing to be very lively In the spring.
Il Ia different in Texas. Whisky is
a remedial measure down there, In
that climate and with that citizen
ship.
GRnWTH OF NEW RULE. IL