Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1911-09-28
President Taft Delivered the Princi-
pal Address Of the Day.
Il GREAT THRONG WAS PRESENT
Paid a Touching Tribute to the Late
Representative Madison - Dis
cussed Men and Times From,
1920 to the Present Time.

LO-udy NJ LuG CCiCbAabiOh Va tAAN N@NNf~N
anniversary Of the birth OF Kansas
as a state. He spoke at the fail
grounds and was heard by a great
throng. The presidents address was
In part as follows:
1--WE meet today to celebrate the
fiftieth anniversary of the birth OF
the state OF Kansas. | was invited 70
attend by your honored townsmen ana
distinguished representative in CON
gress, Judge e. H. Madison. He mas
been suddenly torn from us. HIS
death was great shock to me, as !
doubt not 1t was to his fellow citizens.
l had not known him long nor can
N i say that knew him intimately, but
/ knew him well enough to know the
strong qualities of his mind and
heart, his judicial instinct, his in
tense desire to be fair, and his clear
perceptions OF the law as jurist, and
his level headedness as a legislator
/ remember speech which he made
in congress on the subject OF except
ingsfrom the application Of an appro-
priation lawless combinations of work
ingmen, which was at the same time
q noble, clear exposition of the neces-
{ sity for making all persons equal be-
fore the law and an exhibition OF
courage and Indifference to corse-
quences in the support of righteous
judgment. His speech marked him as
one Of the coming men Of congress.
He took great interest In this cele-
1ration, He came to see me often
about 1t and discussed 1t In detail. ]
extend to his family and to his friends
my profound sympathy in their deep
sorrow and hope that the memory
of his high standing among his fellow
citizens and the value of the services
that he rendered to them may In time
mitigate the blow which has fallen
upon them.
''Kansas as a state was the child Of
an issue. The pains of labor lasted
more than half decade, and Q full
understanding Of her origin and her
growth needs review and study OF
the history of this nation since its
Foundation. The issue which gave
birth to Kansas was that Of slavery.
Fate and the exigencies of politics
brought about a condition that CEN
tered the conflict between those who
wished to maintain slavery and ex-
tend It, and those who wished to
strike 1t down within radius OF
hundred miles In the devoted bosom
of that country which has since be
come the state Of Kansas.
I'm the controversies over slavery
that occupied early In the nineteenth
century, there were compromises that
were more easily made than later, be-
cause the feeling did not then run so
high. In 1890 Missouri was admitted
10 the union as q slave state with the
provision that no territory thereafter
should be admitted as slave state
TO the north and southern boundary
Of Missouri, So degrees and 80 min
utes. 1t was hoped by all who Joined
In that compromise, and by those who
came after for the next 80 years, that
Ghis offered a resolution for the ques-
Rion that made 1t possible for the
North and South to live together In
Mmity."
The president related circumstances
OF the passage Of the compromise bill
Of 1850 and Of the Kansas-Nebraska
bill four years later despite the de-
aermined opposition Of Northern sena-
tors, He continued:
1T 10 not too much to say that the
Kansas-Nebraska bill, with its squatter
.sOveriegnity, was q shifting and shifty
compromise with the Southern de-
mand for an extension Of slave terri.
tory, and It may be questioned wheth-
or It was not more TO be deplored In.
deed, as the result was, than II con,
casslon had been q clean declaration
Ga favor Of slavery in the act Of con
kress admitting II II shifted the re-
aponsibility from the body Of law
makera In Washington, upon whom
Il properly Sisted, to the poor people
whom new country to attract and
who would pay with their blood and
suffering for the privilege Of deciding
that which some one else ought to
have decided.
THE slave state Of Missouri lay
Immediately east OF Kansas, and from
that state Il was easy to secure
large force Of pro-slayery sym
pathlxers who would invade Kansas
Temporarily either for the purpose OF
fraudulent voting as residents Of the
territory, or for the purpose Of main
tanning with deadly weapons the pro
slavery side Of the battles which en-
sued. This proximity Of Missouri. and
the natural emigration that would FOL.
low the opening Of q new state like
Kansas from It's immediate neighbors
on the East, was most Encouraging 70
those IN the North who were Eealous
in opposition to slavery and hopeful
n making Kansas 3 free state
IL fen to Massachusetts,, far re-
moved on the shores Of the Atlantic,
g take up the case against Missouri
and make the hght for freedom
arainst llavery. Il could not have
done this. think, but for an $3.50
cation OF remarkable men who car
ned On ne Hshi with E perslstence, q
ahreWdn1Il. q tenacious purpose, and
= clear line Of progress that has never
Efsn c1ceilel 10 Far - know 81 n
ftia roanIf5s hlstory or anF other
ri Ihstc1, Charles Robinson and
Inor farrarrt N 81 hsrrachrn4if1.
rtls ltt ul1uiiutt VIC debated