Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1911-09-28

IN the Kansas Nebraska bill and tho
repeal az the Missouri compromise
and made Kansas q free state. They
conceived the idea that they would
| promote immigration into Kansas
from the Northern states Of men hay-
ing no. sympathy with slavery. under
the auspices Of the Emigrant Aid SO.
ciety, and that they would increase
the anti-slavery element In Kansas to
such point that they must make her
free. The violence with which their
efforts were INSTRUCTED, the desperate
methods resorted to by the Missouris
cabal that sought to prevent this
emigration and the bloody lawless-
ness that prevailed for full i've
| years in Kansas present a picture
that finds no counter part anywhere
else in the settlement Of this country.
FINALLY, the Lecompton ,constitu-
| ton was adopted, known as such be-
cause adopted at Lecompton, In
which the issue of slavery or nom
slavery was left to the voters, and
was overwhelmingly defeated. Rob
inson, at the head of the free state
movement, exhibited q wonderful
shrewdness and nerve in keeping to-
gether the naturally warning elements
that were in favor Of a free state,
and he used his influence on every
occasion to prevent an appearances Of
lawless assault or violence on the
part of the free state men. Charges
of violence were made against the
free state men and doubtless mad
much of truth to sustain them. John
Brown sent a thrill of horror through
the state and aroused to the highest
Indignation the pro-slavery men by
an expedition which he planned In
which four or five pro-slavery men
were killed. He disclaimed particl-
patton in the free state movement as
such but insisted that his efforts were
directed towards the abolition q
slavery. his course was wholly out q
keeping which Robinson had marked
out for his party, and instead, OF aid
ing the cause, II aroused energetic
action on the part of its opponents
and halted progress. Still the I'M
justifiable acts Of Brown led the pro-
slavery men on to other and more
extreme measures, each one OF WHICH
Robinson was able to illuminate and
exploit throughout the North and to
fire that section with a sense OF burn.
ing injustice that increased the I'M
migration into the state for the pur-
pose OF sustaining the free state
party.
kansas was admitted to the Union
as free state with Charles Robin
son elected her governor on the 2Sth
Of January, 1861; and her history
from the time Of the passage OF the
Kansas Nebraska bill in 1854 until
that time was one of political chtcaIl-
cry, bloody violence, domestic turmoil
and popular suffering. The only
thread of high and consistent pur.
pose that can be traced through Ito
history is that of Robinson and his
associates in maintaining the fight for
the free state with as much suppress
sion of violence on the part Of their
partisans as they could effect, ana
with constant and renewed stirring I.
appeals to their supporters and SYM,
pathizers Of the North, based upon the \
outrages of the pro-slavery partisans
as they were committed These APP
peals brought the immigrants and Sc
cured the funds by which their pur-
pose was accomplished and their
cause made triumphant.
mo sooner did Kansas become
state than they were plunged with
the rest OF the nation into q civil war.
Kansas furnished a larger quota, con-
sidering her population, for Northern
army than any state of the Union. At
one time the governor wrote to the
president that more than half Of all
the youths and men Of th@ state be-
tween is and 65 years Of age were In
the army.
"The civil war extended the time
during which Kansas was being borns
from half decade to whole decade.
During this time 1t was impossible
for agriculture to- prosper for enter
prise to be encouraged, for the popu-
lation to. grow. Not until 1855 when
the railroads began to be built did tine
which is now In evidence
first showed itself. From 1864 to 1870
and later, of the 1874 to 1878 Indian
hostilities brought about loss of at
least 1000 Kansans In 1874 came
the invasion Of locusts;- and then in
the half decade, between 1888 and
1892. there was serious decline in
the populatiOn--a loss Of nearly 2OO,-
900. The progress of the state was
seriously checked. The cause was
10 be found chiefly in the collapse OF
building and loan speculations, u
which there had been vast waste OF 7
money. Fifteen years Of unbroken Y
had led to reckless ex-
plotting of towns In eastern Kansas
and there was q carnival issue OF
bonds and contracting of sorts OF lia-
bilities. More than this western Kan
,as suffered from the failure Of the
annual rain fall. Many emigrants
lad been lured into the semi-arid
region, towns were built up, but with
he recurring droughts, the struggling
.ettIers found starvation facing them;
hey deserted their houses and their
owns, and western Kansas became
gain q wide, unpopulated expanse.
"since that time the scientific
Of agriculture has In
creased to such q point that the dry
arming Of the semiArid land Of this