Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1911-02-25

At recent meeting in Honolulu,
Robert j. Burdette delivered an adj
dress on 'sWhat a Man Owes to His
Town. His remarks are as appli-
cable in Wa-Keeney as in the Ha-
waiian metropolis and no apology is
needed for reproducing them in full.
Like every thing Burdette has writ
ten or said, they will meet with gen.
eral appreciation and approval.
He owes his duty to himself and
the town-to OWN part of it,
Ever 50 small lot, if he can't own
"a big one A forty foot front, if he
can. do no better. But he should
OWN a part of the town. That
gives him stake in it.
THE Ran>who owns a home in the
town never calls his town-IT.
Whenever he speaks of it, wether it
be London or 1Tafluolt, New York,
or Waikiki, he says VELOUR town.
And he has right to. He is
stakeholder, partner.
more than that, when he owns
a piece of ground, farm or town
lot, he has a stake in the EARTH.
He is a citizens of the universe. His
property extends from the birthstone
out to the stars Even now, they are
disputing right of an airship to sail
through the air over mans house
without owners permission The
very thought is enough to make
man feel chesty. And with good
cause.
when a wild anarchist buys
town lot he subsidies into moderate
socialist. When he builds house
on it he fades into conservative citi-
zen. When he brings wife into it
and transform. the house into a home,
he is apt to join the republican or
democratic party, and begins to
question the wisdom of strikes.
When a baby is born he opens an ac-
count at the bank. And when the
boy is Ia years old, he begins the very
serious study of the question of pro-
hibition as contrasted with an open
town, with the lid off.
"a man who owns his home begins
to study his ticket six weeks before
election day. He scrutinizes every
name on it, and looks up the candi-
dates record. 1t is the man who can
tie up his real and personal property
in a handkerchief that shuts his eyes
and votes the ticket the boss gives
him, without unfolding it.
"A man owes it to his own town to
boost it in public on all occasions, and
at all times. The correction of its
fallings and fault are for the privacy
of the home circle. \ man who
would thrash his boy on the front
steps of the court house ought to be
whipped out on town. The citizens
who welcomes the stranger by telling
him what a rotten city government
we have, what a corrupt set of ofiic-
ialSrule the town, how the town lags
behind the age in all matters of pro-
gress and development, that it is
dead town and win be so long as GER
tain men rule it, is an undesirable
citizen
''When a man tells you that what
his town needs is half dozen first
class funerals, he may be correct
But HE should be the first to be bur-
led.
"a man owes it to his town to
shout its advantages from the house
tops. The entire registry list should
be tile promotion committee. If nee
cessary, put binders on the visitor,
and let him see what you WANT
him to see. When he asks you what
chance a poor man has in town, tell
him the truth. Tell him the poor
is the only man who has a chance.
And that is no Joke
''Show him the beautiful homes of
men who came here with capital of
working hands and thinking brains.
Tell him the story of the man who