The Era-leader. [volume] (Franklinton, La.) 1910-current, 1914-07-23
Instead of being plastcred

Instead of being plastcred |
from end to end with mortgages
held by Fasteners, as was the
case two decades ago, her own
people this year hold more than
1000, 900 in this form of wealth
an increase of over 500 per
cent in five years.
Instead of being hampered by
a large mass of illiterates-thlr-
ty years ago 70 per cent OF her
population came under this head
her present ratio of per cent
is next to the lowest in the land
and two thirds lower than Mas
sachusetts including Boston.
tits this uncommon prevail
ence of sound minds in sound
bodies that has reduced her
death rate from II to Z per 1000
in thirty years. though the form
err percentage still holds among
her neighbors. 1t is this COM
binatiOn of sense and solid mus
Gle that has kept her growing
stronger and richer through ex-
tremes Of climate which soon
| would decimate a less fit lot.
She hasn't as many people as
some of the other states, but
man for man, she creates wealth
faster than any other; she keeps
her own healthier and richer
than any other, and offers for
the worlds consideration a rec
ord of moral and material pro.
gress the like of which has not
been seen since civilization
dawnel in the valleys of the
Nile and the Euphrates.
Though forced to acknowledge
this, we cannot help thinking il
strange, The people who set
| tied Kansas were not different
on the whole, from those, who
pioneered in Illinois, Iowa anC
Nebraska. Nor are the soil anC
climatic conditions greatly IN
like. Indeed, the odds are un
favorable to Kansas; 50 far as
natural conditions are concerned
Yet many of the facts here ar
rayed could not be spoken O.
other states.
So something would seem t,
be the matter with Kansas.
Something is the matter with
her. That something, we be
lieve, can be boiled down into
these first fourteen words con
shutting an amendment made
to her constitution in 1881:
1.-THE manufacture and sale o
intoxicating liquor shall be for
ever prohibited in this state.'
1t is this fundamental provi'
sion, fought and evaded in so:2'
localities as it was for Il quarter
} century, and strictly enforced il
all parts of the state only within
the last five years, that ha
helped Kansas to tlaunt a. two
hundred million bank account il
the face of a partial crop failure
that relieves her Of Spendinj
much time, strength and none
on paupers, criminals, insan
and feeble minded; that give
her people the best of chance
for living and the fewest ex
: cuses for dying.
1t is this defiance of VIVA
/ other states have Iegalized as
necessary evil that has helpe'
to make her citizens the riches
per capita in the country and tn
richest of any agricultural fol
in the world; that has given he
|, a permanent school fund of $40,
100000 and has reduced her i
literacy to an almost neglibl
quantity.
1t is this insistence upon wha
} slaves of custom always hav
sneered at as, impractical"
, not impossible, that has helpe
to give her a balance of NOR
than a million and a quarter j
; her state treasury and no bond
ed debt, save $370,O00 held b
the permanent school fund; thi
5 alone that makes possible til
+ statement that 90 per cent of he
400 000 cchr,r1 ol,;lJro, ,,ouo