The Topeka state journal., 1914-01-22
More Of New Development
Spirit in This State.
Newton Man joins Topeka
Secretary in Ideas.
no MORE PEANUT" POLITICS
Santa Fe . Great Builder, +. III.
McManus Says.
Other Items of Interest in the
Traffic World.

A few days ago the State Journal In
this column stated that new spirit
Of friendliness toward the railroads
had been exhibited in Kansas IN the
last few months-especially since the
drouth Of last summer and the u1ti-
mate retrenchment conducted by the
tation from q speech by J. VIII KEEL
ley. secretary of the Topeka CONNER
cial club. in which he advised Topeka
business interests to study the railway
problem, was used.
Now comes T. II. McManus, man
ager Of the McManus department
store of Newton, Kan. Mr.. McManus
writes a lengthy letter in defense of
the position taken by an editorial
from q Wichita paper concerning the
Santa Fe and President Ripley and
railroads as a whole. The McManus
communication in part is quoted be-
low-it is indicative of the new order
of things in Kansas.
Mr.. McManus says in part:
II have, as a business man of the
watched the growth and development
of our state. have weathered her
storms and enjoyed her prosperity.
and do not know OF any influence
that has been at all times as potential
in building up the state of Kansas and
its interests as has been the plain,
hard-headed, practical administration
Of the affairs of the Santa Fe railroad
as conducted by the man who seeks to
have you place before the public the
question of transportation in its prop
er light.
Case OF the Demagogue.
Il am not SO certain but what IL
the truth were known, the constant
hammering and knocking by those
whom we all have with US, the char
latan politician and demagogue who
numbers within the last five years in
| the good old states Of New England.
were as much responsible for the
plight in which the New Haven now
finds itself, as any other influence, or,
possibly, all others combined. and I
have no hesitancy in saying that the
continual nagging and back-biting of
| this class of people, If supported by
papers who should have an interest in
the growth and developments Of the
state and people, will eventually in
vO1ve other great transportation prop
critics to possibly the same extent as
| Is the New Haven, but I do not in this
communication seek to defend a rail-
road so far remote from us as is the
1t should. in my judgment, be the pur-
pose of every business man in the
state of Kansas, to come to the as
sistance OF our transportation prop
critics, as well as other legitimate en-
| terprises, in a way that will indicate
| that we have absolutely no patience
with a theory which seeks to make all
| mankind bad because less than two
per cent thereof are in the peniten-
| tiaries or restrained of their liberties
by reason OF some violation of the
| laws Of state or nation.
IF such a theory is to control In the
| treatment of those who have to do
with the management OF the railroads
| and other affairs Of this country, it Is
high time that a vigorous disapproval
is forthcoming from the people.
| Country Tired OF Politics.
THE country has been surfeited
with peanut politics, and I do be-
lieve that the people fully realize and
are tired Of It. We already notice
that a number of public men do no
longer consider it stylish to attack
the purpose of getting votes They
are smart enough to see the hand
/ writing on the wall
| Every man in the territory served
by the Santa Fe feels that that prop
erty is one that peculiarly belongs to
LuG pcOP1o OI TIC Sldk6 Vi AdASdS, OC-
cause 1t had it's origin in the state OF
| Kansas, it is, and has been, to a large
| extent, manned by Kansas boys, and
1 am convinced that we would almost
shoot on sight a party who would in
innate that Jim Hurley, H U Nudge
and Geo. Nicholson, who spent theil
lives with the Santa Fe railroad. were
lanything but the highest type of men
Two of them have passed beyond, and
like the average railroad man who
has devoted his life to the service
of Transportation. neither one OF
them have. to my certain knowledge
left their families in any other but
moderate circumstances, and IL there
is any man in the state of Kansas
who would charge any of the Kansas
controlling officials of the Santa Fe
with being thieves or grafters, he
would. in my judgment. by at least
100 per cent of the crowd, b<
promptly lynched.
Il When Santa Fe Stood by Kansas.
Neither the business man nor the
farmers have forgotten the past
when drouths, crop shortages and
other misfortunes afflicted US, thai
most faithful old 'stand-by'-the
Mr.. Ripley down. stood by the peo-
pie and substantially assisted them il
Iregafnipg lost ground.
| Let US stop and see what the
\ Santa Fe has done in that direction
and by my frequent reference to the
lSanta Fe, L should not for a secon6
seek to create the impression thai
!; that company needs any partfcufal
defense as to it's conduct in matters
of this kind Did not the people OF
J southwest Kansas for years try tt
Il prevail upon the Santa Fe to build 3
railroad in the railroadless counties
and - 1t not a matter Of common
knowledge that these southwest c0un
ties would have gladly donated to an
railroad all kinds OF land for right o.
way II they could have only prevailed
upon some one to have built the rail
roads?
IL Now, what did the man who ask,
nothing from you but fair play do fol
these southwest counties? He bull
, a railroad from Dodxe City to fhI