The Democratic banner. (Mt. Vernon, Ohio) 1898-192?, 1915-08-17

NaUsaS temperament as It WouIu
Set the Pace For Other States and
Other Fairs-kansas Will Blaze the
Way, Is the Enthusiastic Slogan.
Topeka, Kan.--"Welcome to our fairr'
That is what the people of Kansas
will say to the world next September,
when the first big free fair to be held
In the United States will be opened in
the capital city of the state.
The admission gates will be thrown
wide open and kept open for the fair
week, Sept. 1917. Everybody, big, lit
tie, old and young rich and poor, from
east and west and north and south,
will be invited in, to stay as long as
they wish, and to come and go as often
as they wish.
1t was just like Kansas to "pull"
the first free fair. 1t might be said
that 1t was eminently proper that Kan
sas should do It, for Kansas is nothing
II not original Recently there was
much discussion as to whether the
federal government should In some
way finance the south's cotton crop,
practical. Several years ago, when a
succession Of droughts had paralyzed
agriculture I'm Kansas and farmers had
no seed or money to buy it with and
thousands Of them were leaving the
state, the Kansas legislature promptly
convened and advanced 100000 to the
farmers with which to buy seed. 1t
a w hot
a 'paternaistic' scheme, but 1t was
the thing needed, and Kansas did 1t.
That Is her style. She meets every
emergency as it comes, and neither
theories nor limitations deter her. The
people of Kansas are not fettered by an
enervating conservatism. They are pro-
gresslye and Independent In thought,
and they are forward looking. They
are not bound by the past or afraid to
blaze n new trail That's how they
came to be in Kansas They and their
forebears were trail blazers.
So If something new comes along
and 1t looks good to Kansas, Kansas
IL not afraid to try it, and in doing SO,
II their thoughts go contrariwise to
the remainder Of the country, it
doesn't make n particle of difference to
the people Of Kansas.
Consequently when some one sug
gcsted that the Kansas State Fair as
s0ciatiOn's annual exhibition be made
q free fair Kansas said right away:
"Well, It's new thing and looks good
and will give us lots Of advertisement. |
Let's try It,"
That was the spirit that carried the
free fair in Kansas. ITS new, looks
good and will advertise u.s." The peo-
plo of Kansas like to start something
new, and they like to advertise their
utate. The Shriners Of Topeka are now
out on the coast. In Topeka there IL
ono Of the best amateur bands In the
United States-Marshalls band. Some
one suggested that the Shriners take
ARrshall's band with them. 1t num-
hers forty first class musicians. To
peka promptly raised popular sub
DcriptiOn of nearly $4,000 and sent
Aarshall's band on Il tour Of the Pa
ciac coast to advertise the city. That
spirit pervades the whole state Of
Kansas There are $4,000 square miles
Of Kansas. and there are $4,000 square
miles of Kansas patriotism.
30 the free fair idea appealed pecul-
iariy to the Kansas temperament-it
would set the pace for other states
and other fairs. Kansas would blaze
the way.
The Kansas State Fair association
has been holding fair exhibitions for
thirty years. 1t IL one of the oldest In
the west. 1t IL composed of Topeka
business men. Some four years ago
the fair needed new building and
other improvements but because OF
the droughts and crop failures thu
stockholders did not feel like COINS
down into their pockets. 40 the people
OF the county (Shawnee) were appeal
ed to and voted $4,000.
But uniuckily two or three consecu-
tive years of constant rains during fair
week followed, and financial loss re-
suited. The Fair association found it.
self In bad way.
As necessity is the mother of In
yention," the free fair plan was sug-
kested as the best way to solve the
fair problem. The county already hav-
ing considerable investment, 1t was
decided to open the gates and make
tho fair free, provided the people would
vote small tax (one-fourth Of milD
with which to pay the fair premiums
1t cannot be said who originated the
free fair idea, but the first men to urge
q were Il. A. Borman. former presi-
dent Of the Fair association, and Mr.
Lax, the present president. Both for
several years were prominently iden-
tined with the fair. Mr. Borman being
at the time editor OF the Kansas Farm.
or. a farm weekly published In Tope-
ka. He now lives In Chicago. They
decided that the free fair was desira-
BILE not only as a matter OF exigency,
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