The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1915-08-08

Sis. ISSues ME pOenlS, 1ue DTuLlus
Of Kansas" in which he protests
against the literary domination of
New York and calls on all Kansans
to free themselves from II. IF Kan
sas has done things In a big and start
ling way." he assures them. at is not
because Kansans were freaks. Rather
it is because they, better perhaps than
any people In the world. caught the
psychology Of the moment. This Is
an age Of salesmanship. and adver-
Using belongs to 1t. Kansas adver.
tised." Though the material and po.
litlcal welfare Of Kansas is assured,
yet Mr.. PHIFER holds that ms the
whole OF America has been subjected
to the Northeast, and in particular
to New York city. In a financial way.
40 It has also been made slavish In a
literary way by the dominance Of the
Northeast. The expression Of the ma
ton In art and literature is cramped
by chains fastened on us by New York
city" The chains are burst. the pro-
test shouted out. In The Dramas OF
Kansas"
The medium Mr.. PHirER has Sc
lected IL blank verse. Not the com
pllcated. ponderous rhythm Of MrLroN
and his imitators. which the Tyranny
~ Northeas tern taste might impose.
hut the simple, natural form which
any nan may produce by writing out
his prose In lines Of equal length.
This is admirably adapted to his sub.
Ject. which Is the history Of Kansas
and the praise of her men Of note. a
will be seen from a few lines drawn
from the section on the romance of
capitols:
There was a contest for the capitol
When the second Legislature met. Lee
compton.
Tecumseh.
Klckapoo and One Hundred and Ten all
sought
The State House. Lecompton won. and
Appropriated money for a building
Which should be permanent"
1t Is equally effective in the brill
liant survey Of more recent Kansas
politics. not yet wholly forgotten:
Before this
Women had been a Jest in politics.
Now Mrs. EMERY, with voice and PEN.
Stirred the whole nation MARY ELLEN
LEASE
Stumped Kansas. and the seasoned poll
tician
Learned to be wary Of her, The sneer-
ing INGALLS,,
Brilliant in epigram. awoke one day
To hnd a Populist with blu black beard
Had pushed him from the Senate seat.
What mattered
That bewhiskered PEFrER was the but,
OF jests,
So long as he had power? What Popu-
list
termed
The sockless JERRY SIMPSON, when he
stood
In Congress for the principles he loved? o.
1t becomes thrilling when the sug,
gestion Is made that there might have
been no Kansas:
But the city.
Given the ma me OF Kansas in a flash.
Determined later the States name as
Kansas.
why is. it Kansas n not Platte OF
Kaw.
Pawnee, Quivera. Cibola. Quindaro
or Waukarusa, seeing all these names
Had been suggested for the Suniower
State?
The answer IL, a country editor
Determined H."
But politics do not monopolize Mr.
PHIFER's thoughts. He deyOtes a.
much attention to the boom towns
and other speculative allurements thai
lured Eastern capital to Kansas and
Then faded away. He touches on pre-
historic Kansas, on the explorers. the
Indians, the buffalo. Colonel W. f
Copy and other glories Of the State
He draws portraits:
For free State views
The Reverend PARpEE BUTLER was sen,
down
Murky Missouri on a raft. with hope
That ne might perish but n reached
the shore.
And boldly went back into Atchison.
They tarred and feathered him."
He allows his poetic feelings full,
play at times:
Like Egypt, Kansas had her plague OF
grasshoppers.
They came in one day In a cloud thai
The sun from view. They settled on tn.
wheat
And ate each sprig, They passed into
the corn
And not a blade was left. They pile1
so high
Upon the railroad tracks the trains wer,
stalled,
Millions were killed but millions NOR,
remained.
Deprived OF food by them. the pioneers
Learned TO make soup OF insects tina
devoured
Their living. The world was In amaze