The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1918-10-19
FEAST OR FAMINE
Kansas a State of Extremists
Geo. p. MOrehOuSe.
We Breathed Cold, Then Hot in
War Sentiment.

George P. Morehouse, retiring presi-
dent of the Kansas State Historical
society, in his address Tuesday after
noon before the forty-third annual
meeting Of the society had for his
topic kansas as a State of Extrem-
lists"
1t departed radically from the usual
address on such occasions, which is
generally eulogistic of Kansas and
Kansans, in that it dwelt upon and
criticised some of our freaks and I'M
certainties.
In part he said:
"'Avoid extremes Is an admonition
which Kansas has never followed in
the past and will probably never obey
in the future.
"Our Kansas historians have been
extremists. Once they claimed in a
satisfied way that Kansas could not
boast of a remote antiquity; that her
soil never witnessed stirring events
until its settlement by the white man;
but now it is known that prehistoric
man lived and flourished within our
borders thousands of years ago.
And what extremists we have been
as advertisers, heralding to the world
our good crops when we had them,
and our poverty when the drouth and
grasshoppers destroyed them. In poll
tics, to what extremes we have gone,
and with what lightning changes.
Extremes in Politics.
1.-THE tendency of Kansas to go to
extremes along political lines is one
Of its we'll known traits and was never
more fully demonstrated than it's at
titude regarding the present great
world war. From a condition of Ger
man worship and apology for her early
warlike acts and an opposition to
any form of war preparedness upon
the part of America, Kansas people
have changed to enthusiastic support
of a vigorous war policy. We have al
most forgotten and even now try to
conceal the fact that most of our cit1-
zens started off upon the wrong foot.
We are really ashamed of our tard-
mess in getting into the war game
| against the unspeakable Hun and pre-
fer to deny the charge.
"As soon as the war started In 1914,
most Kansas papers and public men
of every party became leaders in all
kinds o. visionary and ill-advised
peace movements and followers OF
milk and water enthusiasts of the
Henry Ford SCHOOL.
During 1915, even the little patri-
| otto enthusiasm we experienced, when
the Kansas National Guard went to
| the Mexican border to protect Ameri-
can interests, was neutralized by the
activity of the peace league movement,
which condemned any form of mill
tary preparedness. The Kansas pull
pit, many newspapers and public men
advocated a peace at any price poll
ICY and even Kansas educational in
situations hindered National Guard re-
cruiting by advising the students not
to enlist. All of these agencies of
pa cifsm. which then advocated the
| policy of nonresistance and opposed
an enlarged army and navy, did not
| realize thatthey were following out
| a German propaganda plan especially
designed to keep America in a weak
| and uncertain condition while the
Huns plundered the world.
But nothing better illustrates the
| position Kansas people took, at that
/ time, than the resolutions and
| speeches of the state meeting of the
Kansas Peace and Equity league. held
on the 30th day of January, 1916, in
the city of Topeka. Altho that meet
| ing was largely attended by delegates
| from all over the state-among which
| were some of the leading editors,
| preachers, educators and public men
| OF kansas-it marked the lowest ehh
to which red-blooded American patri-
otism ever receded in our common
wealth. If the false and visionary
| doctrines advocated there had not
| been challenged within a few days by
the president of the United States and
some subsequent eye-opening events
| it is doubtful to what extremes they
would have led. At the present time