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VOLUME 10
HOW KANSAS
In Munsey's Magazine for March
the progressive and enterprising state
of Kansas comes in for page after
page of the best advertising imagin
able advertising that money could
not buy for the simple reason that
advertising space is not sold in the
editorial departments of reputable
magazines like Munsey's. For a decade
past Kansas has been advertised as no
other state has ever been advertised, '
with the result that Kansas, not so
good an agricultural state as Nebras
ka, has a half-million more people, 35
per cent more cultivated acres and a
reputation that has reached every nook
and corner of the world.
And during all this time, while Kan
sas was being made known every
where, Nebraska, with better soil, bet
ter climatic conditions and better busi
ness opportunities, has been standing
still in population. Every effort to
organize an advertising service such as
had made Kansas famous and added
millions to her wealth, has been met
with oposition and indifference. So
it is that every time you pick up a
newspaper or a magazine you see Kan
sas exploited Nebraska never. You
hear every day of Kansas' trouble in
getting harvesters during the wheat
season and Nebraska raises more
wheat per acre than Kansas and har
vests her crop without fuss or feath
ers. If Nebraska were made as well
known everywhere as Kansas, this
great state of ours would be the won
der of the world. It is interesting to
one who has made a careful study of
comparative statistics to note what
Kansas brags about, and then look to
see how Nebraska stands on the same
product. "Why Kansas Grows and
MEN AND MATTERS
. There is mighty little of encouragement for republicans steam
roller or bull moocher in the returns from Vermont. The repub
lican vote shows a decided falling off, while the democratic vote
shows a big gain. Again, no candidate for governor has a majority
tend the election goes to the legislature. And again, the division in
the g. o. p. ranks is so great that it seems hopeless to expect that it
can be bridged over.
If Governor Aldrich still wants to debate, suppose he argue his
pretentions against the fact that during the twenty months of his
administration there has been more disorder, rioting, murder and
trouble in the penitentiary than has happened during all the other
years of Nebraska's history. Let him explain why it was that
under his administration the state's finances were so badly managed
that for the first time in fifteen years. state warrants had to be
registered for future payment. Let him offer some explanation of
the brutal treatment of that feeble-minded white girl in the Beatrice
institution. Let him explain the troubles at the soldiers' home at
Milford. What about his extravagant demands for appropriations
for the executive department. What about his failure to attend to
the business the people gave into his hands? "
There is no reason why Mr. Morehead should accept the chal
lenge of Governor Aldrich, a challenge insolent in intent and in
sulting in language. Intelligent Nebraskans know where John
Morehead stands on all state questions. His record is an open
book and this refers to his record as a private citizen as well as
his' record as a public official. He is a successful business man, has
always been identified with the progressive element of his party,
and has always stood for the things
the state wants a man successful in
its immense business affairs, Morehead
platform orator, a Chautauqua performer or a specialist in super
SETS A GOOD EXAMPLE NEBRASKA
Prospers" is the title of an editorial
in the March Munsey. It is an inter
esting article, and Kansas deserves
every word therein contained with
one or two exceptions.
For instance and we quote the
words of Munsey's editor "According
to her own figures Kansas has the
largest per capita wealth of any state
in the Union. Her arithmeticians base
their estimate on the assessed valua
tion of property, which shows an aver
age amount of $1,642.30 for each one
of the state's seventeen hundred thou
sand inhabitants."
Splendid figures, and indeed a won
derful record for Kansas. But the
claim of Kansas to the largest amount
of property per capita is not well
founded.. The total assessed valua
tion of Nebraska is $2,002,157.45. This
is an average of $1,668.46 per capita,
or $24.16 per capita more than Kan
sas two-thirds of the per capita cir
culation of money in the United States.
And against this enormous value
in Nebraska there is not chargeable a
single dollar of state bonds, for Ne
braska has no state bonds outstanding.
There is not chargeable against this
a dollar of state floating indebtedness,
for Nebraska, state warrants are paid
in cash now, and with the exception
of about ninety days have been paid in
cash upon presentation for upwards
of ten years.
But there is one assertion in the
Munsey editorial to which we give
hearty assent. Again we quote: "What
lies behind this spectacle?. Two sim
ple things the people of Kansas are
mentally alert as well as industrious,
and there is team-work among her pub
lic officials. Few of our American
commonwealths present such a kind
ling example of unified public service.
Usually a state is. satisfied if it can,
point to one conspicuous activity; in
what kind of
demanded by the people. If
his own business to attend to
is the man. If it wants a
LINCOLN, NEBRASKA, SEPTEMBER 6,
Kansas almost every branch is a sort
of star performance."
Note that one assertion "THESE
IS TEAM-WORK AMONG HER PUB
LIC OFFICIALS." A few months
ago Nebraska accepted from the con
tractors a new building and for
weeks there was bucking and bicker
ing among members of the board of
public works over the matter of an
inscription on the cornerstone. A
year or so Nebraska had a democratic
governor, the rest of the state officials
being republicans. And whatever a
republican official could do to discredit
the democratic governor was . done, re
gardless of the effect upon the state.
Later a democratic legislature and &
republican governor locked horns over
non-essentials, and again the state suf
fered. Kansas has a bank commission
er who believes that his first duty is
to the people. Nebraska, under an
archaic constitution has a "state bank
ing board," with a secretary appointed
largely for political reasons. And a
year or so ago the whole commission
was up in the air, one set of examin
ers claiming the right to examine and
another set invoking the writ of in
junction. While they were fighting
over the spoils of office the oank com
missioner of Kansas was giving the
people real service. Ton bet they
have team-work in Kansas! And that
more than she needs the political mess
she is constantly stirring up.
As we were writing this the mail
carrier laid upon the editorial desk a
Kansas postal card,v issued by the
Kansas publicity department. It shows
a scene in a Kansas alfalfa field, and
bears this wording: Three, four or
five cuttings in a season, of hay like
that (the most valuable in the world)
look pretty good, don't they? 'Out
there in Kansas is where they do it,
and it makes 'em rich." ,
heated atmosphere, Morehead is not the man. We opine we know
a man Nebraskans will select.
Of course there is no legal way in which the bull mooebers of
Nebraska can get their state candidates on the ticket. But no one
will attempt to prevent it. Certainly democrats will not, for they
will not put themselves in the attitude of ihterfering with a "family
quarrel." We figure out that the endorsement of the republican
ticket nominated in April will not b.e of material assistance to it.
The scrap within the g. o. p. is too hot to even offer a suggestion of
any getting together on candidates. The regulars will not vote for
the other fellows, and the other fellows will not vote for the regu
lars. . And there you are. If Governor Aldrich is so "sot" on hav
ing a debate, we suggest that he debate with the record of his ad
ministration. He is making a big spread of what the legislature
performed while he was a member.- But all that was accomplished
by that body while Mr. Aldrich was a member was a result of long
years of agitation, not by republicans, but by populists first, and
secondly . by democrats. Every reform we have secured an Ne
braska during the last sixteen years is the direct result of the first
real reform law adopted in Nebraska since the organization of the
state the Australian ballot, put upon the statute books by a popu
Hst legislature.- . "
At the fair grouhds were two tents labeled "republican head
quarters." They were side by side, one occupied by the "bull
moochers," the other by the "steam rollers." It was amusing to
stand around and watch events. Even more amusing was it to
listen to what each faction had, to say about the other. We listened
for a long time, but we were unable to decide between them, so we
took the alternative and went away believing that what each said
of the other was true..
Next came the W. C. T. U. tent, and next in line was demo
cratic headquarters. And a busy place it was, too. It was crowded
all the time, and if ever Nebraska democracy was in fighting -trim,
it is now, judging by indications presented at state fair headquarters.
1912
WOULD DO WELL TO EOLLOW
The Kansas publicity bureau will
flood the country with cards like that,
and with other Kansas literature. Yet
Nebraska is a better alfalfa state than
Kansas, raises more, has more land
capable of raising alfalfa and is in
creasing her alfalfa acreage more
rapidly. But all the world knows
about the' Kansas alfalfa industry,
while Nebraska seems content to let
15,000,000 acres of her land lie idle,
see thousands cross her domain to
find homes in the northwest, and even
to see hundreds of her best producers
packing up and leaving.
What Nebraska needs is more team
work among her public officials. She
needs more unity of action on the part
of her people. She needs to come out
of this cotamose condition of smug self
complacence and get into the develop
ment game with vim and energy. She
needs to set in motion some plan of
action that will call the attention of
homeseekers and investors to the won- s
derful oportunities awaiting them;
within the borders of this common
wealth. She needs to advertise her
soil fertility and her climate until
millions of her idle acres are brought
under cultivation, and countless fac
tories dot her landscape, working her
raw material into the finished pro
duct. It's an old story, but a good one,
and applicable to Nebraska. A man
put a couple of pigs in a sack and
told his boy to take them to town and
sell them. In the evening the boy re
turned home with the pigs in the sack.
"Why didn't you seU 'em?" asked the
father. "Nobody asked me what I
had in the sack," replied the boy. It
is high time that Nebraska began tell
ing people what she has in the sack.
What has she in the sack? Fifteen
million idle acres capable of produc
ing record-breaking crops of corn,
CURRENT COMMENT
After listening to Governor Aldrich 's speech at the Ak-Sar-Ben.
"den" last Monday night, we confess our opinion that his "perora
tion" was in almighty bad taste.
The Lincoln monument is now a fact and a source of pride to
every Nebraskan. And right here we seize the occasion to remark
that Addison Waite is the man who is i entitled to the credit for its
existence. He inaugurated the movement, siept with it, walked
around with it, hung on to it, and made it a success. Every-time
we gaze upon that great work of art we'll recall the name of Ad
dison Waite.
The Francitas Bee boasts that 556,201 hogs were slaughtered in
Texas in 1911. That's a lot of hogs almost one-third as many as
were slaughtered in South Omaha alone during that same year.
For many moons we have been trying to secure the abolition of
the habit, too long prevailing, of Lincoln making sneering remarks
bout the "wickedness of Omaha," and Omaha's sarcastic remarks
about the "Holy City." We have long deprecated the. fool habit
some Omaha and Lincoln papers have had of seizing every oppor
tunity for slurring. There never was any reason for this attitude .
of enmity, and there always has been a conclusive reason why the
two cities should be working in harmony for the better upbuilding
of the commonwealth. ' '
It, therefore, tickled us immensely when Omaha came down to
the Nebraska state fair in regiments, battalions and platoons. It
rejoiced us when we saw a train load of Lineolnites, herded in
Ak-Sar-Ben's den, getting all that is coming to the initiate. It
made us feel young again to see so many evidences that the old
hostility and jealousy are all but dead and forgotten, and in their
, (Continued on page 2.) : ;
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NUMBER 23
wheat, oats, rye, alfalfa, sugar beets,
kaffir, milleV hungarian, hemp and '
flax. Unexcelled facilities for dairy
ing. Undeveloped water power suf
ficient to turn, the wheels of ten times
more factories than she now possesses..
Marvelous opportunities for profitable
investment in manufacturing indus
tries. Magnificent opportunities for .
the industrious homeseeker who wants
to own a bit of land upon which he
may live in comfort from the proceeds
of his honest toil. A public school sys
tem that is the wonder of the world,
and a system of higher education
universities, academies and colleges
that has won words of praise from the
best educators of the time. She has
more in the sack than any other state
and to date hasn't opened her mouth
to let the world know what she has to
offer.
Is not the time ripe for an educa
tional campaign a campaign that will
teach the world that Nebraska is in
truth the greatest producer of agricul
tural wealth in all the sisterhood of
states, and that, too, with less than
one-half her fertile acreage under cul
tivation? Is it not time to make known
the fact that Nebraska offers the home
seeker and the investor better oppor
tunities than any other state?
Let us banish the hammerman and
the chronic grouch. Let us put the
kibosh on the pessimist and the man
who pulls' back in the breeching every
time he sees some other man leaning
up against the collar. Let us have
more team-work and less penny poli
tics among our public officials and
is what Nebraska needs a whole lot
greater unity of action among our citi
zens. In short, let us set to work to
let all the world know what we know
that of all good things Nebraska of
fers the most; that of things evil she
has the least.
A
