460 



KANSAS. 



employment during the latter year to 4,728 

 miners and 870 day-laborers. 



The following cities had a population of over 

 10,000 on March 1, 1888 : Leavenworth, 35,227 ; 

 Topeka, 34,199 ; Wichita, 33,909 ; Kansas City, 

 33,110; Atchison, 17,023; Fort Scott, 16,159; 

 Hutchinson, 13,451 ; Lawrence, 11,055. 



Prohibition. The Governor says in his mes- 

 sage in January, 1889 : 



There is no longer any issue or controversy in Kan- 

 sas concerning the results and beneficence of our tem- 

 perance laws. Except in a few of the larger cities, 

 all hostility to them has disappeared. For six years, 

 at four exciting general elections, the questions in- 

 volved in the abolition of the saloon were disturbing 

 and prominent issues, but, at the election held in 

 November last, this subject was rarely mentioned by 

 partisan speakers or newspapers. The change of 

 sentiment on this question is well grounded and nat- 

 ural. No observing and intelligent citizen has failed 

 to note the beneficent results already attained. Fully 

 nine tenths of the drinking and drunkenness preva- 

 lent in Kansas eight years ago have been abolished ; 

 and I affirm with earnestness and emphasis that this 

 State is to-day the most temperate, orderly, sober 

 community of people in the civilized world. The 

 abolition of the saloon has not only promoted the per- 

 sonal happiness and general prosperity of our citizens, 

 but it has enormously diminished crime ; has filled 

 thousands of homes where vice and want and wretch- 

 edness once prevailed, with peace, plenty, and con- 

 tentment ; and has materially increased the trade and 

 business of those engaged in the sale of useful and 

 wholesome articles of merchandise. Notwithstanding 

 the fact that the population of the State is steadily in- 

 creasing, the number of criminals confined in our 

 Penitentiary is steadily decreasing. Many of our 

 jails are empty, and all show a marked falling-off in 

 the number of prisoners confined. The dockets of 

 our courts are no longer burdened with long lists of 

 criminal cases. In the capital district, containing a 

 population of nearly 60,000, not a single criminal case 

 was on the docket when the present term began. 

 The business of the police courts of our larger cities 

 has dwindled to one fourth of its former proportions, 

 while in cities of the second and third class the occu- 

 pation of police authorities is practically gone. 



Connty Disorders. In March, 1887, trouhles 

 were reported in Wichita County, growing out 

 of a county-seat contest, and threatening seri- 

 ous consequences. Several persons had been 

 killed and wounded, and the excitement and 

 passion evoked by this affray were wide-spread. 

 The Governor ordered the Adjutant-General 

 and some other militia officers to the scene, 

 and their presence was sufficient to restore 

 quiet. Early in January, 1888, similar troubles 

 were reported in Sherman County, also grow- 

 ing out of a county-seat controversy, and were 

 quieted in the same manner. Of the difficulties 

 in Stevens County, the Governor reports as 

 follows: "Early in June, 1888, Sheriff Cross, 

 of Stevens County, telegraphed me that he had 

 been driven from the county-seat, and request- 

 ing the presence of a company of militia. A 

 few days later a writ of mandamus was issued 

 by the Supreme Court, directing the county 

 commissioners to canvass a vote recently taken 

 to establish a county-seat, and a special mes- 

 senger was sent to serve this writ. On his 

 arrival at Uugoton, this messenger found it 

 necessary to request the presence of troops in 



order to secure obedience to the decrees of the 

 court, and I at once directed Gen. Myers to 

 take two companies of the Second Regiment 

 and proceed to Stevens County. The board 

 of commissioners canvassed the vote, as di- 

 rected by the court, and the troops were there- 

 upon ordered to their respective homes. Late 

 in July troubles were again reported in Stevens 

 County, resulting in an armed expedition to 

 No-Man's-Land by rival factions, and the brutal 

 murder of Sheriff John Cross and three other 

 citizens by persons from Hugoton. I requested 

 Attorney - General Bradford and Brig. - Gen. 

 Myers to proceed to Stevens County, make a 

 thorough investigation, and report to me. 

 These officers reported that there were two 

 hostile factions of armed men in the county, 

 and advised me that the presence of a strong 

 military force was necessary to prevent further 

 bloodshed, preserve the peace, and insure the 

 orderly enforcement of law. Acting on this 

 advice, I directed Gen. Myers to return to 

 Stevens County, taking with him the Second 

 Regiment, and to remain there until all dan- 

 ger of an armed collision was averted. The 

 command was transported to Stevens County 

 by the most direct routes, and remained on 

 duty until the 14th of August." 



Farmers' Conventions. Early in May a conven- 

 tion of representatives from Kansas, Missouri, 

 Nebraska, Illinois, and Indiana met at Topeka, 

 under the name of the Farmers' Trust Associa- 

 tion. The interests of the farmers were dis- 

 cussed in rather a stormy session, and measures 

 were urged looking to u trust" combinations 

 by the farmers themselves, in order to give 

 them a proper price for their products. The 

 convention adjourned without action to meet 

 at the same place in November, at the time of 

 the National Farmers' Congress. This con- 

 gress met on November 14, and, after consid- 

 erable discussion, the members voted against 

 the proposed scheme of " farmers' trusts " and 

 against all other " trusts." Resolutions were 

 also adopted favoring the free coinage of sil- 

 ver; favoring the expansion of a medium of 

 exchange; approving the policy of the Gov- 

 ernment in improving the rivers and harbors 

 of the country, and urging a continuance of 

 the policy ; indorsing boards of railway com- 

 missioners; condemning the provisions of the 

 national banking laws, which prohibit the ac- 

 ceptance of real-estate securities for loans, and 

 asking Congress to amend the law so as to put 

 real estate on an equal footing with other prop- 

 erty ; recommending the enactment of laws by 

 legislatures regulating railroads and governing 

 railroads; and recommending the enactment 

 of a law favoring a home market. The con- 

 gress was in session three days, and contained 

 representatives from every part of the Union. 

 At the same time and place the annual session 

 of the National Grange was held. 



Political. The Democratic State Convention 

 met at Leavenworth on July 4, and nominated 

 for Governor Judge John Martin, of Topeka. 



