HISTORICAL SKETCH.

By GEO. W. MARTIN.

The history of Kansas has been exceptional, always interesting and unique. Occupying the territorial center of the continent, the greatest issue that ever confronted the nation focussed on these prairies. Nearly a half century of agitation surely, with passion and bitterness, led the way to this middle spot between the two sections. Spanish explorers had traversed and paid tribute to the fertility and beauty of this region nearly three-quarters of a century before Jamestown and Plymouth Rock on the Atlantic coast. Columbus landed in 1492; John Cabot in 1497; Amerigo Vespucci, 1499-1504; Hernando Cortez, July, 1599; Coronado visited Kansas in 1541; Jamestown was settled in 1607; and the Pilgrim Fathers came in 1620. We are glad the Latins did not remain. In the providence of God, when the Anglo-Saxon appeared Kansas was pronounced, in the words of one, "perfect in all that nature's God could hand down to man for his improvement and happiness." The state, however, was born in trouble, amid war, pestilence and famine; and the love and sacrifice which endured have resulted in a local and state pride such as exists nowhere else in the world. In her conception a great moral issue prevailed, and there was nothing mercenary in her origin and make-up.

Slavery had been limited by the Missouri compromise, and this beautiful region was under it rendered safe. But the admission of California as a free state alarmed the slave power, and in the act of May 30, 1854, organizing the territories of Nebraska and Kansas, the compromise was practically repealed and Kansas opened to slavery, provided the settlers should so decree, thus giving us the issue of "squatter sovereignty." It was deemed possible that Kansas might be a slave state, abutting, as it did, upon the slave state of Missouri. This greatly aroused the Northern states, and brought men and money to the territory pledged to a great principle. For five years civil war existed rather than that this proposed state should be polluted with human slavery. Slaves, however, were brought into the territory.

The territorial pioneers engaged in four attempts to form a state constitution; three of these movements were controlled by the free-soilers and one by the adherents of slavery. The Lecompton constitution had the support of the slave power, and the efforts to force the state into the Union under it gave the Kansas question more prominence than any other that had engaged the attention of Congress since the formation of the government. This controversy culminated in the organization of the Republican party, at Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, in 1856, and subsequently the Lecompton issue in Congress changed Pennsylvania from an overwhelmingly Democratic state to an overwhelmingly Republican state. The election of Lincoln followed. Kansas became a state in the Union January 29, 1861, under the Wyandotte constitution, the fourth and last attempt of our pioneers to organize.

But the strife in territorial days was child's play as compared with what happened from 1861 to 1865 along the line separating us from Missouri. Thus Kansas had ten years of civil war, growing in bitterness, cruelty and destructiveness, from 1855 to 1865. On the western border

there were hostile Indians, committing depredations as late as 1879. Upon the close of the Civil War immigration set in, and the task of developing these unbroken prairies into farms equaled in hardship and interest the establishment of political institutions.

In a few months the state will close its fiftieth year of statehood under the constitution with which it started. This constitution has been amended in a few unimportant particulars, but several attempts to replace it with a new one have been defeated by the people. Kansas is one of but twelve states that have lived under one constitution for fifty years.

The slavery agitation associated with the organization and birth of the state gave friends and enemies of the intense sort, leaving us with a reputation as agitators. It is understood that we have been afflicted with grasshoppers, cyclones, droughts and numerous other ills, and this impression with strangers may be reasonable, since the state is a born advertiser. But the development of the state along religious, educational, agricultural, political and business lines will show that the people have been exceedingly practical; they have done well by their opportunities, and notwithstanding her unparalleled troubles she is to-day one of the foremost states in the Union, with an assessed valuation of $2,752,098,126. It was asserted, in the debate incident to our admission into the Union, that not half of the territory now constituting the state was susceptible of settlement and cultivation; that it was unproductive, a barren waste; that it would not support cattle or sheep, and that there were no mineral resources. And yet, in the forty-ninth year of statehood, 1909, the agricultural products reached $307,538,164.91, and the live stock on hand was $225,147,080; the deposits in the banks were $189,841,281, and the value of manufactured products was $264,133,757, while the state is very near the top of the list in minerals, embracing coal, salt, zinc, cement, lead, oil and gas. From a home mission field, consuming contributions from elsewhere, we have developed a strong foreign mission sentiment; we have efficient churches, representing every line of religious thought, many ardent and successful denominational schools, with thousands of district schools, supplemented by a University, Agricultural College and State Normal, ranking with the best in the land. This is the history we have made, beginning with nothing but the raw prairie and faith in a great principle of human government. And this is not all: everywhere law and order, peace and good will prevail from boundary to boundary. The bitter controversy of fifty years ago has been obliterated and Kansas and Missouri, which united constitute the choicest piece of God's green earth, are also united in peace and right living. At no time in all the history of mankind have any people accomplished more or performed their duty any better. There is not a stupid or sluggish line in Kansas history. The people of Kansas take great pride in their history. Heroism and sacrifice enter more largely into it than into the history of any other state-not alone in border war and Indian raids, but in the labor and perseverance which have brought these prairies up to their present high state of productiveness.

A State Historical Society was organized in 1875 by the newspaper men, participated in by many of the territorial and early state leaders. To-day this Society stands first among its kind in the country. The legislature has always maintained it as a department of state, appropriating annually for salaries and incidental expenses $10,400, with liberal additional allowances for printing, office room and janitor service.

The Society has 119 life members at ten dollars each, and about 220 active members at one dollar per year dues. It issues two publications biennially, one limited to the business operations of the Society and the other a large, handsome cloth-bound volume containing papers of a historical nature. Volume 11 has just been issued, and all preceding volumes are out of print. These publications are issued by the state for school and public libraries.

The collections gathered by the Society embraced, June 30, 1910: Books, 36,868; newspapers and magazines, 38,816; pamphlets, 115,242; archives (public records and correspondence), 137,257; manuscripts, 44,267; pictures, 7555; maps, etc., 6482; relics, etc., 9230; a total of 395,767. A splendid building is being erected for the use of the Society and the Grand Army, to be dedicated as a memorial to the Civil War and the Spanish War soldiers, which, when completed, will be the finest soldier monument on the continent. The use of the building in perpetuating such a history, teaching the duty of good government, loyalty and patriotism, must be of inestimable value to those who may come after us— a fitting testimonial to the soldiers who saved the nation.

CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF KANSAS.

ADOPTED AT WYANDOTTE JULY 29, 1859. RATIFIED BY THE PEOPLE OCTOBER 4, 1859. WENT INTO OPERATION JANUARY 29, 1861.

[With all amendments adopted prior to January 1, 1909.]

PREAMBLE.-Boundaries.

We, the people of Kansas, grateful to Almighty God for our civil and religious privileges, in order to insure the full enjoyment of our rights as American citizens, do ordain and establish this constitution of the state of Kansas, with the following boundaries, to wit: Beginning at a point on the western boundary of the state of Missouri, where the thirtyseventh parallel of north latitude crosses the same; thence running west on said parallel to the twenty-fifth meridian of longitude west from Washington; thence north on said meridian to the fortieth parallel of north latitude; thence east on said parallel to the western boundary of the state of Missouri; thence south, with the western boundary of said state, to the place of beginning.

BILL OF RIGHTS.

SECTION 1. All men are possessed of equal and inalienable natural rights, among which are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

SEC. 2. All political power is inherent in the people, and all free governments are founded on their authority, and are instituted for their equal protection and benefit. No special privileges or immunities shall ever be granted by the legislature, which may not be altered, revoked or repealed by the same body; and this power shall be exercised by no other tribunal or agency.

SEC. 3. The people have the right to assemble in a peaceable manner, to consult for their common good, to instruct their representatives, and to petition the government, or any department thereof, for the redress of grievances.

SEC. 4. The people have the right to bear arms for their defense and security; but standing armies, in time of peace, are dangerous to liberty, and shall not be tolerated, and the military shall be in strict subordination to the civil power.

SEC. 5. The right of trial by jury shall be inviolate.

SEC. 6. There shall be no slavery in this state; and no involuntary servitude, except for the punishment of crime, whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.

SEC. 7. The right to worship God according to the dictates of conscience shall never be infringed; nor shall any person be compelled to attend or support any form of worship; nor shall any control of or interference with the rights of conscience be permitted, nor any preference be given by law to any religious establishment or mode of worship. No. religious test or property qualification shall be required for any office of public trust, nor for any vote at any election; nor shall any person be incompetent to testify on account of religious belief.

SEC. 8. The right to the writ of habeas corpus shall not be suspended, unless the public safety requires it in case of invasion or rebellion.

SEC. 9. All persons shall be bailable by sufficient sureties, except for