The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-09-05
MAY NOT COME.
Grave Fears That Bryan, Too,
Will Not Be Here
During the Fall Festival and
Reunion Week.
HIS PLANS INCLUDE
A Tour Through Eastern States
At That Time.
Seems Never to Have Received
The Topeka Invitation.

It seems very doubtful now If Mr..
Bryan will speak at Topeka during the
Fall Festival or even be here.
The Committee of Fifteen has adver-
tised him for Saturday of that week
which would be October Sd.
The following Associated Press dis
patch was received at the State Jour
nal Office last evening:
Chicago, Sept. Mr.. Bryan attended
an important conference of the Dem
ocratic leaders in Chairman Jones
sanctum this afternoon. Among those
present were Committee Campau, Ca
han, Stone, Johnson, Walsh, Wall, Alt
geld, and Chief McCOnville, of the
speakers bureau. Senators Teller and
Dubois, George p. Keeney, secretary of
the silver party, and other silver men
are expected to arrive tonight. Cam
paign plans were discussed and it is
said the leaders who have been at the
Chicago headquarters urged the neces-
sity of making a particularly vigorous
fight in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan and
Ohio.
The conference lasted two hours and
was entirely over routine financial mat
ters connected with the campaign Mr.
Bryan spent the evening quietly at his
hotel in resting as the numerous calls
allowed. Mrs. Bryan left in the even
ing for home in Lincoln where she said
she desired to be when the public
schools opened on Monday.
The following appointments made for
Mr.. Bryan are announced. VIII spend
Sunday, September IS, at Salem, Ill. He
will speak at Henderson, Ky, in the
forenoon of the 14th, at Louisville at
night of the 14th, Lexington, 18th, Ash
eviIIe, n. C., 10th, Richmond, Va, 18th,
Washington, D. c., 18th, Baltimore,
21st.
Mr.. Bryan will also speak in New
York on September 28th or 29th. and
will then make a tour through New
Jersey, Delaware, and New England
An investigation by a State Journal
reporter this morning brings out from
persons in authority a denial that it
was ever said positively by anyone in
authority that he would be here at all.
Before the meeting of the Democratic
convention at Chicago in July, it was
talked in the committee meetings that
since Mr.. Mckinley had been secured
for the Reunion and Festival, or it was
considered that he had been, it would
be the correct thing to extend invita-
tions to the other presidential candi-
date as well.
Postmaster A ]. Arnold. being a
prominent Democrat and a member of
the Committee of Fifteen, was delega-
ted to see that this be done. He called
on Senator John Martin and David
Overnyer and they promised that who
ever should be the nominee of the con-
| VentiOn they would do what they could
to get a promise from the chairman of
the national committee that he would
| be here.
Mr.. Bryan was nominated and Mr..
| Jones was made chairman of the ma
| tiOnal committee.
At the Committee of Fifteen meeting
on the evening of July 16, a report was
| read from Mr.. Arnold as follows:
I am authorized to state that VIM.
| J. Bryan will attend our festivities on
any day the committee may select"
! On the next day Mr.. Martin was seen
! by a Journal reporter and in an in
! terview published that evening said:
| Il cannot tell how it came to me, but
! you may say it authoritative. There is
| no mistake about it.
| It was several weeks before the pro-
/ gramme was made up.
| For nearly two weeks the committee
| was stuck on the date of Mr. Bryan's s
! appearance. It was suggested by Maj.
| Anderson and others that since Mr..
! BRYAN was not an old soldier and the
| reunion part of the festivities closed on
I Friday night he be given Saturday.
| This was putting Mr.. Bryan off till the
| last day, but it met the entire approval
| of the Democrats of the committee,
| though J. 3. Marshall, a Staunch Re
! publican himself, seconded by several
| other members of the committee, OBJ
! iected to it as unfair to the free silver
| people and having the appearance of
| partisanship.
A committee consisting of D. c. Til
| lotson, Mr.. Bradford and Mr.. Arnold,
| was instructed to consult with Mr..
| Overnyer and Mr.. Martin in regard to
| it and reported the next week that
| Saturday was entirely satisfactory. Gen.
| bradford, as chairman of the commit
| tee on speakers, was instructed to no
| tify Mr.. Bryan of the date.
| This meeting was held on August 13,
and on August Is Mr.. Bradford notified
! Mr. Bryan in the following letter, a
copy of which was taken this morning
by a Journal reporter:
Topeka, Kan, Aug. Is, 1896.
Hon. w. J. Bryan, Lincoln, Neb.-
My Dear Sir:-I take great pleasure in
| obeying the direction of the committee
of which I am chairman, and extend you
| not only an invitation but an urgent re-
quest that you be with US the guest of
the committee Of management and ad-
dress the people at Camp Nelson A.
| Miles, near Topeka. Kan, on Saturday,
October 3, A. D, 1896.
The occasion is the annual state re-
union of the veterans of 1851 to 1865 un-
der the auspices of the department OF
Kansas G. A. R.
| Every effort is being made to en-
| tertain the old boys in blue. and the
50 600 or more people assembled here or
that occasion will be delighted with
| your presence and to hear your voice
| Please communicate with this com
| mittee at your earliest convenience
| that proper arrangements may be made
| for your entertainment
Yours truly.
IS. B. BRADFORD,
Chairman
The letter was sent to Mr. Bryan al
] 7 ;-ooIr, since 6fOrd did moi