The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-02-22


| and closing his eyes swung his arms and
| jumped up and down, yelling at the top
| of his voice for five minutes. All efforts
to stop him failed until big stage hand
| took him under his arm and walked OH
| the stage with him.
Bakers orator, who it was believed had
won the prize. was G. B. Dalton. IN
doubtedIy one of the plainest, though one
of the brightest, young men ever at an
! oratorical contest His Grafton was en-
| tied "The Mission OF the lconoclast."
F. 1. Plat, of Washburn college, and
H. w. Randolph of the College of
Emporia, tied for second place. The
| other places wero:
Charles II. Meyer, Southwest Kansas
| college, Winfield, fourth.
EIson Thayer, Ottawa university.
fifth.
P. A. CIaassen, state university, sixth.
]. Z Tuthill, Salina Wesleyan, sew
enth
The decision was in doubt. The rating
on thought and composition by Lieuten-
ant Governor Troutman one OF the
judges of which there was only one copy,
was in possession of the president of the
association. 1t was in his overcoat
which he hung up in one of the dressing
rooms on the stage, and it was stolen,
by some student who knew it was there
This morning Mrs. Troutman was able
TO SO nearly r6mShD6E AST
ratings that the decision was changed
and Washburn's Mr.. Platt was given
first place with his Grafton entitled, "Ihe
Grim Chieftain." 1t was built on the
life and incidents in public service OF
"Jim Lane" He said:
''Jim Lane was the greatest dema-
gogue, in the greatest struggle Kansas
ever experienced.
,"He was an INSCRIPTIONS politician.
To him the senate was to be only step
ping stone to the presidency. He
trusted genius to bring him to the
senate. He left Indiana and came to
Kansas, thinking more easily to satisfy
his political mbition. Hero greatness
came to him from unexpected sources.
The choice between party loyalty with
defeat, or apostasy with victory, was Of
fered; he chose the latter. Henceforth
he supported the newly espoused cause
with indomnitable energy, vacillating
only in details 'to catch the every vary
ing tide of popular favor that should
watt him to the goal of his ambition
"The political history of these times
bears his name inscribed on every page.
fWhenever defeat stared him in the
face, he was utterly Frustrated. 1nsan
ity, like a spectre, stalked before the
portal of his intellect. Lanes chieftain-
ship, ic war and politics was due
largely to his wonderful oratorical pow
er. One who had listened often to
Lane and Prentiss, says that with the
possible exception of Patrick Henry and
Sargent S. Prentiss, mo American orator
ever equalled Lane in effective stump
speaking, or in the irresistible power by
which he held his audience in absolute
control
THE Grim Chieftain's downfall re-
veals his true character. He was not
leader. but always foreseeing the course of
public opinion, he leaped to the front.
Seeming to lead the van, he waited until
the procession was formed and march
ing, then, with blare of trumpet, appear
ed as ommander-in chief.
success is the standard by which his
tory measures men. By this standard
Lane was truly great He was ambitious.
Who ia not? He made mistakes. Who
moral principle. God Himself is to be
the Judge. His greatest mistake crazed
hie brain, and in mad frenzy he took his
own life. We know he was a power.
We owe to his skill and energy a great
debt. Let US leave his soul in the hands
of just God, and render to his memory
the tribute of a grateful commonwealth"
When the decision was made known
at II o'clock the enthusiastic Wash burn
men to the number of forty took their
victor on their shoulders and marched |
down Kansas avenue alternately footing |
tin horns and giving the Washburn yell
The music for the evening was fur
nished by the Modoc club twenty strong, |
the Washburn Glee club and the Ottawa
octette. Frank House of K. |
U. sang two bass solos.
F. A. Claassen, of K U. whose Grafton
was, sis Peace Dream?" was bothered |
by his Holland accent. He was old |
enough to be bald.
The other orations were:
"The Independent in Politics"-Elson
Thayer, Ottawa university, Ottawa.
THE New Social Spirit"-H. w. Ran
dolph, College of Emporia, Emporia.
"The Statecraft of Hamilton"-Charles |
Meyer, Southwest Kansas college, Win
field
'The Mission of the Iconoclast"-C. B.
Dalton, Baker university. Baldwin.
Liberty Through Law. Edward
Tuthill, Kansas Wesleyan university,