The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-02-18
FIX IT ALL UP
So That the People of Topeka
Won't Get Chance
To Hear or See Bryan the Great
Silver Champion.
LEGISLATORS DECIDE
That He Shall Speak in Cooped
Up Legislative Hall
Where Tickets Will Be Given to
a Few.
WHILE THOUSANDS OF
TOpekans Who Voted For Him
Won't Get Chance
To Hear Him or See Him When
He Visits Topeka.
WHILE THOUSANDS OF
TOpekanS Who Voted For Him
Won't Get a Chance
To Hear Him or See Him When
He Visits Topeka.

The legislative committee in charge
of the arrangements for the reception
and entertainment of William ]. Bryan
has selected the National hotel for his
headquarters.
At a meeting held last night Mayor
Fellows was made a member of the
committee which will go to Kansas
City and escort Mr.. Bryan to Topeka
Speaker Street and Lieutenant Gov
ernor Harvey will preside at the meet
ing tomorrow night in Representative
hall.
Edward G. Little, who nominated Mr..
Bryan in the silver convention at ST.
Louis, now private secretary to Cover
nor Leedy, will introduce Mr.. Bryan.
The committee has arranged to open
the east gallery of Representative hall
require tickets. The west gallery will
be reserved for the accommodation OF
distinguished visitors from out of the
city but only those holding tickets Will
be admitted to this gallery.
The floor of Representative hall, will
first be reserved for members of the
house and senate and their wives and
reporters for the daily papers, all OF
whom will be admitted at the west door
of Representative hall upon tickets
The public, that is. an infinitesimal
only at the east door of Representative
hall 1t will be useless to attempt to
get into the west gallery or enter the
west door of the hall.
The committee has decided upon the
arrangements specified and will have a
sufficient force OF edoorkeepers to enforce
the regulations.
AS will be seen by the above deSerip-
ton of the arrangements the people of
Topeka will practically be shut out
from hearing Mr.. Bryan, to whom they
gave nearly half their votes last fall.
OF course, no building in the city is
large enough to hold the people who
would like to see Mr.. Bryan and hear
him speak. Being the foremost expo
nent of Silver'S cause, the people of
Kansas who elected Bryan electors,
ma turally wish to see their leader who
travelled everywhere else except in Kan
SaS during the last campaign. The sell
fish arrangements of the state legisla-
ture to provide for themselves, their
friends and their families alone. and
leave the great mass of Topeka voters
out, will not be greatly relished by the
four thousand or more silver men in
Topeka.
Even Hamilton hall would hold more
people than Representative hall. and
after Mr.. Bryan has spoken an hour at
the latter place, he might appear before
the general public for a short time at
Hamilton hall If nothing better can
be done why should not Mr.. Bryan ad-
dress the crowd in the open air from the
top of the south portico of the Ma
tional? They won't insist onshis taking
off his hat
From the clamor for tthe rights of
the people" which we have heard from
Populist orators all through the cam
paign. one would suppose the right of
the people to hear their champion. as
we'll as other rights, would be looked
after.
Besides the legislature doesn't own
the state house nor Representative hall.
1t belongs to the people. What right
has the legislature to bar out any citi-
zen of Kansas who has paid his taxes
If the legislature had hired a hall for
Mr. Bryan they might with propriety
issue tickets to it.
LATER.
Mr. Bryan will arrive in Topeka at
1890 tomorrow afternoon on the Union
Pacific.
The local committee will endeavor to
induce him to speak at Hamilton hall
tomorrow afternoon. If successful in
securing this address the committee
will throw the hall open to the public.
This will be done aside from the ar
engagements made by the legislature for
their own entertainment.