The Topeka state journal., 1899-09-05
DREW A CROWD.
Several Thousand People Cele-
brate Labor Day.
Garfield Park Casino Packed to
Hear Speeches.
ORATORS WERE MILD.
They Did Not Greatly Startle
Their Hearers.
An Excellent Programme of
Sports Is Given.
ORATORS WERE MILD.


fractions of Labor Day. The exercises
were scheduled to take place at 2:3O
o'clock sharp but long before that time
the people began to arrive and by the
time set for the sports to begin there
We're between 5000 and 1900 people on
the grounds. There were no fights or
disturbances to mar the afternoons
programme and no accidents.
There was one noticeable feature and
that was the large number of booths
and stands for the sale of various ar
ticles. There were lemonade stands
without number, ice cream stands, cane
rings, whip rings, peanut stands, and
others too numerous to mention and to
a stranger who might have happened
into the park he would have been i'm
pressed with the idea that it was a
good old country fair, rather than a
Labor Day celebration. There was
plenty to eat and plenty to drink and
the owners of the stands were crying
their wares, with all the vigor of cir
Gus day fakirS.
At the north end OF the park in the
Casino the speaking of the day, took
place and the crowded condition of the
seats gave proof of the fact that the
people still enjoy public speaking. and
especially when entertained by as
strong Quartette as occupied the ros-
trum yesterday. MarShalPS band Oc-
cupied the orchestra chairs and enter
tanned the audience with many pleasing
selections between the speeches w. s.
Bush, acted as chairman, and intro
duced the speakers to the audience.
Judge w. J. Babb, of Wichita, was
the first speaker and spoke at length
of the work of the trusts and the eff
feet of organized labor on such organi-
cations, together with the proper kind
of legislation necessary to properly
control the trusts. He cited many eX-
amples of what the trusts are doing
and have done, and brought the matter
n h n hn
retirement from business of the Law
renee Wire mill, which was closed by
the trust.
General J. K. Hudson followed Judge
Babb, and devoted some time to the re-
view of the labor organizations, from
the time of their first Springing into
existence until the present day. He
told of the good done by such unions
and the possibilities of the future. He
spoke of the development of the states
and the power which the American cit
iZen has within his grasp. The posi-
bilities of the rise of the laboring man
to become men of wealth and strength
and above all good American citizens
were also alluded to.
The war in the Philippines came in
for a share of Gen. Hudson's remarks,
and of the islands he said: 4 have
lately seen some talk in the papers
from the aunties and the grannies, and
the cOpperheads, about the Philippines.
We DIDN'T expect to take the Philip
pines, but we had to take possession
because the Spanish army was there.
Then AguinaldO wanted the islands,
and he fired on our flag. In. 1900 we
will have the Philippines, and where
the flag has been put, it will never
come down am conservative about
expansion. I do not believe that we
should expand further north and south
than the poles"
Rev. w. L. Grant spoke next and
drew a comparison between capital and
labor, and said that organized labor,
when properly handled was a power,
which would carry all before it, but
when unwisely handled amounted to al
most nothing. He said it was worse
than no effort, for organized labor to
go into a struggle with poor leaders
He said that wealth cannot cope with
labor, and those Of the richer class are
fast finding it out. He spoke of the
work done by the negro race, and the
wise thing that it was that the labor
organizations had done when they al
lowed the negroes to become a part OF
the labor unions.
G. c. Clemens was the last speaker
on the programme, and as usual his ad-
dress was full of wit and humOr.
In closing Mr.. Clemens said: "I am
for the man whom no one else seems to
care for, and as a result I find myself
lonesome in politics. care nothing for
expansion or nOn-expansiOn or for
silver at 16 to l, or free trade or pro-
lection. Ny doctrine is this that we
should have but one issue, and that is
to take the poor man and the poor WO-
poverty and make them equal with
others Get away from these things
of the head and take to the things of
the heart in these closing days of the
nineteenth century"
The sports took place at the bicycle
track at the south end of Garfield park.
The entire programme was carried out
without a hitch and the mana cement
deserves great credit for the manner in
which everything went off. The people
were eager to see the races and sports
and would crowd this way and that,
even closing in on the track. much to the
hindrance of the contestants, but no
accidents happened and no one got
mad. The events took place in regular
order and were characterized by good
work. Some of the events were anus
ing and the crowd enjoyed the fun as
well as those participating.
Several events not on the programme
were sandwiched in between the reg
ular events at some more secluded spot
on the track Most important of these
was a contest between BrintenaH of this
city and an unknown from Alma, who
matched to run a hundred yards for a
side bet of SO. The unknown, who
proved to be J. NJ. Keagy. a fast run
ner from Alma, won the event. He was
very quick to get away at the start,
and would have finished several feet
ahead of Brintena1, who dropped out of
| the race as soon as he saw that he was
! beaten.
The following is the programme Of
regular events and the winners:
Foot race, seventy-five yard dash for
union men only-First, Ransom; Sec
! Ond. Wright. Time 10
Foot race, 100 yards, free for all
| First, Fox; second, Brintnall; third
| Goodwin. Time :1015.
Bicycle race, one mile handicap, anna
! teur-F'irst, Allen, 20 yards: second.
, Fauss, scratch; third, Knowles. 20
! yards. Time 2:20.
| Slim mems race, seventy-five yards.
I for men under $50 pounds-First, Fred
/ Roehrig: second, Elmer Fox Time :09.
Bicycle race. half mile open. anna