The times., 1901-03-14
LIVE TOPICS ABOUT TOWN.

l in the Smoking-roOm of the hotel last
night finishing his after-dinuer cigar. he
| extolled the virtues of his State.
DO you know" he asked that pretty
nearly every movement, political and
social. economic and commercial that
has amounted to anything, has had it-
beginning in Kansas? broad ana un-
qualified statement like that needs sub
sanitation, and / intend to substapu-
ate it.
Il viii 90 back with you to the time
of John Brown. He marched cut from
ssawatomie and spread broadcast upon
the land the principles OF free soil and
abolition of slavery. and multitudes OF
other doctrines which are making them
selves felt today. and really produced the
Republican party. Take the next great
movement-the one for temperance. Was
il not our Governor John II. st. John,
who first championed the cause OF total
abstinence? Then the Greenback move
mont in 1873 began among the kansans,
though from the present point Of view
it was not a thing one should be proud
to have conceived and brought forth.
Yet it was powerful movement that
affected the whole country.
A little later the Farmers Alliance
was forme,l by kansans, and though II
did not spread great influence eastward
il was strong in the Middle West II de
Veloped into the Grange movement. and
IN the few recent campaigns into fuil-
hedged party, the Populists. For on"
State of the Union that seems to me a
good record, and ! could cite many Other
instances that would make II Still better.
Just now we are paying the penalty
for being the cradle of so much that IS
important The temperance n moXemGnt ZEN lliI !,
has grown rank and gone to seed, having
hloSS9mtd in that unique flower. Mrs.
Nation. Similarly Populism has pro-
duced something not very much less
UniQue-a Nus. Lease.
A story which concerns the new Sen
ator from Kansas. Joseph r. Burton, and
Secretary Wilson, is told in illustration
OF the reputed objection which the head
of the Agricultural Department has to APP
pearing during a campaign before an au-
dience which is not both large and ap-
preciative The Secretary can hardly be
said to differ much from the average cam
paign speaker in his desire for the op-
portunities to speak which will prove
profitable.
He was out in the Middle West during
the last Presidential campaign, stumping
a number of States west of the MisSSSlp-
pi. in conjunction with Mr.. Burton. Mr..
Burton had been given dates in st.
Joseph, Kan, and St. Joseph, Mo. st.
Joseph. Kan. is a little side-track town
on the Missouri Pacific Railroad, some
where in the prairie region in the western
part of the State St Joseph, Mo, as
everyone knows is a large commercial
centre. Mr.. Wilson was travelling some
where in the neighborhood Of st. JOS eph.
Kan. when he received telegram from
Mr.. Burton. saying:
can You take my date in ST. joe
Mr.. Wilson's reply was brief: NO.
The next telegram was from Mr. Burton
to Mr.. Wilson. st. Joseph, Mo, II ran,
and it brought the reply Yes Why
didn't you say Missouri at first?'
Mr.. Wilson is having trouble TO con-
vince his political friends that he was not
after the big crowd in the Missouri town,
but was simply able to fill the date there,
while he could not fill that in the Kansas
town.
Last week was the busiest in the his
tory of the Congressional Library. The
building was full of visitors from morn
ing until night. and the record Of atten-
dance was broken. The greatest number
Of visitors in the building. according 10
the count Of the man who stands at the
door came on March 4. After the Inaug-
ural ceremonies, and before also, the
building was crowded. In all 200 peo-
people passed through the doors, and on
March 5000 On March there were
1900 visitors and March 1000. The
average Of visitors for the year is about
2.39 a day.
Notwithstanding the great crush, owing
to the efficient work of the Library police
there was no disturbance Two drunken
men attempted to gain entrance, but were
turned aWaV
Il suppose that three times as many
people visited the library during Inaugu-
ration said Captain Wurdeman. of the
Library police, yesterday. as visited any
other building in the city. ] was sur
prised to find that the people were so
quiet They seemed content to move
around slowly and admire things and
consequently, even when the building was
most crowded during the afternoon Of
March (. there were no jams or cTushes.
The only time when the Library has
held crowds in any way to he compared
with those Of last week was the night
Of July H. 1897, when the electric lights
were turned on for the first time. Then
there were 1885 people within the build
ing al one time.
Just before Congress adjourned some
members of the House were considering
a proposition to play chess against the
English House of Commons. number
or games between the lawmakers We're
played by cable several years ago. a
few Of the members who took part in the
contest were ia the last House. among
them Mr. Shafroth Of Colorado. He is q
fine player. and really saved the Ameri-
can forces from defeat in the interna-
ticnal tourney. Aneut his playing at that
time he tells the story of how he gained
the friendship of Speaker Reed.
The contest was close and had mar
rowed down to a game so one side
or the other TO bring defeat or victory.
] was at the board. and my opponent
opened with some French combination
that / was not familiar with / thought
! was lost. but set out to master the
situation by myself Finally all other
games were finished. and il remained with
me u save our side from defeat / strug-
c!ed along, and Tom Reed who had him
self taken part i'm the contests. watched
every move | made with intense interest
At length the game closed and | was
the winner. Reed came over to me when
the result was announced. and said
W ell, John YOU did finely. Whenever Won
want 10 make one Of those free silver
speeches OF yours you just cali on me
and IN consideration of the way you won
today III let YOU talk
Movements of Naval Vessels
The battleship Wisconsin has sailed