The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-30
FINCH's WITTY SPEECH.
President of Kansas Day Club Talks
of Evolution of the Organization.

President of Kansas Day Club Talks
of Evolution of the Organization.
1t has been a source of wonder to many
ganized primarily as a young Republican
Organization, should have many men
S. Finch, editor of the Lawrence Journal,
who is president of the club, told the rea-
canine sGa IN n of toaats Opened Mr. Finch said
Ten years go tonight the Kansas Day
cans of Fl kansas sas~ At that time probably it
did not occur to any member Of the or
Sithough he thought, of course. that the
other fellows would. At that time none
plastering our hair over bald spot or
of using shoe backing for our whiskers;
this club was presented to me said: Del,
You are not even eligible to membership.
top of your head He scratched the
place where the luxuriant auburn tresses
once were wont to stray and said: The
only way 1 for to hold our jobs is
to throw off the limit, and then play her
open Being from Lawrence, of course
1 didn't understand this short grass Ian
guage, but when every ticket, was sold
week before the banquet, and we had to
go into seclusiOn to avoid the indignant
wrath of the late corners. I knew what his
Before the Kansas Day club Kansas
men have been made and unmade. To
pass with credit the critical examination
given by this organization means that the
man who passes it has something in him.
If 500 representative Republicans before
whom a man stands up for his test, place
the seal of approval upon him and say:
worthy; he may run for place on the
become governor: he may fail even in his
aspirations for the presidency. but he will
ever have the consciousness of superior
ability. for the certificate of the Kansas
Day club is final and indisputabIe proof OF
when this club was organized it was a
harder task for a Republican to get into
Representative hall than you found it
even tonight. For then if we got in at
all it was only because we were expert in
But we got in and we liked the place so
well that we stayed. greatly to the dis
gust of the atmospheric-jamming states
men and vendors of anti-corn medicine
The last wall of these departed souls that
shores of the Styx is a protest against
the prostitution of the Kansas Day club
that their intimation is well founded and
that we shall hear something of politics
the most part the evening will be dedicated
to a praise service in which thanks win
pc given that our enemies have been de-
ltvered into our hands. and that we have
neen able to do the rest. And If every
victory was assured II ever the enemy
was beaten and the Republican party tri-
It is in this year of Grace. 1902. For,
blind as they are. the enemy see the
as they are. they can read it.
1t does not fail to my lot tonight to
representative of this splendid organiza-
ton to welcome you as Republicans and
to encourage you to increased effort and
to you that Republican harmony and Re
using a trip-hamner on the heads of your
associates There is in party here in
Kansas a manifest inclination to hit a
mead whenever 1t appears, without wait
ing to see whether it belongs to a friend
swear off on this habit our great aim
and end IN politics is to overthrow the
exalt our own righteous ones This can
not pc done by knocking on our co-worker
member our folly of 1890, and not again
defeat and disaster because we come to
worship the offices more than we revere
You don't see the dragging coat tails of
your brother Republican.
first; then social But from this day forth
ty-nine years ago today was born a child
who was to mold and shape the destinies
come, for on that day William Mckinney
was born. On the day when he was nine
and While yet a boy his life and his
strength were dedicated to the cause that
ready suffered so much But brave and
gallant as he was in war, William Nc
peace. For more than four years he
guided and directed this great nation
he himself had sown the seeds that
brought forth an abundant harvest He
men of our time. and he died as he had
Hved-honored trusted and loved by the
whole world and mourned by every true
man in the great nation he had done so |
much to make greater stiI. And so. here
after the Kansas Day club will celebrate
not only the birthday of Kansas but the !
b1rthday of our last martyred president |
who loved his country only less than he |
loved his God.
s'And there be other men whose deeds
we praise and whose names we honor |
The heroes did not all live in olden time |
for when war again called the sons oi |
right nobly did they respond, and they |
proved that the hero-bloOd of Lexington |
and Concord, of Yorktown and Lake Erie !
OF Gettysburg and Donaldson. was Vet |
when the armies of the nations of the !
earth stood irreSolute upon the shores of |
China, when the destruction of our people |
locked WITHIN the grim walls of Pekin /
seemed certain, not forget that he l
who gave the command: ON to Pel<inI- |
was an American And when the allied /
armies stood before the gates of the For |
hidden City. and doubt and hesitation /
were in the hearts of ALL every eve was /
turned upward, and there. above the /
frOWning walls where, for a thousand Il
years the dragon of China had grinned de- |
fance at civilization, fioated the stars and /
stripes of Greater America, planted and |
held aloft by the dauntless hand of Cor
poral Titus of Kansas.
And again, when, after long months 1
of battling in swamp and mountain /
stronghold of Luzon, when there remained /
but struggling bands of bolomen to Il
harass and murder our soldiers and the /
their movements was unfettered and be- /
yond the clutches of our regulars, when it /
became necessary to capture the willy and /
treacherous chief of the Filipinos that |
brain conceived and whose untirfng ener- /
~ and tact carried out the plan that /