The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-01-31
What Politicians Say About the
Kansas Day Speeches.
Young Homer Hech Gets Large
Chunks of Praise.
A REPUTATION.
Rev. Mr.. jeffrey is Now Known
All Over Kansas.
He is a Fav0rite With Southern
Kansas Travelling Men.

The general sentiment of those who
attended the Kansas Day banquet is
that young Homer Hoch and Rev. T. w.
Jeffrey made the best a1-round speech
es. Nearly everybody has good words
to say of those two. People who knew
Ed Hoch and his abilit-- as orator,
expected something good from his son,
but they were not looking for anything
as good they got. They are now
telling the elder Hoch that he win have
to look to his laurels or his son will sur
pass him.
Homer Hoch's speech was excellent
in every way. There was just enough
of jest in it to make it taking with
the Kansas Day crowd. At the same
it was full of good hard thought 1t
was exceedingly appropriate to the oc-
casion, and the ease with which it was
delivered was surprise even to the
young mans closest friends.
There are few men in Kansas more
popular than the elder Hoch- After
the banquet was over many of his
friends crowded around him to con-
graduate him on being the sire of such
a son. If he had himself achieved a
great success he could not have been
as proud of it as he was of the COM
pliments which were showered upon his
boy. AS his friends crowded around
him and congratulated him on the boys
achievement the elder Hoch's voice
choked, his eyes filled with happy tears,
and all he could do for a few moments
was to grasp the hands stretched out
to him.
Mrs. f1Ocn sat IN the gallery as a VIII
ness to the ovation given her son fol-
lowing his toast. and she, too, partici-
pated in the joy of his success.
Young Hoch will proba bly, represent
Baker university. where he is now a
student, in the state oratorica1 contest
at Winfield a month hence, and the
Baker push expects him to carry off
the honors with little difficulty.
A week ago Rev. Mr.. Jeffries was lit
tie known as an orator outside of the
Third congressional district and the
counties adjoining Cowley, which is his
statewide. Nearly everyone of the six
hundred Republicans from all over the
litical Manhood" on Wednesday even
ing felt the force of it. He is an easy
speaker, has a magnificent Voice, and
what he said was not only couched in
the best language but it was high in
its moral tone.
Rev Mr.. Jeffries is a favorite with
the travelling men who make" south
ern Kansas, and as a result many of
them make it a point to Sunday at
Winfield instead of at Wichita when
they are in that section of the state,
preach. 1t is said that one Sunday
morning not long ago twenty-five
travelling men rounded up in one hotel
| in Winfield and went in a body to hear
/ Jeffrey'S morning sermon. When the
I collection baskets were passed that
morning they gathered up fifty dollars.
Mr. Jeffries is pastor of the Methodist
4 church in Winfield. Those who know
1 him say that he keeps free from "isms''
and goes ahead in straightforward
course, preaching only the gospel and
+ refusing to be side-tracked- Some of his
/ Third district Republican friends want
him to become a congressional candi-
date. but he refuses to go into politics,
claiming that his work is that Of min
/ ister-
Robert P. McCulloch. the Anthony
candidate for attorney general is an
4 other unknown whose speech made a
good impression. He had more Thoughts
/ condensed into a smaller space than any
/ other speaker. unless it was Rev. Mr..
Jeffrey His address was entirely free
| from the usual pleasantries of after
dinner speeches and while it was logical
| and fun OF original thought, it was