The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1904-11-03
HhD A Bic CROWD
More Than 1000 People Attend
Auditorium Meeting.
Charles Curtis and Homer Hoch
the Orators.
THEY HAD FIREWORKS.
1t Was an Old Fashioned Cam
paign Gathering.
The Speakers Said Nothing
About State Issues.

meeting last night at the Auditorium.
Everything was in evidence. even to the
smoking flambeaux, and the yells and
vociferous applause.
The speakers were NJ. NJ. Hale, ]. *.
Hudson. Congressman Curtis and
Homer Hoch. The Fremont and Lin
coin club occupied seats on the plat
form and the white haired voters sat
as models for the first voters to look
upon and copy after. Jackson's band
played and then played again. Miss
Wyatt sang campaign songs and the
Washburn rah. rah boys rah rahed.
The first floor of the Auditorium was
filled and the speakers. band, Fremont
and Lincoln club had seats on the stage.
A few people were in the balcony. The
audience numbered probably about 1900
people which was more than Chairman
Philips, of the Republican county COM
mittee, expected would attend the
meeting.
The Fremont and Lincoln club, the
Republican Flambeau club, the Oak
land drum corps and JackSon'S band
marched from the old court house to
the Auditorium. Oscar Swayze fired
bombs.
NJ. NJ. Hale, president of the Fremont
and Lincoln club, presided at the meet
ing. General j. K. Hudson introduced
the speakers. The one particular fea-
absence of any reference to the state
campaign by any of the speakers. They
avoided getting nearer to Kansas than
to mention the Mckinley home in Can
ton and Bryan's home in Lincoln. In
fact there was little said about the
present national campaign further than
a slight mention of tariff reforms when
needed.
The meeting was typical of the cam
paign and the speakers could find moth
ing of the time and place to speak about
which would bring off the hats, bring
out the yells and whoops. The au-
dience was there because voters are ex-
pected to attend campaign meetings. A
man said as he entered the Auditor
iuIn: Il don't know why 1 am coming
for shall not change my mind, but 1
wouldn't feel right unless l went to a
political meeting
General Hudson was the first speaker
He said: AT the close of this cam
paign it is right that the first voters
should meet with the first Republican
voters who cast ballots for the first Re-
publican candidates for the presidency,
John c. Fremont and Abraham Lin
coin. These old citizens who voted the
Republican ticket first in 1856 remem-
Der the intense excitement then. The
warmth of this campaign. compared to
that of 1856 is like an icicle and a red
hot stove"
man Curtis. Mr.. Curtis said:
The only party which has worked for
the interest of the people, is the Re-
publican party. 1t represents every
hood. 1 want to call your attention,
first voters. to the fact that the ques-
ton before the American people is as
great as that discussed in any cam
paign in the history Of the country.
John Sharp Williams has said that
the issue in the campaign is tariff re-
form and he was right. This has been
the issue for II years. The Democrats
carried the country on this issue at one
time and the result was that the
country was fooled The voters have
been fooled on this issue and they
should not be fooled again. 1t means
ruin to the country
Congressman Curtis spoke of the
Democratic Wilson bill and the Repub-
lican Dingley bill. OF the Wilson bill
he said:
This bill caused the children and wo-
men to cry for bread; it organized the
Coxey army, the most pitiable sight
ever presented to the people of the
country. The men could not get work
and they wanted work. This was only
possible under a Democratic admins
tration. Coxey's army did not restore
to the American people the American
market, but the Republican party did
do so by putting in effect the Dingley
BILL
Congressman Curtis spoke of tariff
would make such changes as are nee
essary. He said: 4 will never vote for
a bill that will rob the working man of
employment. The Wilson bill did that.
l will never vote for a bill that will
take from the farmer his markets. The
Wilson bill did that. I will never vote
for a bill that will shake confidence
from one end of the country to the 9TH
err The Wilson bill did that.
In justice to myself 1 will say one
word about myself accused of stealing
nomination. man writes a letter
to the first voters. that Curtis secured
kfA,, I1xy I'll
a man in Kansas being charged with
stealing anything from Cy Leland and
old Dan Anthony. If anyone was able
to steal anything from them he ought
to have a monument. In the Holton
convention 1 had 81 uncontested votes
out of 129. two more than enough to
nominate. Here is a blanket ticket used
to defeat me in LeaVenworth and a
pink ticket used in Doniphan county
never used a pink ticket nor a blanket
ticket to secure a nomination and I
never will
In closing his speech Mr.. Curtis said:
1.-The people who vote for me will new
er, from any action of mine, regret that
they voted for Charles Curtis
The meeting was late in beginning
and by the time Congressman Curtis
finished people began leaving the hall.
Homer Hoch was the next speaker but
throughout his speech there was such
a noise and SO much confusion that
he could hardly be heard. BY the time he
finished his rather lengthy speech only
a corporal's guard was left in the Aud
itorium. Mr.. Hoch said, The Demo-
cratic party in looking for ancestors
went back to Thomas JEFFERSON. The
Democratic party was not born till 40
years after his time. Things have
changed since. The Democrats have
always been for free trade but Jeffer-
son was for a tariff. The Democratic
party is against expansion but Jeffer-
son was an expanSionist !"
Young Hoch, who is a son of the can
re- 6 a ri
Those who heard him were we'll pleas
ed and had he been given a place early
in the evening his speech would have
received marked attention