The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-07-08
Lawson and Jerome Sit at Same
Board at X. C.
Guests at Knife and Fork Club
Banquet.
BOTH WERE CHEERED.
Lawson Devoted His Speech to
the System
Jerome Pays Handsome Tribute
to the Boston Man.

Kansas City, July 8.-Thomas w.
Lawson of Boston and William Travers
Jerome, district attorney of New York
the one the foremost exponent of the
principle of honesty in commercial life,
the other the enemy of political graft"
were the guests of honor at the BAN
quet of the Knife and Fork club at the
Midland hotel last night. At the long
tables sat AGO of Kansas City's business
and professional men. Each of the dis
tinguished visitors was given rousing
reception when he arose to speak, and
every telling point was the signal for
hearty applause.
In his speech Mr.. Jerome said he had
no press agent and Mr.. Lawson showed.
considerable feeling about it when he
got up to speak after Mr.. Jerome had
finished.
The attendance was the largest at the
banquets given by the club, and, while
the organization has listened to many
well known men during the several
years of its existence, there was prob
ably more interest manifested last night
in what the speakers had TO say, than
at any previous banquet
Cheers for Both.
Mr.. Lawson was the first to arrive at
the hotel where the banquet was given.
and when it became known that his
trance the crowd in the hotel lobby
rushed in that direction. Mr.. Lawson
had taken refuge in one of the parlors
just off the entrance, and the crowd
surrounded the door of this room and
peered in at the windows while the au-
thor of @Frenzied Finance held brief
reception.
In a few minutes under the guidance
of Thomas H Reynolds, the president
of the club, he started for the elevator
| 70 ascend tn the hannHPf the
fifth floor of the hotel His appearance
in the lobby was the signal for loud
cheers and hand clapping which caused
Mr.. Lawson to bow his acknowledge
ments.
Mr.. Jerome was late and Mr.. Law
son and Mr.. Reynolds, accompanied
by the other guests who occupied seats
at the honor table, entered the banquet
New Yorker. The guests were all
seated when the Boston man entered
and he was greeted with another
demonstration. The guests arose to
their feet and cheered and waved their
napkins. The applause lasted for sew
eral minutes and Mr.. Lawson bowed
in appreciation, while a smile of sat
isfaction was visible under the corners
of his dark mustache.
The Two Reformers Meet.
Mr.. Jerome came in few minutes
later and the reception that was given
Mr.. Lawson was just as heartily re-
peated. The district attorney smiled
and bowed.
The enemy of John D. Rockefeller
and the enemy of municipal corruption
had never met before and the presen-
tation was made by Mr.. Reynolds. Mr..
Lawson bowed. Mr.. Jerome SAID
"IIow are ycu?" A few minutes later
they were chatting like old friends.
The banqueters were called to order
by President Reynolds, who called
upon the Rev. c. S. Nusbaun, secre-
tary of the Ottawa Chautauqua, for
the invocation.
nearly II o'clock. E. J. Ridgeway,
publisher of Everybody's Magazine, in
which Mr.. Lawson's "Frenzied
Finance" stories have appeared, was
S. S. Mcclure, publisher of McClure's
Magazine.
There was another big demonstra-
ton when Mr.. Jerome arose to speak.
His talk was impromptu and was re-
plete with incidents of an interesting
and humorous nature. Mr.. Lawson
also spoke extemporaneouSly. He
talked on the theme which has made
his name a household word through
out the nation, and he was frequently
stopped by bursts of applause.
j. j. Ridgeway's Speech.
Mr.. Reynolds introduced E. ]. Ridge
way, editor of Everybody's Magazine, as
a literary man who, perhaps, would
reach fields where the orator failed to
be heard.
Mr. Ridgeway said:
"You are all interested in Mr.. Law
son. You would probably like to know
what we think of him. A man who
would work in this country today must
| take humanity as he finds it. When
America needed a father, God raised up
Washington. When America needed an
emancipation, God raised up Lincoln. 1t
is my belief that for the troubles that
beset the country at this time God
raised up Lawson. When God made
Tom Lawson he said: Where can I
mar him so as to keep him down to
earth. I can't afford to mar that
| physique. I can't mar that intellect
I'll just give him the heart of a wo-
man.
when several months ago we knew
knew him well enough to risk our prop
erty with him. We know him well
enough now to trust our lives with
him. And we know him well enough
| to risk our lives for him if he needs
them"
S. s. Mcclure. publisher of McCIure's
magazine, followed Mr.. Ridgeway.
ct came here to visit my friend, Will
liam Allen White. and a country like I
knew fifteen years ago. he said 81
believe there is no part of the world so
| Indiana and western Kansas
The rest of his talk was devoted to
McClure's magazine.
The Speech of jerome.
William Travers Jerome was intro