The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-08-11
POLITICAL GOSSIP
An UnspOken Speech Of A. W.
Smith.
What He intended to Say at
Salina Encampment.
WAS A HIT AT HARRIS.
Veterans Present Wouldn't Let
Him Continue.
Now Appears in the 9. A. II.
Report.
WAS A HIT AT HARRIS.

N THE journal of the salina en-
campment Of the Kansas Grand
Army of the Republic, which APP
peared today in printed form, is
- found that portion of Farmer"
A. W. Smiths celebrated political
speech which. according TO the press
reports he was unable to deliver at the
Salina encampTnent.
Smith started in to roast the Demo-
Gratis for nominating William A. Har-
rlS, an ex-confederate, for governor. He
gave the bloody shirt a few hirts, and
then, according to the reports Of the
convention, there was a storm of Kisses
which made 1t impossible for him to
continue on the tack which he had ia
ken.
But the official report Of Smiths
speech includes some things which ac-
cording to the former reports of the
state encampment he did not have
chance to say. Here is a portion Of
the speech which caused the trouble.
Il want to say that as for me and
my house, we have sworn that we will
worship God and stand by our Glory.
And there will never come time in
the history of A w. Smith when he
viii walk up to the ballot box and put
in his ballot for any man for any Office
who ever drew sword or carried mus
ket to destroy the flag of our country
This is the place where the kissing
IS said to have interrupted Smiths re-
marks, but the official report of the
speech goes on as follows:
IF there is any politics in that. you
can put it in your pipe and smoke it.
That is the kind of stuff that is in me.
I don't care how many wives a fellow
has got, or how often he may have
swapped wives, he never can get my
vote If he has worn a gray uniform.
Now that may be a little sectional. If
it is, we get our cue from the solid
south.
II remember going down south
few years ago as a representative Of
I ha a iUf oF
! state, and went to the city of Mont
gomery. Ala. and the governor of that
great state was on the programme to
deliver an address of welcome to the
Fathers National congress, the boys
from the northwest came in-nearly
every one of them had the little bronze
! button on his coat=and that governor
of the great state Of Alabama. packed
his grip and left the city and would not
/ deliver his address to the Congress of
Fathers. This is the kind of a recep-
ton I got down there, but it didn t
hurt me any; it showed me that the
same spirit dominated there that dom
/ mated in the COS. That is the thought
are here we have a duty to perform,
and that duty is to serve our country S
best interests, and we can do it no bet
ter than by teaching and preaching
| patriotism wherever we so. Patriot
ism and love Of country should be our
4 ambition and our watchword. Let us
teach reverence to the flag and coun-
try. and If we do that, If we do our
duty as ex-Union soldiers. we will have
no fear of the future fortunes of this
great nation we have saved and helped
to build, but the old flag will go on,
and on, and on, adding star after star
to its folds until 1t shall belt the earth
and proclaim liberty from pole to
pole
Frank Ryan, of Leavenworth, one of
the Republican candidates for member
of the board of railroad commission
ers, is in Topeka today. He has been
busy ever since his nomination visiting
towns in western and central Kansas
together with a few excursions in the
eastern part of the state.
What do you think about William
Allen Whites plan to nominate a new
set of Republican railroad commits
sioners by petition p was asked.
ooh. that scheme don't worry me
much said Ryan. white will have
some new scheme tomorrow, and will
forget all about this one. I have q
great deal of respect for Mr.. White
personally. and think he Is a remark
ably bright and able man, but his
political pipe dreams are certainly