The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-07-17
THE FAIRBANKs COCKTAIL.

Is there really a Fairbanks cock
tail? Is all of this gossip concerning
the serving of the drinks by the vice
president at his Memorial Day dinner
based on a mere myth, or has it
foundation in fact?
| Mr. Fairbanks Qastor-the vice
president is a good Methodist brother
asserts that the Indiana candidate
for the presidency is a teetotaler. a foe
| of the rum fiend. and that II there ever
was such a connection as a cocktail,
Mr.. Fairbanks certainly was not re-
spcnsible for it.
There is really decided element of
doubt as to the basic fact whether
cocktails were served at that dinner,
and an interested public may long be
in the darkness on that important
point. The cocktail-consuming crowd
has its hopes-among them one that
Mr. Fairbanks will make the cocktail
feature of his campaign, distributing
them even more freely than he has
1.-The Life and Speeches of Charles w.
Fairbanks" The prohibftionists do
not know whether to pass some of
their Justly celebrated resolutions or
not. The liquor dealers, also, are
| doubtful about contributing to the
Fairbanks campaign fund. The cherry
growers are up in the air. too. for If
the story is true and the Fairbanks
cocktail becomes popular, it is liable
to boom the cherry market. So this
element of doubt is nerve-racking.
But assuming that the story is true,
| two explanations are offered as to how
| it happened. One is that Mr.. Fair
banks simply gave an order to a cater
er to serve the dinner. and the caterer
served the cocktails without Mr.. Fair
banks knowledge and consent. The
other explanation is that Mayor
| Charley Bookwalter. of Indianapolis.
friend of the vice president. noted the
absence of cocktails before the dinner
was served, and jumping into an
automobile he fastened to a club, had
the connections prepared. and was
back with them in time to supply the
thirsty guests.
The public is at liberty to accept
either or neither of these explanations.
When Mr.. Fairbanks was in Spokane
recently he was asked for an express
sion on the subject and said:
1.-The yellow journals are dirty and
degrading. They have a bad influence
on the community, and ought to be in
dicted as common criminals
Now, taken by itself. this remark OF
the vice president appears to be far
from the subject of cocktails, but
taken in connection with the Question,
1t would indicate that Mr.. Fairbanks
would convey the impression that the
yellow journals alone were RESPONSE
BILE for the cocktail story and it is
therefore not true. To the average
person, this idea will appear extreme
ly plausible, unless it be known that
the yellow journal which first pub
lished the cocktail story is the Indian
apolis paper owned by Mr.. Fairbanks
and his cousin, Delevan Smith, and is,
in fact, the personal organ of the vice
president.
OF course. Mr.. Fairbanks does not
say that yellow journalism started the
story or that it is false. and If it is
checked up to him he will have moth
ing to take back-although the posi-
tiveness of that declaration concerning
yellow journals is somewhat start
ling, coming from the source it does.
AS matters now stand, Mr.. Fair
banks liberal friends are free to be-
1ieve that the vice president is a jolly
dog who can appreciate matters of
Itaste-and thirst-and who can be an
al1-around good fellow when occasion
requires His prohibition friends, on
the other hand. have abundant proof
that the cocktail story is purely
nendish invention of yellow Journal
lfsFn that never happened; or, If it did