The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-29
LONG A BUSY man
Concludes His First Week OF
Campaign.
Meeting at Smith Center Best
He Has Had.
HE TALKS OF WHITE.
: TALKS OF WHITE.
Explains Why He Devotes So
Much Time to Him.
Takes Up Some of the White
Charges.

SI1ltn center, Ran, y ulc ZS.-ccho-
ter Long concluded a hard campaign,
principally in the Sixth district, with a
very thorough trip through Smith
county on Saturday, and with three
speeches to large crowds.
His meeting at Smith Center Satur-
day afternoon was the best he has had
since he began his campaign in this
portion of the state. Five hundred
people filled the uncomfortable hall,
the heat being such as to make COM
fort largely impossible. Yet this audi
ence sat for an hour and half and
listened to a Republican speech about
Republican candidates and a Repub-
lican platform. as though the day and
the hall had been the most perfect one
could desire.
In this speech Senator Long devoted
still further attention to the opposition
against him, though this came near
the close of his speech and practically
of the Chicago platform which he
helped to make, and the candidates,
Taft and Sherman, and had made his
usual declaration that Taft is the
ablest and best equipped presidential
candidate of any party at any time in
the country's history.
II have been asked" said the sena-
tor. "why 1 devote so much time to
William Allen White in my addresses.
long since in my political career
the source of the opposition and then
go after 1t. The opposition to me In
this campaign is Mr.. White. 1t is not
Mr.. Bristow. Mr.. Bristow Is a mere
The real opposition to me is William
Allen White. He is the press agent.
the manager. the source of attack, and
it is only natural for me to refer to
what he says"
Once more, in referring to the charges
that he has voted and acted "in the in
terests of Wall street" Senator Long
remarked. as to the Chicago convention
and Mr.. Whites criticism of it because
it did not contain the socalled LaFol-
lette clanks:
Wall street because 1 voted in COM
mttee and in the convention against
these .,!anks.
IF this is the case. then I have good
company. 1 am aware that it is no
excuse to plead the company you are
keeping, no matter how good, II your
acts are at all reprehensible, but I
want merely to cite you to a few fig
ures. 1 was a member of the commit
tee on resolutions of the Chicago con-
vention, and as such, was one of SO
men. OF this number. but one. Mr.
Cooper Of wisconsin. voted Tor the So
called LaFollette planks. The votes
against numbered. on different PROPOSE
tons. and according to the small num-
Der of absentees as the various votes
were taken. from 80 to 50.
I'm the convention, the votes, yfich
were separate on the different minority
planks proposed by Mr.. Cooper's re-
port. varied from 500 to 900. and from
% to 100. That is. these minority
planks. submitted to the convention af-
ter the platform had been agreed upon
and recommended by the committee on
resolutions. were defeated overwhelm-
ingly. having but from % to 100 votes
for and from 300 to 900 votes against
Besides. the platform. finally adopt
ed, had the entire sanction of President
Roosevelt and Mr. Taft who knew what
was being done. Af.tf
$50. I submit. that If 1 voted in the
interests of Wall street in the Chicago
convention. that convention. the presi-
dent of the United States. and the nom
inee. Mr. Taft. were overwhelmingly
in with Wall street
You do not believe that. nor do l."
Senator Long arrived in Smith Cen
ter about noon. Already there were
many people in town from the coun-
try, and the streets and stores were
filled. He saw many persons, ate his
dinner. and then went about town
piloted by two old soldiers. After the
meeting he again met many persons
before leaving for Lebanon. Long
literature. biographical docume nts,
copies of the Emporia speech, slips
with reference to the Chicago plat
form. etc, were distributed around by
enthusiastic trends like D. B. Dyer,
Ben Williams. A. E. Cornell of Smith
Center. and E. T. Thompson of Bell
aire, who until recently was a Popu-
list. Hundreds of men wore little
white badges that had been printed by
his friends bearing these words, Sen
ator Long 1t was a great meeting.
Senator Long left Kirwin in Phil
lips county, where he had a big meet
ing Friday night. at o'clock Satur-
day morning. with few friends. in
the big touring car belonging to l. NJ.
Mahin of Smith Center who had gone
| over for the senator the night before.
The trip in the early morning to Smith
Center. about go miles. was made by
easy stages. as usual, stops being
made at Agra. in Phillips county: and
| at Kensington. and Athol, in Smith
county. At the former place, a fine
little country town of about 500 popu-
| lation. little meeting was arranged in
| few minutes. and 125 people gather
| ed in a hall and listened for half
hour while Senator Long told them
about Taft and Sherman, the Chicago
platform. made a rousing Republican
! speech. and wound up with brief
reference to himself and his candi-
dacy. At Athol visit was made
about town. and everyone in town was
| seen who was on the streets or in a
| store.
From Smith Center Senator Long
was again taken in an automobile to
Lebanon where he made a speech at
night to large crowd. The interest
here was fully as great as at Smith
Center. and the meeting a very sue
eessrul one. A brief stop was made
enroute at Bellaire where the senator
has a number of warm friends.
| Senator Long spent Sunday at Nor
catur with his sister, Mrs. n. ]. Roe-
ers. whom he had not seen for some
years. he then proceeded today into
Decatur county, fully keeping nm his
! record in cQYerirer