The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-01-15

to say for themselves. There was also
a very considerable number of women
in the audience.
Tom McNeal made a characteristic
speech of introduction, hammered the
political machine considerably, and
| then introduced Captain Clad Hamll-
ton. the square deal candidate for state
! senator. Captain Hamilton told the
| audience that he was for a primary
| and all the other square deal meas
| ures He promised to do all his leg
| isIative business, if nominated and
| elected "above the counter and said
| that it would be unnecessary to send
| any influential politician to see MN
| to get things done.
Then Mr.. McNeal stated that W. S.
Bergundthal was too timid to do any
| talking Bergundthal is candidate for
| the legislature in North Topeka he
! introduced Major A. NJ. Harvey, candl-
| date for representative in the Thirty
| eighth district. Major Harvey has no
| opposition. and he said that the fact
| that he was there shouldn't be constru-
! ed as meaning that he was mixing up
! with anybody else's candidacy-which
was equivalent to saying that he did
| not endorse the Stubbs boom entirely
| Major Harvey pledged himself to the
| legislative reference bureau, and other
! square deal measures. He aroused
much enthusiasm by pledging his sup
port to the state fair project for To-
peka.
Robert Stone, candidate for the legis-
Iature in the Thirty-ninth district, was
next introduced, and made plea for
support on the strength of his record
in the last two sessions, when he has
been the staunch friend of W. r.
Stubbs.
Mr.. StubbS Appears.
Then the band played again, and w.
r. Stubbs was introduced. Mr.. Stubbs
wore a gray business suit, and
windsor tie. He used the whole stage,
pacing back and forth from one side to
the other, and keeping dangerously
close to the front edge all the time.
Most of the time Mr.. Stubs spoke in
which is his best and most taking
style. When he tries to get oratorical.
and pull the tail of the eagle, he gets
bevond his depth He strains and
shouts too much, and his voice gets
sing-song swing that is not pleasant.
AS a grass roots talker, though,
Stubbs is a success. He is earnest,
clear and convincing. He makes peo-
pie believe in him. and believe that he
is sincere. That is the most effective
kind of political speaking.
Mr.. Stubbs denied emphatically that
he had any desire to injure the rail-
road companies.
ANY man who has any desire to in
sis small and narrow and don't know
what he is about. L am friendly to
the railroads, and other public service
corporations, and 1 want them to have
an equal show with all other inter-
eSts.'
Then he went on to tell why the
politicians had obtained such a grip
on the government.
"People have been so busy making
money" he said that they have turn
ed over their political affairs to the
politicians. 1 am not here to find
fault with the politicians or the rail-
road managers. They have drifted
along in a perfectly natural channel.
and the people have allowed them to
drift into control of politics. l think
l have been just as negligent as any
man could be. Up to the time I was
AZ or 43 years of age I don't rem ember
of attending any political convention
or caucus. When by chance I was
elected to the legislature, 1 came to
Topeka and went into, the state house
for the first time in my life. l didn't
know where I was at. Then they
started doing things up in the legis-
that I didn't know what had hap
pened for weeks afterwards. Along
toward the end of the session I heard
that there were 432 names on the leg
islative pay roll. That was something
I could understand. l had been look
ing after pay rolls all my life. I had
been paying four or five thousand men
out of my own bank account. and L
wanted to see that l was getting re-
suits. When I came to look for those
432 people on the legislative paw roll
they weren't there. If they had been,
the place would have been so full of
people we couldn't have done any
business
People applauded this hit loudly
No More Railroad Contracts.
Stubbs went on to tell about how he
had gone into an investigation of politi-
cal conditions, and how he had with
others, worked up sentiment in favor
of a change in existing conditions. Then
he told how the reform" wave swept
him into the office of speaker of the
house of representatives.
And | pledge you my word he said
laughing, that I have not had a rail-
road contract since. 1 kept my rail-
road outfit for two years, and then sold
it. | am in better business. I'm glad
l am out of railroad work. 1 say 1 am
in better business because no man can
be in better business than devoting
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