The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-17
LONG STILL BUSY
Completes His Tour of the
Western Counties.
Two Things to Be Considered
in Campaign.
PAST RECORD, FUTURE
Would Not Seek Reelection if
They Were Unsatisfactory.
Makes Reference to That SEN
satiOnal BristOw Letter.

Mcpherson, Kan, July 17.-In his
speech here yesterday afternoon Sena-
tor Long said, in furtherance of his
insistence that the closest scrutiny be
given his official record. that he had no
desire to return to the senate or to
appeal for support of Republicans un-
less it was a good record. He said. as
a sort of keynote. or text, to his SUBJ
sequent remarks:
There are two things to consider in
this senatorial campaign: The record I
have made in the past, and what I
stand for in the future.
IF my record in the past has not
been good one, or if I do not stand
for things in the future that you be-
lieve in, then 1 should not be entitled
to your support, and 1 have no right to
ask for it or expect it,
Senator Long then went briefly over
the events of the campaign, beginning
with the. charges of Mr.. White on May
IL, his reply to the same at Emporia
on June 10. the Bristow meeting at
Wichita on July 10. when the senator's S
opponent accused him, as he said, of
hypocrisy and deceit and dsloyalty, and
the Sterling debate of this week. He
briefly sketched the important events
of each occurrence, and dwelt little
longer on the Sterling meeting. He
again stated that, as he said at Ster-
ling, the paramount issue was whether
he had made a good senator, whether
his personal character and integrity
We're" above reproach. as White had
said, or Just the reverse, as Bristow
had said. If as White said, and if his
record as senator was good, then he
had right to ask for nomination.
If as Bristow said, then he had no such
right. But If he had been loyal to
Roosevelt and Taft and Kansas, and
was honest, and not a hypocrite and
deceiver, then he thought he should be
nominated and Mr.. Bristow kept at
home.
For weeks and months" said Sena-
tor Long, "Mr. White was my sole op-
position. Mr.. Bristow was my nominal
opposition. but he had been making
speeches all over Kansas without at
tracing attention and Mr.. White was
in the foreground. He charged me with
certain things and I replied to him at
Emporia- Mr.. Bristow did not like the
trend of the campaign and of sentiment,
so he took a hand at Wichita and Ster-
ling, and as a result, he has forged to
the front in the close of this cam
paigp. He evidently believed he had
sent boy to mill in William Allen
White, and so decided to go himself
thereafter and see if he could not do a
better Job.
But you should bear in mind this
difference: In his original charges, Mr..
White said I was personally honest,
that 1 was of high character, and pos
sessed integrity, but the fault lay with
my temperament-that was born
wrong.
Now comes Mr.. Bristow, who, at
Wichita, states that 1 am a hypocrite
that I have deceived the president and
Mr.. Taft, that l have been disloyal to
Kansas, that 1 hate the president and
his policies. This is entirely different
from what Mr.. White says SO one of
them must be wrong.
Il have paid my attention to Mr..
White. You all know about that. You
know What happened at Emporia.' I
shall now tell you What happened at
Sterling.''
Senator Long then devoted some
time to the Sterling meeting, telling
how he considered it important to
settle first of all the fact as to wheth-
er he had, in reality, deceived the
president and Taft, and been unfaith-
full to Kansas, and a hypocrite beyond
ALL He read some testimonials from
Mr.. Bristow's paper, he read the let
ter of the president to him commend
ing him on his course in the railroad
rate bill, note from Mr.. Taft con-
graduating him on the work accom-
plished in connection with the plat
form at the Chicago convention, and
then wanted to know whether this
evidence did not count as against the
bare statements of Mr.. Bristow.
Senator Long also read the letter
written him by Bristow and asked
what kind of man the people thought
he was to desire a place paying ST.
500 and to spend one-half his time
in Kansas, and resign when the fight
got hot" explaining that all this time
Mr.. Bristow was a candidate for the
senatorial position Mr.. Curtis now
has. He wondered what kind of a
man it was who wanted to raise the
devil'' at the White House, and ''go
there with a big stick. and have it
OUT Yet this same man, he said,
was now trying to get his, Longs,
seat, on the ground that he was closer
to the president and Mr.. Taft than it's
present incumbent.
Senator Long said he was thus SUBJ
mitting his evidence in the case Mr.
Bristow had brought against him, and
after the evidence had been consid-
ered it would be time enough to con-
slider the issues raised by Mr.. Bristow.
But at Wichita Monday night of next
week, Senator Long assured his hear
ers he would fully discuss these other
matters.
II was fair enough to Mr. Bristow,"
he said ito discuss the personal mat
ters before him at Sterling, while he
was not fair in this having attacked
me at Wichita, and then, when 1 was
present at Sterling, he evaded these
matters and insisted on talking of
issues"
Senator Long in all his addresses
since the Sterling meeting has made
the point that not since 1896 has he
been subjected to such abuse as at
the hands of Mr.. White and Mr.. Bris-
tow. He goes further than that He
says:
Even in those days. in the old
Populist campaigns. in 1896, when
the state was torn by debate and pc-
litical discussion and bitter feeling, 1
did not have from my opponent, Mr..
Simpson, who was my political ad-
|versary. any measure of abuse like