The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-21

Deneve would be constitutional.
Il had no intention then and I have
none now to defy public sentiment, OF
not give due consideration to the wish
es OF my constituents. I explained fully
why 1 could not support the Esch-
Townsend bill and the recommendation
of the president. When the president
made his recommendation in his an
nual message of 1905 I gave it my cor
dial support and so stated in a speech
in the Knife and Fork club at Kansas
City, Mo-, which speech was earnestly
| Endorsed by Mr.. Bristow in his paper
the Salina Journal. The Esch-Town-
send bill was abandoned and in its
place the Hepburn-Dolliver bill was in
troduced- / gave this bill my earnest
and active support from the beginning
as is shown by the letter of President
Roosevelt to me In which he stated
that his position was then exactly
mine. I refer to these Incidents of the
past as they throw some light on the
contest in this campaign"
Roosevelt on the Platform.
Senator Long then discussed at
length his relations with President
| Roosevelt, and answered Bristow's
charge that he is insincere in his sup
port of the president.
He then said:
| Bristow's speech in which he says that
| 1t was well known to be the wish OF
| Secretary Taft and the president that
| a provision for a physical valuation or
railroads should be Incorporated in the
platform, will state that it is wholly
| incorrect and absolutely false. Mr..
Bristow is as much mistaken on this
| assertion as he is in many other parts
of his Wichita speech. The draft OF
the platform prepared in Washington
by myself and two other gentlemen, in
consultation with Secretary Taft and
| INA M nj
the physical valuation of the railroads.
1t was substantially the same as the
platform adopted by the convention.
| 1t was satisfactory to Secretary Taft
and President Roosevelt, not only as
to what it contained but as to what
was omitted from it. 1t was under
stood at the time that no such plank
should be incorporated in the platform.
kilograms were sent by President
Roosevelt and Secretary Taft to those
members of the committee on resolu-
lions who agreed with them on the
| platform that should be adopted, but
there was no suggestion made by eth
er of them, directly or indirectly, that
| they desired an Incorporation in the
| platform of a plank providing for the
| physical valuation Of railroads.
1T appears that Secretary Taft has
not yet discovered that 1 betrayed him
| in Chicago, for in postscript to let
| ter to me of June %, 1908 he says: You
did the best that could have been done
with the platform
President Roosevelt is still in ignor-
ance in regard to what we did in the
committee on resolutions against him,
| for in a recent letter to Senator Hop
kins, chairman of the committee on
resolutions, he says:
MY Dear Senator Hopkins: Let
me thank and congratulate you as
chairman of the committee on resolu-
tions for the excellent platform pre-
scented to the convention 1t seems TO
me that from every standpoint we
have reason to be gratified with the
| work of the convention. Again thank
with it, believe me, verely sincerely
| yours.
This charge of the betrayal OF
| Secretary Taft and President Roose-
welt is answered by these letters to
which call your attention. In regard
| to the charge that I have only sup
ported the administration when
expedient, 1 wish to call your atten-
| ton to facts and circumstances within
your own knowledge. I supported
President Roosevelt in the great con-
| test for Cuban reciprocity when my
own interests would have led me to
have opposed him. 1 had petitions
from thousands of my constituents
asking me to oppose this measure,
and 1 only supported 1t because l be-
lieved it was right. TO show you
| that 1 have been a supporter of the
administration in the past I call your
attention to the letter written by Mr..
Bristow and which 1 first read in the
| debate at Sterling on the 14th instant
| in Mr.. Bristow's presence. In this
| letter he wishes me to assure Secre-
| tary Taft that 1 had always stood by
| the administration whenever 1t needed
help, and that 1 expected to continue
| to do so. When this letter was read
Mr. Bristow made no reply to it ex-
| cept to claim that l was violating the
| prophecies by reading a personal OF
| confidential letter. The letter was re-
| ceived in the ordinary course of bust
ness and related to a position which
| Mr.. Bristow much desired. 1t was not
marked personal or confidential
and was no more a confidential
communication than any letter which
you may receive in the ordinary
course of business"
The Cochran Endorsement.
Senator Long then denied having
received $1,000 from the Missouri
Pacific railway. or having Endorsed
A. G. Cochran for judge. He said:
| "Mr. Bristow does not conf1ne hi!
He is as inaccurate in what he say
in regard to my recommendations OF
appointments. 1t has not been m.
/ purpose to discuss my reasons FOL
recommending certain persons for ap
i pointments. 1 have been criticized b,
many persons for accommodation
that have made, and have incurred
opposition on account of what hav'
done on such matters. Mr.. Bristow 4
grossly in error in regard to m,
recommending Mr.. Alexander G
Cochran. of St. Louis, for circui
judge. Mr.. Cochran was a Democra
Il before 1896. but has supported thu
Republican ticket since that time H,
was an earnest supporter and advo.
, cate of the nomination OF President