The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-07-15
An Audience of 5000 People
Present.
SPRINGS A SURPRISE.
Senator Reads Letter From Op-
pOnent About Roosevelt.
Many Personal illusions to
President in the Document.
Salina Man Asks a Series OF
Pointed Questions.

Sterling, Kan, July 15.-Seated at ta-
bles at opposite ends of long plat
form, Senator Chester I. Long and hio
opponent, Joseph L. Bristow. on Tues
day afternoon faced an audience OF
5000 people at the Central Kansas
Chautauqua assembly, and engaged in
joint debate, which was undoubtedly
one of the features of the campaign for
the Republican nomination for United
States senator.
side claims that it's opponent was
worsted in the encounter. Rice coun-
ty, however, Is believed to be friendly
| to Bristow. and the sentiment OF the
crowd seemed to favor the Salina man.
Senator Longs heaviest gun was dis
| charged when he read letter sent him
| by Mr.. Bristow in 1906, in which Mr..
| Bristow was asking Senator Longs as
| sistance in securing an appointment on
| the Panama commission. at the time
Bristow was about to retire from the
| postoffice department. Bristow desired
| this appointment to help him in his
senatorial fight against Charles Curtis.
| and Senator Long was supposed to Do
| friendly with Bristows ambition.
Mr. Bristow came back at Long with
| series of questions about Longs po-
| stion on public questions Senator
Long did not reply to these questions.
platform for an hour and so minutes.
| Senator Long opened for an hour and
\ 20 minutes. Mr.. BriStow followed with
an hour and 40 minutes. Long replica
4 for 30 minutes and Bristow closed with
| a 10 minute speech. After the perioo
| of speaking had been agreed upon. tho
| order of speaking was determined Dy
| lot. Henry Allen drew for Mr.. bris-
| tow and Ralph Faxon for Senator Long.
Allen won. and chose to have Long
open the debate. VII.
| Longs recognized ability as deba-
ter made him willing to accept con-
test with Mr.. Bristow in a county winch
was unfriendiy. to him. He no doubt
believed that he could duplicate his
Emporia meeting, and complete the an
nihilation of his political enemy by at
4 tacking Bristow. Il was Bristows hrst
attempt at joint debating, but he made
good impression.
| The debate was arranged by Henry
Allen and ]. E. Junlin of Sterling Botn
of these men are friendly to Bristow.
! The presiding officer of the debate was
Judge j. w. Brinkerhoff of Lyons.
Judge Brinkerhoff stated the conditions
of the debate. and introduced Senator
| Long.
| Senator Long charged that Mr.. Bris-
tow had been sending out the William
Allen White charges as campaign ma
terial, even after White had admitted
that some OF the charges were incor-
rect He produced an envelope post
/ marked July II, and asked Bristow
| whether or not ii was one sent OUT
from his Office. Bristow said:
II will answer the senator's questions
when my turn comes to speak.
Senator Long then attacked in very
/ much the way he went after Mr.. White
| shaking his finger in his face, and de-
| nouncing him. He read numerous ex-
| tracts from the Salina Journal, which
showed that Mr.. Bristow had support-
ed him up to about year ago. Then
he produced the letter which was writ
ten to him by Mr.. Bristow. and SAID
he would make Bristow sorry that ne
ever owned a newspaper or even wrote
letter. The letter was as follows:
Bristow's Letter to Long.
washington, May 27. 1906. Dear
Senator:-I wrote you briefly last
night Received your letter today. IL
there was a vacancy in some de-
sirable office. and you or Will White
were here the day that 1t was evail-
able, the president would appoint me
to it. but otherwise no one knows
what he might do.
HE asked me what I wanted.
told him that 1 did not know what
was available He said he did not.
either, and for me to see Taft as soon
J as he returned. l think i would ike
TO have one of those advisory places
: on the canal commission. They pay
$1,000 and require visit to the
isthmus once in three months. !
| could hold 1t and live in Kansas. be-
!, ine there at least half OF my time,
and when the fight got hot could
resign.
"They have engineers to burn on
| the commission. There is no reason
why Herrod should not be made
consulting engineer and me put IN
place: or one of the army engineers
assigned as consulting engineer ana
me put in his place. The only way
to have this done is through Taft. II
he suggests it, the president will do II.
! think Taft will like my report; VIII
go over it with him next week.
could you write him and call his
attention to the advfsability of having
me in a position to watch the COM
, mercial end of the railroad business
and the interests of the shipping pub
lie who will have all kinds Of COM
plants to make and that someone
ought to be connected with the COM
mission who is neither a railroad man
nor an engineer. Someone who is .
|. layman, and can meet complaints
. ! better than a railroad man or en-
, gineer.
Made Places for Democrats.
II can see a place that could be
made very useful to a man like TAFT
and the work would be pleasant ana
could be done from Kansas, as well
as Washington. An occasional Visit
| here is all that would be required.
, They can do this consistently IL they
will.
Roosevelt is very independent ana
cares very little now for senatorial
Endorsement. He will listen to White,
think for he expects the news
papers and magazines to compel the
> 4. y H. $3.50