The Mena weekly star., 1908-09-03
TOPEKA SEES BRYAN
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE MAKES FOUR SPEECHES AT KAN.
 SAs CAPITAL.
MAIN SPEECH ON THE GUARANTY PLAA
Said Kansas Republican Plank on Bank Guaranty Was So Worded as
 to Be Practically Worthless--Audi-
 torium Filled to overfIowing-- Talked to K. of p. on Fraternity


 torium Filled to overfIowinq--
 Talked to K. of p. on Fraternity"
 Topeka, Kan, Aug. 29.--Before an audience which filled the Auditorium to overfiowing, William J. Bryan, Democratic candidate for president, Thursday night spoke on the subject of guaranty of bank deposits. Previ- ously he had delivered three other addresses, two from the veranda of the hotel and the third at Garfield park, where he attended a picnic by the Knights of Pythias, his latter theme being Fraternity"
 The Democratic candidate and his party arrived here at one o'clock and were at once taken in hand by re- ception committee composed of lead ing Democrats of the city and state and conducted to the hotel in automo. piles. A great crowd greeted MT. Bryan at the station and at the hotel.
 As announced by him before his de. parture from Kansas City Mir. Bryan, Tn view of the action of the Kansas Republican state convention which in- dorsed the guaranty of deposit propo- sition, made some remarks supplement tary to his prepared speech on that subject. He took up the advantages of the guaranty system and then an swered the objections made to 1t by Mir. Taft. and others.
 Trpop fha onpnluoiox ht. speech, MT. Bryan said:
 T asked Mir. Breidenthal, banker of Kansas City, to make inquiry among the bankers of Kansas and as- certain what proportion of them favored the guaranty law learned that of the bankers that had ex. pressed themselves on this subject, about three-fourths of them favored a guaranty law and one-fourth opposed 1t. This is an excellent showing Among the depositors there is no op position at all and 1t Is evident that the Kansas bankers recognize, first, that something must be done, and, sec ond, that the guaranteed bank is bet ter than the postal savings bank I also inquired of Gov Haskell in re- gard to the number of national banks which have surrendered their charters and become state banks in order to have the benefits of the guaranty sys- tenn. have telegram from him say ing that four national banks have all ready made the change and are operat- ing under the state bank laws, and that 16 other national banks have ap- piled for state charters. This Is con- clus<ve proof that the Oklahoma law Is success.
 Since the preparation of my speech on this subject, the Republicans of Kansas have held a convention and adopted state platform. The plank on the guaranty of banks is a recog- hilton of the necessity for security, but the plank is so worded as to be practically useless, so far as the pro- lection of the people is concerned. The Republicans propose to enable the state banks to mutually and vol untarily" guarantee deposits. But that is not enough. Suppose that the banks mutually agreed not to do 1t, must the depositors be left unsecured?
 "The Kansas Republican platform also requests the Republican candi- dates for congress and United States senate to favor a law in aiding a na- tional bank to participate in the pro posed mutual and voluntary system. But what chance is there of securing such a law when the Republican na- tional convention refuses to pay any attention to the subject and when the Republican candidate opposes the whole plan of the guaranty? MT. Taft's denunciation of the guaranty system is so sweeping that no disin- terested person can for a moment be- ieve that he will either encourage or permit law enabling national banks to participate in state systems.
 And, speaking of platforms, I am glad to call attention to the fact that the Republican platform adopted in Kansas indorses the Democratic na- tional platform on two important ques- tions. First. 1t favors the election of renators by direct vote of the people.
 Another plank indorsing the Dem ocratic platform is to be found in the condemnation of the present rules of the house, and in the demand for a modification of the rules"
 MT. Bryan intended leaving for Lin coin at midnight, but at the last mo ment changed his plans and will start in the morning instead. arriving home at five o'clock in the afternoon.
 WAS LOST IN MOUNTAINS.