The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-06-02

" say lndC ne mas no dDlnty, Dut IL Is
a fact that as an editor he has never
written an editorial that was copied,
as public speaker he has never been
a success and as law-maker or a con-
structive statesman he has had no ex-
perience and shown no evidence of
strength. The only symptoms of life
in his campaign have been manufac-
tured by his manager and promoter,
William Allen White, whose powers of
imagination have been proven in many
another work of fiction. Far be it from
me to suggest any unworthy motive in
these friends of mine, but the facts
remain that they only made Mr.. Bris-
tow a candidate for senator by threat
ening to support Long themselves in
case certain candidate should switch
from governor to senator, a support
they could consistently and honestly
have given. That was probably the
foundation for the foolish theory held
by number of people in Kansas, tina.
Long and Bristow have made a COM
bination, Long picking his own oppon-
sa1ve the wounds of defeat. There is
| nothing to the theory, but there is a
great deal of significance in the pop
ular estimate which has thus been
placed on the two candidates.
When Senator Long was facing the
storm of popular disapproval a little
over two years ago. because he declin-
ed to say in advance of seeing a bill
whether he would support it or not he
showed the nerve and backbone which
in the end commanded respect dis
agreed with him at the time. In fact,
like all true Kansans, differ frequent
ly with what is done by the powers that
be. But 1 like to see the man On the
other side. when he thinks he is right
stand right up to the rack, fodder or
no fodder. 1t was in the fall of 1905,
.,v,5 he 60 1aI
and the rain fell and the lightnings
flashed, it seemed as if the house of
Long would surely be scattered over
the earth. At that time Mr.. Bristow
wrote in his paper, the Salina Journal,
December 20, 1905. as follows:
1T is gratifying to Senator Longs
friends that his health is now robust
and that he is again capable of doing
large amount of detailed work for
which he has fine capacity. We be-
1eve> he will not disappoint his con-
stituency, as has been apprehended by
some, in the matter of railroad rate
legislation, which is now pending be-
fore congress He is to speak tomor-
row night before the Knife and Fork
club of Kansas City, when he will out
line his views upon this important
question"
This showed the confidence of Mr..
Bristow in Senator Long. and two days
later he said in his editorial on the
Kansas City speech:
Senator Long in his speech last
night at the Knife and Fork club ban
quet in Kansas City, discussed in
very clear and intelligent way the pro-
posed railroad rate legislation now be-
fore congress. His conclusions were
strong and will be satisfactory to the
people of the state. There has been
quite good deal of criticism of Longs
attitude in his Newton and Wichita
speeches. This has been because he
did not make his position clearly I'M
derstood."
Now there were enemies of Senator
Long who said Mr.. Bristow, then a can
didate for the Benson senatorship, was
saving these things in order to get the
support of Senator Longs friends. The
thought is narrowing. Let us rather
believe that they were the honest opin-
ions of Mr.. Bristow, and that they
were dictated by the same unselfish
motives that now underlie his candi-
dacy to succeed Long. And to those
who have held that Mr.. Bristow was
cold and calculating, these ringing and
magnetic utteranceS are a sufnclent
answer. The unfortunate circumstance
is that people who were then mad at
Long because of his stubbOrnness or
firmness, whichever you call it, find 1t
difficult to appreciate the passion into
which Mr.. Bristow has worked himself
two years too late. They are likely
to go so far as to decide that while
they doubted Long, he stood for what
he believed. was a right position and
tonight it through with courage, ability
and success The right kind of a thrill
comes into the Kansan's veins when
he turns from the recollection of that
bitter attack and reads the following
from Chairman Knapp of the inter-
state commerce commission, written to
Senator Long after the railroad rate
bill had passed the senate:
'.It must be very gratifying to you
that the bill, as it now stands, accords
substantially with your views upon the
points which have been so stout1y con-
tested.
That is what the people of Kansas
like about Senator Long. He gets re-
suits in legislation He was positive
factor in the railroad rate bill just as