Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1908-10-09
Tearing the Bone Gu.


during his recent flying trip to To
peka the National Republican CON-
mittee Joined hands with the Re-
: publican State committee IN. an at.
tempt to bring about a rousing re-
ception for Judge Taft when he
came to Topeka October 3rd. Thous-
ands OF dollars were spent in prepar-
ing for the event. Thousands upon
thousands of invitations were sent
broadcast over Kansas urging the
faithful of the importance of their
presence at the meeting.
Special trains were arranged for,
TO enter in Topeka from all direc.
tons, two or three bands were en-
gagged for the occasion while one
thousand lamps were borrowed from
the faithful in neighboring states.
Neither time nor expense had been
spared to make the affair one which
would overshadow the outpouring of
voters which greeted Bryan when
ne appeared in Topeka for a few
hours on the 9th of last month.
The contrast between the Democrat.
ic simplicity which marked the Bry-
an meeting and the sumptuous ele-
gance which characterized the Taft
meeting called forth commentator
from thousands of voters in and near
Topeka. Mr.. Bryan arrived from To.
pkea on the afternoon of August 81
on local train over in Rock Island
there was no special about that train.
and the meeting was poorly advertis-
ed.
Two thousand people thronged the
depot platform and it was necessary
for the police to furnish an escort
for Mr.. Bryan so that he could get
through the crowd which followed the
party five blocks to his hotel. Here
the crowd which became so demon
strative that Mr.. Bryan was CON-
peHed to appear on a balcony in
the boiling hot sun before the peo-
pie would leave. and they would not
move so that traffic on the street
could be resumed until he had prom.
lsed them that he would speak lat.
er in the afternoon.
Al -FOUR o'clock, the appointed
hour, five thousand people again
blocked the streets and stood for am
hour while he discussed the issues
Tor which the Democratic platform
stands. 1t was by no means an un-
interrupted meeting as cheer after
cheer was given by the crowd which
would have stood for hours if Mr..
Bryan would have but consented to
talk.
There were no special arrangement
or brass bands, or promises of pres
ents or donations of money by the
Topeka Commercial Club for those
who would attend the Bryan meeting |
at the auditorium in the evening. nor
was this the next meeting for he de-
l1Vered an address at the Knights of
Pythias meeting at Garfield park in |
the evening prior to the principal ad- |
dress Of the day.
The big auditorium where Mr.. Bry. |
an was billed to speak comfortably |
seats between four and five thousan
and by six-thirty, every seat in the !
building was occupied though the |
speech was billed for two hours lat. |
er. 1t Is estimated that eight thous. |
and people crowded into the audi. |
torium to hear Mr.. Bryan, packing |
the aiSles and crowding the build. |
ing TO the sufficication point.
As many more stood about on the |
outside and listened to talks made |
by other speakers who were with
the Bryan party. Fifteen thousand |
voters heard Mr.. Bryan when he api
peared In Topeka and that in the fac |
OF the fact that ten meeting was
poorly advertised and no effort made |
to cause a demonstration. Mr.. Taft |
came to Kansas in a special train |
and carried with him corps Of |
trained newspaper men who were pait |
to write glowing accounts of the |
Tying trip across the State. And at |
that, reports from points visited by |
Prince William and party indicate |
that the reception had been in keep
ing with mid-winter temperature.
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