The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-08-24
Insurgent Senator Declines to
Discuss Taft Letter.
Talks "Aldrich and RUBBER
and Faith in Voters.
THEY WANT HONESTY.
Nation Heralds Uprightness. the
Salfnan's Statement.
Declares Presidents Attitude
May Cause Sherman Break.

Kansas City. Mo-, Aug. 24.-Joseph
L. Bristow, junior United States sena-
tor from Kansas. was at the Union
depot Tuesday for a few minutes, on
the way to his home at SaIina, from
Ottawa, ILL.,, where he spoke Monday
night.
He had not read the dispatches from
New York regarding President Taft's
letter to Lloyd c. Griscom, in which
the president says Theodore Roosevelt
was not opposed by him as acting
chairman of the state convention.
Il will give no opinion on President
Taft's stand in this matter until have
read his letter." he said. Further,
wish to say that it seems to me as if
sive Republicans. If President Taft
has declared himself in favor of Roose-
velt instead of Vice President Sherman
1t may be possible that the break in
the New York situation is between the
president and the latter and not the
former. Exactly what this will mean
is hard matter to figure offhand.
Voters Want Honest Men.
''The political situation has reached
the stage where the voters of the ma
ton are only going to vote. for men
who are honest and who will work for
the best interests of their constituents.
"The good news from California is
a big help to the progressive Republi-
cans. With good Organization this ele-
ment of the party will carry Washing
ton. Illinois, Wisconsin and New
Hampshire. Unless something unfore-
seen happens, Senator LaFollette will
go down to defeat. The thinking
voters are against him. yet his friends
are doing everything in their power to
pull him through"
Senator Bristow said that in his
opinion the ''standpatters'' had no pos
sible chance of remaining Cannon as
speaker of the house. Should the
Democrats win, he says Champ Clark
will be the next speaker. Regarding
| the situation in Kansas he says the
progressive Republicans will sweep the
state. He believes in a change in the
primary law which will give the COVER
nor the power to name the insurance
and railroad commissioners so the
people, If they have complaint to
| make, can obtain speedy action.
Senator Bristow does not believe
| that the term of governor should be
| longer than two years. If governor
makes good his first term, he says, he
will be reelected by the people hands
| down, but If he should be allowed to
| hold the office four years, and early in
| his administration prove to be corrupt,
| the taxpayers would have no come
| back.
In speaking of his controversy with
the senator from Rhode Island, he
| said il was no personal matter with
him, but one in which the public in
general was interested.
Aldrich and Rubber.
"The gentleman from Rhode Island
can talk about nothing but rubber,
| he said. 't1'hat is because 1t is to his
personal interest. Had he said some
thing regarding lead and cotton it
| would have been different and the
people would not have thought so
much about it.
"When a man is corrupt it does not
| take the people long to find 1t out, as
some one Is sure to show his hand. In
! days gone by it was said that only the
| small fry was crooked, but now there
| is evidence every day that the men
| higher up, connected with the corpora
| lions, are the most corrupt.
| "The corporations, which for years
have been defrauding the people, are
beginning to realize that the majority
/ of their trusted employees are corrupt
and the day of awakening is near"