The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-02-03
Ambassador Kerens.

/
Richard c. Kerens, of st. Louis, am
bassador to the empire of Austria and
| Hungary, is all right. His is career
to be proud of. Every Irishman re-
joices in it, and every American
ought
Dick Kerens is full of red blood.
That's WHY we are for him. His
career is typical one in this land of
blessed opportunity. He came from
| the old sod without a dollar in his
| jeans He began life as a stable boy
| for the late Senator Rice, of Arkan-
sas-we called him "Hostler Dick in
those days. He went into the Union
army, though some Of his close
fought against the Union. Not so
with Dick Kerens. He Loyalty drove a
team. and he did it well.
| After the war he went to Santa Fe
owner of stages, and got profitable
mail contracts. Then he and Steve
Elkins made money in mines and
lands. Later. like Vanderbilt, seeing
the importance of the transportation
problem Dick Kerens got into rail-
roads, and he got in and out many
times, and generally with a fine profit.
Then he got into politics. He could DO
politics some good and politics could
help his railroad schemes. He stuck
put up a great deal of money to help
to try to elect him. Then he tackled
| Chauncey I. Filley. who was the boss
Of st. Louis. After several years of
costly fighting, Kerens drove Ftlley out
of public life and proceeded to purify
St. Louis politics,
The publication business cost him
many thousands of dollars. and he got
nothing out of it till Mark Hanna
came along. He was real man. He
could appreciate Dick Kerens. They
became great friends. and while
Hanna lived Kerens was the king bee
! in Missouri politics. Then Hanna died
and Ethan Ellen Hitchcock got into
| the cabinet and got the ear of Roose-
welt. Hitchcock could not appreciate
| a real man like Kerens. He preju-
diced the president against him, and
Roosevelt prevented Kerens from be-
| ing elected senator from Missouri.
This was pleasing to certain people.
| But it was unjust.
| Dick Kerens had carried the party
| financially for twenty years. He paid
| the big bills of the campaign commit
tees out of his own pocket His dis
bursements ran into the hundreds of
thousands of dollars-and for himself
he got nothing. He only gave. When
Taft was running. Kerens twice saved
the Republican state committee from
bankruptcy. He saved Missouri for
Taft. He delivered more than 10000
| Irish Catholic votes to the Republic
cans-that is how Taft carried the
state Kerens' Democratic friends
did it. Kerens was always a loyal
Republican. He has fought for the
party for 40 years. Why should he
not have a place as ambassador. if
he wants it?
I maintain that he is a representa-
tive American. Anv man who begins
without a dollar and gets big for
tune and stands by "the boys though
thick and thin wko can begin as a
stable lad and end as a millionaire. is
good enough to represent this country
anywhere That is what those of US
who have known Dick Kerens since
1860 think, and our opinion ought to
be worth something.-From letter to
the New York Post.
Pacific Coast Populations.
1t is not often that newspaper pub
lished in a capital protests against the
popular estimate of the growth Of its
state. but the Sacramento Union thinks
1t is saving its readers from disappoint-
ment in cautioning them against ac-
cepting the figures of various official
boards as indicating that the enumer-
ators for the census will find more than
2 900, 900 persons resident in California.
The Union believes that the census of
1910 will give the state 1,750,000 or pos
sibly 100000 inhabitants, says the Bos-
ton Transcript. Either total would
evince "a healthy progress. even If it
disappointed the boomers, for California
in 1900 had 1,4S5.053 inhabitants. The
tendency of the movement of popula-
ton has been toward the Pacific north
west in the last five years, and Wash
| ington and Oregon have made gains
that will have very important effect
politically and commercially on the
| future of the coast.
Washington claims a population far
| in excess of one million. Should the
census justify this claim, the rate of
| increase will be fairly phenomenal, for
| in 1900 the state had $50 people. Ore
gon lags behind Washington It took a
| state census five years ago which cred
| tied it with 400, 900 inhabitants, against
413,000 at the date of the federal enumer-
alton of 1900. The two states together
may possibly equal in population Cali
fornia, when the census is completed;
| but 1t is more probable that their ag-
gregate will be less, for estimates" are
not things to bank on.
1t is worth nothing that the rate of
| increase seems to be markedly high at
or near the extremities of the American
Pacific coast. Los Angeles insists that
| it is travelling fast toward equality with
| San Francisco, and that it's population
| has passed the 100000 mark. If this is
true, San Francisco still has big lead,
| but it seems to be fact that in rate
| Of increase Los Angeles is ahead. Seat
| tie at the north is getting a good deal
| of the Oriental trade that once sought
| San Francisco. and its progress, APP
| pears to have elements of stability not
| found in a mere boom.
Misplaced Sympathy.
| He was so kind and benevolent old
| gentleman, who took much interest in.
| little boys.
| One day as hei was walking along
the street he stopped and looked with
compassionate sympathy at a lad
whose face bore clear evidence of hav-
| ing been in the wars.
MY poor little fellow he said, pat
| ting the boy on the head, 81 fear you
| have been fighting. You've got a black
| eye. Dear me, now, I'm really very
sorry. Il
| Never you mind about ma said
the poor little fellow. you go home
and be sorry for your own little boy.