The Detroit times., 1910-10-13
OWENS IGNORED IN
OPENIMG SPEECH
BY THOMPSON
Ex-Mayor Delivers Modest Little
Homily On His Own Political vir-
tues and Business Integrity, With
Never q Mention of Proctor.
Democratic Candidate Still Popular
Person, Scores Greeting Him
Familiarly e. Bill"

|. All candidates for political office
simply hate to talk about themselves,
and like Proctor Knott Owense Will.
lam b. Thompson is no exception to
the rule. Wednesday. night. Mr..
Thompson fired the premier sun. in lis
campaign for mayor Of Detroit. His
single effort was q noble one, q mod.
est. unassuming recommendation of
the political virtues and business IN.
tegrity OF William b. Thompson.
But as the former mayor himself
remarked before mounting the ros.
trum III National hall, at Hastings-st
and Willis-ave.. all Is fair In politics
and war. and one must really be
pardoned II one talks about ones self
The east side hall was very LAY
and giddy affair. First of all, It con
veniently adjoins q barrooIn Of gen.
erous proportions. The hall proper
was In festive attire for ali suspicious
occasion. Emblems of the Polish ma
ton were lovingly entwined with the
red, white and blue, ali OF which made
OF the institution riot OF color
Patriotism was surely at fever heat
and the setting was quito right. when
Mr.. Thompson entered to make his in
auglral speech.
He was chaperoned by Judge VIII.
lam y. Connolly, OF the recorders
court. who remained discrcetly in the
background. smiled approvingly and
clapped right Justify at every point
made In the Thompson speech.
This Thompson man is a popular
person. Folk, the rank and file. love
o.. vrtsSh In
public eye. This fact was partially
responsible for scores (. OF men and
youths clapping the nominee familiar
ly on the back and calling him BILL"
Even the children fingered long about
the Thompson automobile and that
neighborhood boasts some few juven-
lie Inhabitants. They bade him quite
an affectionate farewell when he de.
parted in his machine, and the can
didate looked them over with quite
as much affection and no doubt
wished that each youthful shout OF
JOY was a vote already counted.
Aid. Deimel. of the FIT, was made
chairman of the meeting. The honor
was thrust upon him quite unexpect-
eddy and proved quite embarrassing.
He tried to gracefully shunt the per-
formance on others OF his constitu-
ents, but none would hea-ken to his
plea. He executed a grandiloquent
introduction for Mr.. Thompson. and
under those reassuring auspices. the
former mayor took the center OF the
stage and modestly turned the spot.
light upon himself.
Proctor Knott Owens. his restless
and overwhelming opponent. he treated
with sublime Indifference. OF the
gentleman from Kentucky, he said
not q word. Mr.. Owens has been de-
voting himself to talking about Mr..
Thompson and Proctor Knott Owens.
Mr.. Thompson talked about William
B. Thompson solely.
William B. Thompson Is business
man and wants to be known as such.
He said so In his opening remarks
Then he proceeded to tell those pres
ent lust who he Is, and how long and
In what capacities he had served the
city. Mr.. Thompson feels that he can
in all Justice be. very chary with his
political utterances. inasmuch as MS
long record Of public service speaks
loudly for itself.
The Democratic candidate will have
a whole lot to say about things later
on. Wednesdays forensic Offering
was not even keynote speech. II
merely served as an introduction of
man who feels that he needs no IN
PRODUCTION as far as the local public
Is concerned. He touched lightly
upon the street car question and prom
ised to enter into a more exhaustive
discussion of that subject later on In
the campaign.
Thompson. the man, is a far differ
ent type than his opponent. He does
his work silently and with little ap-
parent effort. Proctor Knott Owens
is the strenuous type, the perspiring
spellbinder.
Mr.. Thompson neglected to say
whether he would attack his opponent
in future argument For the present,
he Is quite content to preserve dig
nified silence. while Proctor ramoies
on. striking viciously at the vitals OF
his Democratic opponent at every
turn.