The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1911-09-27
TAFT THE CENTRE
Of KANSAS STORM
President Sees Secretary
Fisher and Senator Bris-
tow Clash
RAP AT INSURGENTS
Is HOTLY ANSWERED
Crowd At Hutchinson Cheers
Senator When He Bold
ly Declares
Position

HUTCHINSON, KAS., Sept. ga
rap at the Kansas insurgents by Sec
rotary of the Interior Walter Fisher
speaking to-day from the grandstand
at the State Fair Grounds, with Pres.
ident Taft listening, gave the occasion
a tinge Of pepper.
Secretary Fisher aroused United
States Senator Bristow, rabid insur-
gent OF this State, who also sat upor
the stand. to such pitch that wher
his turn to speak came he went back
at Mr.. Fisher with hot retort
The President the principal speak
er at the celebration of the tiftieth
anniversary OF the admission OF Kan.
sas into the Union, had managed VI
to the incident at the Fair Grounds
to keep the insurgents and stand
patters from breaking out into a
tight.
Mr.. Taft was surrounded all day
long by leaders of both factions Or
the train with him were United States
Senator Curtis. OF Kansas. an ardent
administration man. and Chairman
Mulvanay, of the state Committee
who Is supporting Taft and trying te
get the insurgents into line for him
Bristow and Stubs There.
Senator Bristow, who Is oping t.
for the presidency. came to town. a.
did Governor Stubs, another extreme
insurgent, whose synpathies are sup
posed to be with La Toilette, but whc
is not confessing It.
Hutchinson has been torn up WITH
a conflict between the insurgents ant
regulars since the recent death OF
CONGRESSMAN Madison, who, although
a Taft supporter. was regarded a.
ultra-progressiye. County insurgen'
and regular leaders were In the
throng upoA the grandstand wher
Secretary Fisher started things go
Ing.
Mr.. Fisher has been out to Alaska
and having drifted into town on his
way back TO Washington. nobody sus
pected that he Was going TO star
trouble. After President Taft nae
delivered a speech to 10000 people
upon the history of Kansas the Sec
Rotary Of the Interior was introduced
and everybody settled. expecting tx
hear something about Alaska.
Fisher Is Progressive.
Il want to say to YOU, began tht
secretary without ever mentioning
far-off Alaska. that j am a progress
sive."
President Taft. who had been sur
yeyinr the crowd in the grandstand
looked quickly up.
But / am q true progr essiVe, ths
secretary went on, raising ms voice
Il do not believe In demagoglc pro
gressiveisrn. / am against that kinS
OF progressiveism that stands for III
own peculiar policies ana Is oppose
to every other kind.
President Taft has said on nj
~ "a. n t@-kl. -f
Observation-Disclosures progressive
am that kind myself.
1--WE ought to judge men, not b,
what they say, but by what they 90
AS the secretary sat down a no"
went UP from the regulars In IN
grandstand, while the insurgents, Ia
outnum bering them. hooted. fresi
dent Taft, anxious to bring the tw'
elements together, looked uncomfor
table and tdgeted in bis seat
Srubbs Calls on Bristow.
Governor Stubs, who did the in
PRODUCING, promptly called upon Sen
ator Rristow. This Set the insurgent
wild and they split the air with thei
yells
Senator Bristow wasted no time
we insurgents may at times hav
taken up strange notions" the senate
said, biting off his words, But
want to say that We have always ha'
the courage to contend for what wa
right and have adapted ourselves t
the great problems OF the day.
Il am proud to say that you can
not find anywhere q people who ar
willing to study conditions NOR
closely than here In Kansas. w
are always willing to grant that 9th
err people are as honest as We are
and we would like others TO regar,
us the same way as we do them.
Il want to say to Secretary Fishe
and Presiden Taft that we are work
ing out the problems that are con
fronting US In Kansas. We are fight
ing for and expect in the end to hav
our say In the policy of equal jus
tice to all and special privileges I,
none"
Fisher In Sorry.
The insurgents cheered vociferous
ly while President Tart looked pur
pIe-faced Secretary Fisher turnet
red and looked sorry that he hat
said anything.
Senator Curtis tried to smooth
things over by remarking that tn,
people OF the country regarded Pres
ident Taft as the President of all,
and that no wns trying to solve tn,
peoples problems. for their best In
terest. The senator did not arous
anv cheers.
Later In the day President Tai
held conference with the insur
gent and stand-pat statesmen. an,
II was afterwards said that he urged
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