The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1916-02-23
Democratic Banquet One of the
Best in Years.
Harmonious and Enthusiastic
Annual Session.
SPEECHES ABOVE AVERAGE
Dinner Itself, Too, Was Up to
Democratic Standard.
''VOte Coming to Every WOm-
an" Says Laura French.

the auditorium Tuesday night and
unloaded their remaining supplies of
enthusiasm when a half dozen speak
ers said nice things about President
Wilson and the national admiDistra-
ton. In many respects it was the
most harmonious and enthusiastic
annual meeting of state workers in
several years
There were a dozen features sur
rounding the state committee meet
ing. the business sessions and the pan
quet that characterized the meeting as
a new day in Kansas Democracy. Not
only did the Democrats spend an en-
tire day in Topeka without disturbing
conditions or starting a new row, but
they really worked up a large reserve
supply of enthusiasm and sang mar
mony songs as final wall came from
George Neeley of Hutchinson, and To-
peka, Wichita and Salina lost the
state convention.
The sneeches before the banquet
crowd were a good average. Gov
error Morehead of Nebraska sup
piled vacancy on the program when
Senator Chiffon of West Virginia,
failed to come to Kansas for the dln.
ner. Governor Morehead talked OF
national affairs in a reasonable de-
gree. He lauded the Wilson admin
istration, defended foreign policies
and the crowd in a delir4um OF en-
thusiastic applause didn't mind when
the Nebraska governor spoke much OF
his own state and said nothing of a
war tax in times of peace in men
tioning general prosperity.
His First Speech in Kansas.
Governor Morehead's speech be
fore the banquet crowd Tuesday night
was his first address before Kan
sas audience. Once, TWO years ago,
the Nebraska executive shared honors
with Governor Hodges when the two
men spoke at a meeting on the Kan
sas-Nebraska state line.
Ben S. Gaitskill of Girard. urged as
a candidate for the governorship, told
Kansas Democrats of the Future OF
the Democratic Party" At a climax
in his speech, Gaitskill brought the
banqueters to their feet as he urged
party harmony this fall and the sup
port of W. c. Lansdon of Salina for
the gOvernorship. The statement was
regarded as GaitskilTs formal with
drawal from the race. Lansdon was
president of the banquet club and pre-
sided as POSTMASTER.
The speech of Gaitskill was one OF
the features of the evening. 1t was
his first speech in several years be-
fore a Democratic banquet club in To-
peka, but won noisy appreciation when
the Girard lawyer drove home his ar
guments in an attack on the policies
of the Republicans and their alleged
failure to make good their promises.
w. w. Holloway of Kansas City,
drove an Indictment against the state
aQ1llnlSITdllOD-
officials and legislators had played
politics at the expense of the big
state institutions and that Kansas
should rebuke the policy with its
votes. Holloway was comparatively
new to a majority of the men and
women who sat at the dinner, but his
speech won him a place as one of the
really able young after dinner speak
ers of the state.
Warns state Administration.
Some $4,000 students are enrolled
in the universities and colleges now
supported by the state and two-thirds
of these young men and young women
will be able to vote next fall was the
warning which Holloway gave the
state administration. He bitterly crit
icised the attitude of the state in fail
ing properly to maintain it's public
institutions.
Miss Laura French of Emporia
was the woman guest of the Demo-
Gratis. Miss French is city editor of
William Allen Whites Emporia Ga
zette In the face of Whites political
wanderings. his ardent Bull Moosism
and the stubborn stand-patism of Walt
Mason, Miss French has never waver-
ed or faltered. She has gone merrily
on her way as a Democrat who be-
lieved in the true faith and into her
speech Tuesday night she put some of
the burning spirit and conviction that
has kept her faith under trying cir
| cumStanceS.
Miss French told of 1.-THE Spirit of
Democracy" She praised the work
of the party from the days of Thomas
/ Jefferson until the hour when Wood
row Wilson left his office for dinner
! Tuesday evening. Her speech was
given an enthusiastic welcome and the
] clever newspaper woman returned to
Emporia with a record as the Ga
| zette's champion orator-even in the
face of william Allen Whites speech
before the Saturday night club.
Votes Coming to Women.
Miss French declared that the party
should not worry concerning a ma
tional suffrage resolution. THE vote
is coming TO every woman through the
/ states" was the policy by which Miss
French forecast the result of the suf-
frage agitation. National suffrage
will come more quickly, state by state,
so why worry over a national amend
ment ?"
John Z. Wagner of Larned, told of
Americas Victories and found many
opportunities to praise the national
administration. Wagner is a widely
known Larned banker. was a candi-
date for lieutenant governor in 1914
and has been urged for national COM
mitteeman in the coming state con-
vention.
Judge w. S. Langmade, of Oberlin.
urged the party in the state and nation
cal opponents in a response to the
toast. THE Preparedness of a Politl-
cal Party" In the nation. Judge
Langmade declared. the party had
fortified against attacks in the cam
paign and was ready to meet anv issue.
which might be presented following
the Republican national convention in
Chicago in June.
The banquet crowd was one of the
largest that has attended a party din
ner in several years. In addition to a
number of good speeches, the dinner
itself was much above the average.
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