TAFT SCORNED AT ARMORY.
3,000 Listen to Democratic Speakers.
Enthusiasm reached a high state at the opening of the Democratic campaign in Kansas City last night. Four thousand people crowded into the Armory at Fourteenth street and Michgan avenue to hear the issues and principles of the Democratic platform discussed by Ward Headley of Kentucky; Frank S. Monnett of Ohio, and James A. Reed and William P. Borland.
William T. Kemper acted as chairman of the meeting. At 8 o'clock the speakers had not arrived and he introduced William P. Borland.
"The Democratic party is the only party which is running its own candidate and he is running against two men," he said. "Taft is the proxy of Roosevelt; Higsen the proxy of Hearst. The antics of the Republican campaign would be good food for the humorists."
Ward Headley of Kentucky made good with the crowd. He is an interesting talker. He articulates well, speaks fluently and mixed just enough humor with his talk to keep the closest attention of his audience.
"There is only one great issue in this campaign," he began. "That is whether the Americans shall control their government or whether the trusts and corporations shall govern it. The Democracy is united this year for the first time in many campaigns. It isn't harmony from inactivity, but it is the desire to again gain control of our government."
Frank S. Monnett of Ohio, who led the oil fight in that state on the Standard Oil company, used many figures in his speech. He confined himself mostly to the various monopolies with which he had dealt and produced figures to show the falsity of Taft's statements in Kansas last week when Taft said that the price of corn was higher during Republican administrations than during the Democratic administrations.
The speech of James A. Reed brought cheer after cheer. The crowd had listened to other orators for two hours, but they were as eager to hear the Kansas City man as they were the first speaker. His speech was confined mostly to state politics. He also took a gentle jab at Taft's religious zeal.
"So Taft came to town Sunday and went to church three times?" he asked, beginning his talk. "And to think that he never was in a church in his life until he entered this campaign. They told us he was Unitarian and that he believed in neither hell nor heaven. Why, he hadn't been in town fifteen minutes until he began to feel the holy thrill of religion. Who knew our atmosphere affected strangers so queerly?
"Then he went to church looking for salvation. It was only the religious fervor and zeal which took him there. Nothing else could have induced him to go. Once wasn't enough so he tried it twice more in the same day. Then, in order that he could be baptized in every kind of religion he went to the church of the colored brethren to be anointed therein. Let us rise in prayer with Mr. Taft."
