Henry J. Allen

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Henry J. Allen


Henry J. Allen
AGREAT EPOCH in the history of any nation always brings into prominence some new great man.  The birth of the Progressive party in the United States marked a change in the political life of our country almost without parallel.  As in every crisis, numbers of hitherto unknown men rose to help in the new movement, and out of the through one star shone bright.  Out in Kansas there is a little city of Wichita, already known as the home of one other Progressive leader, Victor Murdock.  The general public had never heard of the owner and publisher of Mr. Murdock's rival paper, the Wichita Daily Beacon, until the National Republican Convention in Chicago last June.  Henry J. Allen, of Kansas, a new factor in National politics and of uncertain quality as a public speaker, rose to make a speech.  The great audience prepared to endure, if not enjoy, another half hour of talk.  But somehow this stocky little orator got the grip on his hearers and finally had them listening breathlessly as he proceeded.  The result was the beginning of the longest enthusiastic demonstration for the Progressive cause of the whole convention.  In that one speech Mr. Allen made for himself a place among the great orators of the day.  Later in the same city at the National Progressive Convention his vigorous speeches and magnetic personality made him one of the most prominent leaders in the new party formed.

Henry J. Allen was born in Pennsylvania, but at an early age migrated to Kansas where he received his education.  He graduated from Baker University at Baldwin, Kansas, and took up his chosen work as a newspaper man.  First as editor of the Manhattan Nationalist, and later with several other newspapers, he achieved big success and finally bought the Wichita Daily Beacon.  His vigorous editorial policies, combined with the courage to champion what he believed to be right, soon brought recognition.  Today his paper is known and recognized throughout the whole of Kansas as one of the foremost progressive newspapers.  In the meantime Mr. Allen has found time to enter politics and become a power in his own state.  He has developed during the last few years into the virile, courageous speaker who set all the country on fire last June.

We are glad to present Henry J. Allen to the lyceum public.  He will prove a power before any audience because he has a message and the courage to deliver it.

The subject of Mr. Allen's lecture will be the Responsibilities of Being a Plain Citizen.




Personal and Press Comments


Albert Shaw in The Review of Reviews August, 1912
No man among the delegates contributed more to the leadership of the progressive cause at the Republican National Convention than Henry J. Allen, of Kansas.  He is a straighforward businesslike talker and always got a splendid hearing.


New York Times, June 23, 1912
Report of Republican National Convention, Chicago.
Henry J. Allen of Kansas, who started the trouble, made as fine a figure as any that had been seen at this convention.
He is a new figure on the National stage, but he will go far.  He spoke three times during the convention and each time he impressed his hearers deeply.  His speech for McGovern for temporary chairman was the best on the Roosevelt side.  His speech on the Hadley resolution the second day doubled the first impression, but his effort the last day was one of genius.  To anyone who was there and heard it, knowing the circumstances, it was a performance of which Napoleon might have been proud.



Edna Ferber in Chicago Tribune
In all the long and glittering galaxy of plain and fancy speakers there were just two men to whom the 15,000 listened willingly — one was Ed. Cochems of Milwaukee, the other was Henry J. Allen of Wichita.  Mr. Allen came unexpectedly at an hour of confusion and he made a Roosevelt speech that brought the carping, scoffing, hooting thousands to their feet in a five minute roar of wild approval.  Demosthenes in his palmiest days never accomplished a more telling feat of spell-binding than that.


Emporia Gazette (William Allen White's Paper)
Henry J. Allen has become a National character through his activity as a Progressive leader.  Kansas is proud of him, proud of the fact that when the hour came for a decisive action on the part of the Progressive delegates at the National Convention, the leadership of those closing hours fell naturally upon a man equipped by ability, courage and moral convictions to honor that leadership.  Kansas, without respect to partisanship, is proud of Henry J. Allen.


Lewiston, Maine, Journal October 20, 1912
The address by Henry J. Allen was declared by old men to be the best speech they have heard since James G. Blaine was here.  By many others was declared to be the greatest speech they ever heard.


Salt Lake Tribune, July, 1912
Henry J. Allen who came to Ogden to make one address at the Chautauqua pleased the Ogden people so well that he had to make three addresses before they let him go back to Kansas.  His first lecture was on the Responsibilities of Being a Plain Citizen.  His second was upon Abraham Lincoln, and his third was a lecture upon the debt of the age to the religion of Christ.  It was entitled The Everlasting Arms.


Chicago Tribune, June 24, 1912
The speech by Henry Allen interpreting the attitude of the Progressives was masterly — showing the commanding ability of the man.



Erie, Pa., Times
Henry J. Allen, the Bull Moose orator, is a spell binder par excellence.  He kept a large audience at the Columbia theatre at a fever heat of enthusiasm for two hours last night.


Kansas City Star
Henry J. Allen got hold of his audience of nine thousand people at Convention Hall last night almost instantly.  Few speakers have ever gained such perfect attention in that vast place.


Manchester Leader
No better orator than Henry J. Allen has ever come to New Hampshire in a political campaign.


Ogden Evening Standard
Henry Allen more than delighted his audience at the Chautauqua last night.  He has an abundance of wit and his oratory is graceful, pleasing and at times superbly cloquent.


McPherson Republican
Henry J. Allen delivered the address to the graduating class at McPherson college yesterday.  He came advertised as a brilliant speaker.  He is all of that and more.  He is a scholarly thinker, and he has a message of value for student life.



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Hippodrome Bldg., Cleveland, Ohio.