Wichita eagle., 1886-10-14
UNENyIARLE PosINGs.
who is the Soldiers Friend Moonlight OF
Martin?

Moonlight finding thvt the platform upO
which The Democracy has placed him smel
too loud of whisky for Kansas nostrils, ha
almost wholly ceased his cry of resubmis
sion and high lice, sc, and is undertaken!
the difficult feat of posing as the soldier
special friend. With any other man thar
Col. John A. Martin in the field he nigh
make greater success of his new role
The people of Kansas in a marked way OF
observable manner, delight to honor the
ex-union soldier, and the people of no state
are so delighted with soldiers reunions
They are held every year, in every section OF
, the state, Last year Governor Martin had
i for eleven weeks, from two to four appoint
ments every week at soldiers reunions, and
never disappointed the people in single
instance. This season has been SO far a
repetition of last Moonlight was invited
some three weeks ago to reunion at West
morcland, Pottawattomie county. Govern
OF Martin who never in his life violated the
proprieties of such an occasion by dragging
in party or politics, was promptly on hand
and delivered most acceptable address to
everybody. Next day came Moonlight
with blatant Kelly, the Democratic negro
candidate for auditor Kelly spoke in
the morning, and his rambling talk was
wholly of politics. He insulted not only
the soldiers, but the memory Of Lincoln,
just as he did here in Wichita. In fact he
makes but the one talk Colonel Buckner,
chaplain of the grand army, who was
present saw Moonlight directly after
Kelly's speech and protested against the
introduction of politics, and such politics
at soldiers reunion. Moonlight spoke in
the afternoon, and he began his speech by
saying that he had not been in the habit OF
attending meetings or reunions of soldiers
for the past fifteen years, and that he
hardly knew how to address such
an assemblage After telling one
or two anecdotes he opened out
by declaring that he was the Democratic
candidate for governor of Kansas; that he
was more interested in the canvass for the
position than in anything else, and that
therefore he proposed to talk about the
political issues of the day, whereupon he
proceeded to deliver a democratic and
partisan harranguc in which he denounced
the Republican party, defended Cleveland s
vetos of the pension bills, and abused the
cause of prohibition.
We notice that again two weeks ago he
was present at soldiers reunion at
Seneca, where an immense crowd
of soldiers had gathered. The speak
ers announced were Moonlight. Major
Morrill,, Tim Mccarthy and Gov
ernor Martin. Surrounded as he was
Moonlight did not dare deliver his usual
TRADE and excused himself from saying
anything on the grounds of very sore
throat. Governor Martin, Major Morrill,
and Tim Mccarthy all delivered appro-
pirate addresses That night, however,
Moonlight addressed for an hour and a
half small crowd of Democrats on politi-
Cal topics. His throat most suddenly re-
gained its normal condition when it came
TO talking to Democrats with nobody
around to answer him. He played the
same game at soldiers reunion at Clay
Center few days later, only week before last,
declining to speak to an immense crowd
in the park in the afternoon on the pretense
that he had lost his voice but speaking at
night in a Democratic meeting.
At the state reunion at Emporia last
week he failed to put in an appearance till
the last moment Twenty thousand peo-
pie were present the first two days, yet he
avoided this great meeting of soldiers as
though they had the small pcx in camp.
He only arrived and spoke at night after
the close of the reunion and to Demo
cratic meeting.
All these meetings were simply called and
banked upon the fact that the people
who were there for different purpose
might be caught for his purpose. When
forced to address the old union guards, de
tenders ard preservcrs, he simply outraged
the proprierlies; the other times he but at
tempted to turn such gatherings into Dem
ocratic meetings that he might talk his per
sonal aspirations and his political convic-
tions, if indeed he has any.
The Emporia Globe in referring to the
action and attitude of Governor Martin and
Col. Moonlight at Emporia, on the occa-
son referred to, says:
There was no enthusiasm for Moon
light whatever among the soldiers in at
tendance upon the reunion. The
fact is Colonel Moonlight avoided
Emporia while the reunion was in ses-
sion. never putting in an appear
ance until the afternoon of the last day,
when most Of the soldiers had gone home
He refused to attend the reunion, although
especially invited, and we learn had not
the courtesy to even reply to the commit
tees invitation He did not seem TO desire
TO attend and make 4 non political speech
to the veterans Of Kansas. He could only
come to talk to Democrats after the soldiers
had gone The contempt with which he
treated Emporia. the invitation committee
and 30, 900 soldiers. did not do the Demo
cratic candidate any good in the estimation
of the soldiers or anybody else.
How different was the case of Colonel
Martin. the Republican candidate. He
showed his usual interest in the affairs Of the
people of Kansas by coming here and ming
ling with the soldiers and people for three
| days. He spoke on Wednesday as per an