Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1891-10-07
UNscRuPuLous PARTlsANs.

by the Late War.
The Kansas City journal Of Septem.
Der IL contained the following item of
news:
WICHITA, Kan, Sept 16.-I6pecial !
The ex-brigadier from North Caro-
lima, who has been going around the
state denying that he was ever q con-
federate officer, met with q snag here
to-day and came near being treated to
little lynch law. Had it not been for
the prompt interference of the police
the president of the alliance would now
be wearing a coat of tar and feathers.
The veterans are very bitter against
the alliance leader. and many of them
left the camp this morning while the
North Caro1inian was speaking. and
they vowed if they could prove that he
told what was not SO thay would visit
him with punishment
Among the old soldiers who were
present at the speaking was NJ. M Nc
Allister, of this county. He heard
Polk say in his speech that he had
never occupied any position of COM
mand in the confederacy, and had never
reached higher grado than third lieu
tenant and had consequently never
mistreated any union prisoners, as had
been reported.
Calling some of his comrades to him
McAllister produced a parole granted
him when he was thought to be dying
at the prison at Salisbury, N. c., signed
by L. L. Polk, brigadier-heneral, COM
manding the post He then detailed to
his hearers some of the horrors he and
his fellow prisoners had undergone at
the Jail which was In charge of Polk. as
governor.
''This recital and the evidence shown
on the parole that Polk had deliberate
ly told what was not SO in regard to
his position in the confederate army
was like spark to powder magazine
and it was determined then and there
to give the brig adler, who was now
ashamed of his title, coat Of tar and
feathers Had the oonspirators kept
the matter to themselves it would un-
doubtedly have been carried out but the
police got wind of IL and nipped ii in
the bud"
The Kansas City Star on the evening
of the same day published the follow
ing interview with President Polk,
President L. L. Polk, of the National
Farmers Alliance and Industrial Union
passed through the city this morning,
In company with Gen. Weaver, on his
way from Wichita to Iowa, where he
will take part In the campaign. He
was considerably worked up over a
dispatch from Wichita stating that he
was in danger of coat of tar and
feathers while In that city.
The entire story Is utterly false,
said the president I have never met
with better treatment In my life than
has been given me In Kansas and so
far from any ones having threatened
me with q coat of tar and feathers,
every man met treated me with the
utmost consideration. I met many ex-
union soldiers and they took pains to
make everything pleasant for me, not
only as an alliance man but as an ex-
confederate soldier. Why, I stood be-
fore 5000 people and dared anyone
to produce proof that held position
higher than that of Lieutenant in the
Carolina company or any other COM
pany. If any one knew different II
would have been made known at that
time. At Wichita there was no feeling
of the kind reported in the article which
was printed for political effect asked
the men In attendance at the meeting
what their feeling was. l suggested
that all who were In favor of forgetting
the past and burying the old war feel
ing should raise their right hands and
the hand Of every man In the audience
went up, and the tears that stood in the
eyes Of many showed that they were in
earnest want to make the statement
to the old soldiers of the union that the
dispatch is utterly false, as are the
charges made that my position in the
confederate army was higher than lieu
tenant want all of them to know It
It's political scheme and do not care
what the politicians think of the charges
so long as the old soldiers do not be-
ieve them"
On the 18th (the next day. the Kansas
City Journal, referring to the so-called
parole which Is almost certainly for
gerry, at least so far as L. L Polk's
name Is concerned, says editorrially:
THE Polk incident at Wichita is sig
niicant as indicating that the farmers
of Kansas are in no mood to tolerate
the petty deceptions of would-be polit-
ical leaders of the reform school, and
that these leaders are not above resort
ing to such disreputable methods for
the purpose of making little political
capital.
line mere IacJ LnaJ MF. rOIh ssrvru
in the confederate army had little to do
with the spirit of anger against him at
70 ho - l.
intensely loyal to the old flag, are yet
possessed of too broad spirit of patri-
otic tolerance to ever be guilty of any
manifestation of anger from such a
cause. What did make them angry at
Wichita, however, was to see a man of
the national prominence of Mr.. Polk
seeking to misrepresent and discredit
his military services in behalf of the
confederacy for the purpose Of giving
his arguments and the organization he
represents greater degree of favor In
the eyes of the union soldiers of the
west
Indisputable evidence convicted him
in the dearest manner possible of re-
sorting to an especially discreditable
falsehood, and it is hardly more than
natural that 1t should have inspired
among the old soldiers feeling Of con-
tempt and anger for the man capable
of such an act The incident goes a
long way toward confirming the many
statements which have been made from
time to time derogatory to the charac-
ter of Mr.. Polk. and will tend to great
ly discredit him and the organisation
of which he Is the head In the estima-
ton of the farmers Of the north and
west.
The exposure must have been in
tensely humiliating to him. and 1t will
have served an excellent purpose If it
leads the farmers Of the west to look
into the statements of other shining
lights of the alliance little more
closely"
1t will be noticed that the item pur-
porting 10 have been teleRraphed from
Wiohita is not 9 Press Association dis
match l,r1f n s6ur,aofal -hf1k - ~.~-