The Iola register., 1891-05-08
1T RAISED A ROW.

1T RAISED ROW.
Portions of Commander Collins Reports
to the g. A. r. Encampment Which
Stirred Up the Boys.
Grand Army circles are very much
stirred up over the report of Com.
mander Collins presented to the Hutch.
inson encampment this week. He made
some remarks on political subjects OF a
character not generally found in these
reports. That part which has created
the most excitement, however, was not
in the report of Commander Collins II
appears in Collins report, but is signed
by the president of the committee OF
forty-three. This is the paragraph
which censures Hon. W., Buchan. II
was written by Major T. J. Anderson
OF Topeka, president OF the committee
of forty-three, and not by Commander
Collins. The paragraph is as follows:
'But for the unwarranted and disgrace
full action of some of the comrades at
the grand stand the receipts to the de-
partment would have been more than
twice the above amount. Among those
who were most conspicuous in taking
possession of the grand stand was w. j.
Bucan. chairman of the republican
state central committee, who was upon
the ground for political purposes, and
advised the comrades to take possession
of the grand stand and that the order OF
the department in making a charge for
admission thereto was an outrage. Mr..
Bucan was more active in this respect
than any other person, and your COM
mittee are of the opinion that he is
more responsible for the loss to the de-
partment and the outrage perpetrated
than any other person"
Commander Collins devoted part OF
his report to politics in the Grand
Army. This is the part which was
eliminated from the report by vote OF
| the encampment and reads as follows:
This has given me considerable
trouble and annoyance during my ad-
ministration. Several posts, wholly
forgetting or wilfully disregarding the
rules and regulations in this regard,
ave passed resolutions indorsing cam
didates for political offices. l have no
doubt but the comrades generally acted
thoughtlessly in the matter, but the ef-
feet on the order is the same. BY al
| lowing themselves to be led on by de-
for personal and political gain, they
place themselves in Q false position and
at the same time bring discredit upon
the Grand Army. This is matter vi
tai to our future existence and we'll being
as an order. Like the germ of some
fatal disease, if not kept down it will
very soon cause the destruction of our
| institution.
Alta meeting of the council of admin
istration held at Topeka on September
Sd last, the subject being under consid-
GRAFTON. the following resolution was
offered by Comrade May and adopted:
THAT the department commander
reprimand in general order posts
which have unwisely attempted to pros
titute the G.. 4. r. for political pur-
poses. And further, that any post in
this department in the future, violating
the principles of the G. A. r. by at
tnmpting to use this order for political
purposes, the department commander
shall take immediate steps to annul its
charter"
This action was directed particularly
toward the posts located at Troy, White
Cloud, Wathena and Severance, in Doni-
phan county, that had, through the
manipulations of a notorious political
ring, therefore passed resolutions in
dorsing certain candidate for congress
in the First congressional district. My
attention having been called to these
resolutions, promulgated the following
in general orders No. 6, of date August
$3.50:
THE attention of the department
commander has been called to the fact
that some posts of this department, as
such, by resolution and other official
action have recommended persons for
offices political in character. Such
action is in violation of the spirit and
letter of article XI, of our rules SSand
regulations which reads as follows:
No officer or comrade of the Grand
Army of the Republic shall in any man.
ner use this organization for partisan
purposes, and no discussion of partisan
questions shall be permitted at any of
its meetings, nor shall any nominal on
for political office be made"
AS this order had been sent out only
short time before the action of the
council above referred to, thought it
advisable not to take any further action
unless the offense was repeated.
Nothing further occurred in this di-
rection until the legislature met and
the senatorial contest began. A few
posts in their capacity as post organiza-
tions, sent to the legislature petitions
and resolutions in favor of certain can
didates. This was not confined to any
one particular party, but was INDUCED
in by both of the dominant parties.
made an effort to get hold of these pc
titions and resolutions with a view of
bringing the offending posts to account.
but was unable to do so and no action
has been taken.