The great West. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1889-18??, 1891-10-09

porting to have been telegraphed from
Wichita is not a Press Association dis
patch, but special" which at once
brands it as malicious and mendacious
fabrication of the Kansas City Journal,
which paper is bidding fair to divide the
aonors with the Topeka Capital for un-
reliable and unscrupul GUS journalism.
On the 10th of September the Journal
publishes, in an obscure place on the
eighth page, the following item:
''DEs MONIES, Ia, Sept 49, IL. L. Polk,
president of the Southern Farmers Al
lance, addressed an assembiage of alli-
ancemen here to-day. In his speech he
said that the worst evils, politicals and
industrial, of to-day, are those which
stand in the way of a reunion of the
blue and the gray. In an interview
this evening he reiterated his assertion
that the charges made against him at
Wichita were entirely false. He never
held rank in confederate service above
lieutenant and was never in position to
mistreat union soldiers. The charges
were made, he thought, to weaken his
political influence"
AS matter of fact the charges are
outrageously false and have been re-
futed time and again. More than a
year ago the Topeka Advocate, of
August 6, 1890, published long letter
from a correspondent at Raleigh, N. c.,
President Folks home, in which the
following facts are set forth, complete
~ giving the lie to the gang of con-
spirators who, for the sake of partisan
advantage. would willingly again array
the north and south in hostile ranks
The extracts are as follows:
''Col Folks record is as clear as any
mans He was very young man at
the beginning of the war, but was even
then man of influence in his section
He was whig-a strong union man,
and made the last union speech that
was ever made in his county. He voted
for North Carolina to remain
in the union, but when she
went out he volunteered and
Joined the Forty-third regiment and
was elected lieutenant. Thomas S.
Kenan was colonel of the regiment,
and, together with hundreds of the sur
vivors, can testify as to the bravery
and devotion with which young Lieut.
Polk fought Col Kenan was for many
years attorney-generalo of this state and
is now clerk to the supreme court, and
anyone by writing to his address at
Raleigh, N. c., can find out all about
President Folks war record. He
fought in the regular service for over
three years and never shirked a duty.
He was several times mentioned in the
official reports of his superiors for gal
lantry on the field. All old soldiers
who knew him speak highly of him.
I'm 1854, while in the army, Col. Polk
then Lieut.. Polk-was nominated as
candidate for seat in the legislature.
He was elected over several home can
didates by handsome majority. The
night before he left camp he was hon
ored by magnificent serenade by the
brigade. The day after he left, the
officers of his regiment called a meet
ing and the following resolutions were
adopted and forwarded to Col. Polk and
published in the state papers:
'CAMP ADD, N. c. REGIMENT. J
NEW IuAhhEI, Vd, DcC IL, 1904. \
"MESsRs EDITORS: According to previous
notice. the officers of the Forty third regi-
ment held a meeting on tho evening of the
5th of December to express their sentiments
with regard to the departure of one of their
number. Lieut. l. l. Polk. to take his seat in
the legislature of North Carolina. Lieut. A.
w. Bridgers was called to the chair, Chap
lain E. w. Thompson was appointed secre-
tary. On motion. a committee, composed of
Capt. w. L. Cobb. Chaplain f. w. Thompson
and Lieut. II. Brown, were appointed to Of
fer resolutions expressive of the sense of the
meeting. The committee reported and the
following preamble and resolutions were
adopted:
whereas, Our brother officer, Lieut.. L. l.
Polk. has been elected to the legislature of
North Carolina and has left us to take his
seat in that honorable body; therefore,
Resolved. LIST. That while we are highly
gratified at the honor thus conferred upon
him, we deeply regret that in future we are
to be deprived of his association as a
Christian gentleman and his aid and ex-
ample as gallant officer.
Resolved, I'd. That his gentlemanly de-
portmen. his moral conduct. together with
his gallant bearing as an officer, have won
men of the Forty third North Carolina regi.
ment
Resolved, Sd. That we hope his conduct
while serving his country in her legislative
councils may be marked by the same
honesty of purpose. patriotic devotion and
unfaltering courage that characterized it
while serving on the field of battle.
Resolved, 4th, That a copy of these reso.
buttons be sent to Lieut. Polk and also to the
Raleigh Confederate and North Carolina
Argus for publication.
ION motion the meeting adjourned.
IA w. BRIDGERs. Chairman.
sc W. THOMPSON. Secretary.
''These resolutions show how his
comrades in war regarded him.
just SO. and they also prove that
when he left the army in December,
1864, President L. l.. Polk was only
lieutenant. So it is that lies, like
chickens, come home to roost
GEORGE C. WARD.
Face this question and answer it
honestly: What have you to gain by the
ascendancy of the democratic party? A
small reduction on tariff duties is all