The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-09-23
OH, GIVE Us A REST.
Is the Cry of the Old Sol
diers.
TALKED TO BY POLITICIANS

Who Want to BeiabOr Their Ears
With Their Claims to Off1ce-A Day
for the Boys Themselves, Asked
For.
Elk Worlds Fair Commissioner W, Fl.
Smith of Marysville. Marshall county,
Congressman CaIderhead's political man
ager in the Fifth district who is an old
soldier and prominent member of the
G. A R has written a communication to
his brothers paper, the Marshall County
News in which he says some very plain
and IN eresting things about the way the
&. A, r is going into politics.
In his communication Mr.. Smith says:
Il have just received a copy of the pro-
gramme for the state reunion at Salina.
September 24-29. The prominent fea.
lures of this programme are:
"W eduesday-Peffer day.
''Thursday-Rurton day.
"Friday-Ingalls day.
The programme tries to ignore the
story Of liberty. 1t tries to ignore the
story of a generation of men and women
who saved our national life. 1t directs
our attention away from the services of
| men who fought 2.22i battles
and asks US to listen to the roar of three
individuals who are engaged in a fig
for one office worth six thousand dollars
AuG ul>AteSe
Continuing be says: This programme
has no day for the boys who carried the
guns. but has day for Mr.. PETER who
studied law at Nashville. Tenn, while he
was drawing pay as depot quarlermaster
in the engineer department.
sit has no day for the colored troops
who defended the flag, but it has a day
| for Mr.. Burton, the eulogist of Mr. Da-
| Wis. who tried to found an empire with
| sla very for a corner stone.
! sit has no day for Abraham Lincoln or
! any of the great soldier statesmen of the
war period, but has day for Statesman
| ingalls,, who did go across the Kansas
| line into Missouri one afternoon but
! couldn't stop there because his heart was
! in his mouth and he couldn't ind tim Der
enough to hide behind.
The story of this trinity of combat
ants may be of interest to the children
! OF Kansas and ought to be told with the
| other stories of the war, for it is by these
recitations of the experiences of the
soldiers who defended the flag that
we teach the lesson of patriotism aud
| leave behind US another generation who
will continue to defend the flag, but
their battle of today and their joint dis
cussion about their qualifications TO draw
salaries as senators, Onght to be ruled out
of order by the authorities IN charge of
the camp at Ssiina"
In conclusion he says Of the members
of the G. A. R: ''When they forget and
drift away from these patriotic purposes
and prepare a programme like that pub
| lished for the state reunion at Salins; q
programme that abandons the fellows ship
of the Grand Army button and adopts the
contentious of the PETER and Burton and
Ingalls, buttons; that abandons the
/ memories of the great contest for the
national life and gives US in its stead this
contest for PETERS place, then it is about
time for the commander TO direct the
officer of the day to collect the rituals
and cards and declare the department of
| Kansas Grand Army of the Republic
| closed
This programme was prepared by the
local committee of G. A. r men at Sa-
1 lima