Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1896-10-22
TELLS THE PRIVATEs HOW TO VOTE.

IELLS THE PRlVATES HUW IU VOTE.
Perhaps the most peculiar thing
about the present peculiar campaign is
the attitude of the party of war gener-
ais. consisting of Alger, Siegle. Howard,
Sickles, Stewart, Tanner and lesser
lights, travelling over the country in
palace cars making speeches for Major
Mckinley, and exhorting the ex-soldiers
to vote for the republican party and the
gold standard. The itinerary include
a trip through Kansas as far west as
Mcpherson, south to Arkansas City,
thence east to Kansas City, where they
expected great out-pouring of people,
and especially ex-soldiers, to learn wis
dom and how to cast their ballots in
this year of grace, 1896. These battle
SCARED generals have come and gone.
and SO far as accomplishing anything
politically is concerned, it is safe to say
the junket was failure, particularly as
regards manufacturing Mckinley senti-
ment in Kansas.
General Alger seems to be at the
head of the movement, and is travelling
around, as he says, ''to warn the ex-
soldiers against voting for reputation
and anarchy" He is the chief spokes-
man of the party, and it was he who,
when a soldier at Arkansas City cried for
Bryan, said, 'some people are not de-
cent" General Alger is four or five
times millionaire, and is the largest
lumber dealer in the United States,
with headquarters at Detroit, Michigan.
These generals all belong to that class
which is benefited by the increased
purchasing power of the dollar. Sick
les, who is Major General on the re
tired list with a salary of S5,625 annu-
ment for the loss of his left leg the sum
of SI34,ooe from the date. of his retire
ment, covering period of 26 years.
General Howard was Brigadier Gen
eral from December 21st, 1864, to
March, 1896. His salary per annum
was S., 500, or. for twenty-five years,
S111,ooo. His pay as Major General
on the active list from 1886 to 1894,
eight years, was $500 per year, or
500, 900. His pay on the retired list,
as Major General since 1894, was SI1,
$50 for two years. The total pay re-
ceived by General Howard since 1864
is S1SS, $50. He is now touring the
country for Mckinley and protection,
probably for protection to keep his sal
ary from being worth, SO far as the
purchasing power of the dollar is con-
cerned, at any less than it is now, when
it will buy more of the farmers pro-
ducts than any time in the history of
the country.
What royalty hedges about these
Generals that makes them the sacred
repositories of wisdom and moral worth
to which the poor private or sub officer
should turn for political light or culture
This is not military contest. Have
these big salaried gentlemen derived
any particular right from the commits
sions which they held in the army of
the Union over thirty years ago, to lead
the Union survivors of the war. the
plain. every day common soldier, into
the republican camp? What has Alger
done since the war to make the old ex-
soldiers regard him as man of enlight-
ened patriotism and public Problty
He has amassed fortune from his
lumber boslness which has been pro
fected by stiff tariff, and compelled
eyery old soldier in Kansas to pay more
for the house that covers him than he
would II Alger hao not Deeh PIotecleu
in his own interests.
The old soldier with their SI2, SIS
or $40 pensions will hardly be impress
ed with the protestations of dislnterest-
ed honesty and patriotism made by
these junketing generals. who, while
drawing several thousand dollars per
annum as generals on the retired list
of the army, are touring the country IN
nalace cars denouncing the policies
which a great number of the old ex-
soldiers and their sons have sspeused
as the only ones that offer freedom from
a condition that makes life to many OF
them well-nigh unbearable.
Many an old ex-soldier in Kansas who
is afflicted in like manner with General
C;ckles. is compelled to exc out an
.x;stance on the small pension he re-
ceiyes from the government he as ably