People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1897-05-27
The Friend of the Old Soldiers.

The Friend of the Old Soldiers.
On the broad highway of action
words are many, deeds are few; so
when you have proved ones friend.
ship cling to those who cling to you.
There are many friends Of old soldiers
who are kind while ballots bloom;
who, when the end campaigns seldom
even get smell of pie perfume. The
Republican party is the friend Of the
old soldiers. Haven't they said so
time and again in their platforms and
speeches? So persiStentsin each re-
curing presidential campaign have
the G, o. p. declared its undying
friendship and love for US old vets.
that it seems TO me any old cOmrade
who has heard the same racket ever
since the close Of the war, how there
was nothing tGO good for these brave
defenders Of the stars and stripes
during the campaign lbut after the
election were good for nOth.ng). We
ought not to be blamed very much for
becoming just little bit skeptical as
to the sincerity Of the <. 0. p.'s pre-
tended love and friendship.
Take the party here in Sumner
county as sample, and no doubt the
political machine, as runs here, is
something similar ones all over the
country. How many times have
worthy and competent ex soldiers
been defeated in our county cOnven
tiOns by those no better qualified than
they were?
We have been told and led tn be-
lieve that where eX.soderS were
competent preference should be
shown them for positions in the public
service; this doctrine has been pro-
claimed from the house tops, roStrum,
the pulpit, the press, sung in song,
portrayed 10 poetry: everything along
this line of tatfy has been rOseate
and lovely except the practical part;
when IL comes to that the boys get
lett. Oh. consistency, thou art indeed
a jewel!
The little village OF Perth furnishes
a practical Illustration in the recent
appointment Of postmaster there 0l
what has been stated above. The
writer is personally acquainted with
the applicants for postmaster down
there; they ale both friends of mine;
we have no wOrdS Of cOndemna ion for
Emory Jacobs. but rather the reverse:
he is not To blame. Who is to blame,
some one asks? | answer, the Repub-
lican party Of Kansas, for allowing
Cy Leland ard his sub-bOSS to dictate
who shall and who shall not have a
slice of pie. TIE people OF Wellington
Or any other town or city in Sumner
county or in the State Of Kansas, will
have no more to say about who shall
serve them as postmaster than the
man 10 the moon; all are in the grasp
Of the human octopus, Down there
at Perth was an ola crippled soldier
by the name of j. c, Gaunt-nOt able
to do but very little manual labor,
poor in pocket, but rich in all the ele-
ments that make the patriotic citi-
zen, VINO, when his country IL peril,
called for assistance, took his HE in
his hand and amid ShJo and shell, on
many "a hard fought battlefield, done
dill he could for his country, except to
die. and now with strong petition
signed by a gOOdly number of Old com
rades and fellow citizens, he comes
asking the party that mas hOwled it,
self hOdrSe as the frienI of the old
soldier, this small piLtance-tbe ap
pOntment as postmaster Of an insig-
niticant little One-hOrSe pOStOf1ice.
Even this crumb from the counter
that would have helped TO keep The
wolf from the door in his declining
years, was denied him through the
chicany of Cy Leland & Co. ("Oh,
how we love the old soldiers" g. 0. b.
What incentives to patriotism are in
cidentS like the above, an object les
son to the young men Of the country.
-Four years ago next fall Major Levi
Ferguson, for the second time, was
sat down on by the party, the first
time by j, A. Ray, the second time by
j. A. Brunette, who never would have
got the nomination except by acci.
dent.
The three were candidates: Ray
Withdrew, the next ballot announced
Ferguson nominated. Some Une,
think it was r. 7. SimOns, stated the
count was wrong, and asked for a re.
count or another ballot. Major Fer
gusOn, in a few remarks, showed he
was made of the right kind of stuff;
how about the other fellow? He sal
there as dumb as an oyster like that
phenomenal little boy, The hadn't d
word to say" Had he made a similar
talk to what Major Ferguson made
willing for another ballot, there is nc
doubt in my mind as to what the re-
suit would have been; Major Ferguson
would have been the nominee anC
would have been elected-nOt by
thirty-two majority but by two on
three hundred. These are notiSOlateC
cases; there are Others"