The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1898-10-12
Officers of the Twenty Third
Kansas Volunteers
Apt to Surprise Gov. Leedy on
Election Day.
THEY HAVE PROMISED
The Vote of the Regiment to
the Republican Ticket
In Considerations That They
Remain at Santiago.

There is a chapter in the history Of
the sending of the Kansas colored
troops to Santiago that has never been
told. It is story of political intrigue
in which Governor Leedy's appointees
in the regiment deliberately sold them
selves out for the privilege of being
sent to Santiago and being allowed to
draw salaries for some time to come.
Politicians who were not let into the
secret do not understand the easy con-
ndence of the Republican committee
with reference to the situation among
the colored troops. There are 800 votes
there and 800 votes are no small item
in a close contest as careful politicians
say this will be.
Both the Republican state central
committee and the Republican county
committee have been deluged with ap-
plicatiOns from colored men who want
to be sent to Santiago to counterfeit
the effect Governor Leedy's commits
sioner, Rev. G. D. Olden, may have on
the situation. The chairmen of both
committees have simply laughed at the
applicants and they told them that no
one would be sent to Santiago because
1t is not necessary to send anyone.
G. d. Olden is acknowledged to be one
of the most intelligent cOlOred men in
the state and the fact that he has not
been prominent in politics will not
weaken his influence. An ordinary per-
son would consider Olden a dangerous
man to be sent to Santiago as Governor
Leedy's en1issary.
But the Republican leaders are not
frightened. They saw that the vote of
the Twenty-third regiment will be prac-
tically unanimous for the Republican
ticket and that statement seems like a
fairy tale to everyone who has wit
messed the public avOwal of friendship
of the cOlOred soldiers for Governor
Leedy, and does not understand the in
side history.
According to a prominent Republican
this is the story of the trade with the
coIored officers of the Twenty third
regiment:
1T was plain to be seen that without
strong Republican influence the cOlored
troops would not be sent from Topeka
and in order to secure that end the Re
pubHcans received a pledge from the
prominent officers that the vote of the
regiment would be given to the Repub-
leans. With that understanding the
trade was made and the troops were
sent to Santiago.
"The officers of the regiment are in
telligent and they know that the power
that sent them to Santiago can bring
them back and they know well enough
that unless their part is faithfully per
formed they viii be brought back at
once.
we have nothing to fear from any
man or men Governor Leedy may send
TO santiago with Ine commanding
officers on our side and the knowledge
that unless they do the right thing they
will be brought back home and their
salaries stopped before them, there is
no danger. The Republicans have
nothing to fear from the loss of the
vote of the cOlored soldiers and neither
Rev. G. d. Olden nor any other colored
man will have any effect upon the vote.
It wilk be Republican just as surely as
the sun rises on election day.
I know what 1 am talking about
when I say that this is the situation and
If the Pops are counting on this vote
their calculations will be just about 800
votes off. There is not an officer in the
regiment who cares about giving up his
salary and they also know by what
means they can keep it.
1T is obvious why it is not necessary
to send any one down to counterfeit
Olden's influence. It would be done if
necessary, but it is not necessary
It was currently reported that Con-
gresham Curtis is the man who was
responsible for the sudden order send
ing the cOlOred troops to Santiago but
it is now believed that the man who
made the deal and executed it is no one
else but Cy Leland, who knows more
about how to work political deals than
any man in Kansas. If Mr.. Leland
made the deal it is easy to understand
why the Republican leaders are Sc con-
fident that the goods will be delivered
according to contract.