The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1898-06-10

When we read such rot as appeared
in the Mercury last week, when the ed
itor tried to belittle our war governor
by accusing him of neglecting to pro-
vide for the comfort of the Kansas
Volunteers, who have gone to the
front, we are compelled to wonder if
the republican editors are as ignorant
as their writings would indicate, or do
they count on the ignorance of their
readers. The Topeka Capital is sup
posed to be the law and gospel for the
country republican editor, and to all
such we commend the following edito-
rial which appeared in it's columns on
June 1st:
From the California sensational pa
pers it would appear that the only
volunteers sent out who are in need
of clothing are the Kansas boys.
There is no dispute about the unfor-
tunate condition of our troops. But
they are not alone in this predicament.
Min lesota would be just AS bad but
for the generosity of President Hill of
the Northwestern railroad who gave
Sl1 900 out of his pocket to provide
for their temporary needs, and raised
several thousand more among his
friends. Among other states than
Kansas in bad shape for shoes and
| underwear are the Pennsylvania Ma
tional Guard, some regiments of which,
| at Chickamauga are reported about
| as badly off as the Kansas regiment
at California.
For this condition the fault does not
lie with Kansas nor with Gov, Leedy,
although the boys would probably be
| in somewhat more comfortable con-
| dition if he had called for the Nation
| al Guard first as other governors did.
The fault lies at Washington. The
government called out from the shops
and offices and farms 100, 900 recruits
and sent them a thousand or more
miles from home without proper pro
vision. What it should have done
was to pay them a months wages in
advance. 1t is all we'll enough to say
| that the states might have provided
| for the temporary needs of the troops,
| but most of the state legislatures were
| not in session and the money was not
| available. Among the young men
| who went to the front were very few
VINO had enough ready money to carry
| them for a month or more. Further
more, they counted on being supplied
by their employer, the government.
If the government did not have the
supplies on hand, it should have used
enough for months needs from the
general emergency appropriations.
| The fault lies with the government, if
anywhere, not with the states, the gov
ernors or the recruits themselves. If
under the second call no provision is
| made for temporary necessities OF the
volunteers, it will become necessary
:or the people of the states by individ-
ual subscription to prevent the rope
titiCn of such sorry scenes as are re-
ported at the expense Of the kanss as
boys in San Francisco papers. But
this Is not business and it is not cre1
liable to the great United States gov
ernmeEt.''
20 one will accuse taa Capital of
being friendly to the governor. aid
it's statements are certainly not over
drawn. IT the Capital had desired TO
say a good word for Gov. Leedy. it
would have told of the many trips he
made to the camp in looking after the
comfort of the boys, and how on c:e
cold night, he appeared in their midst
about midnight armed with 1900 blank
cts, bought by himself without author
ity from anyone other than thss5 of
his duty to provide for the comfort of
our boys while they were in his care.
Now it strikes us as being decidedly
small for partisan papers TO abuse
Gov. Leedy for the things the nation
al government should have done, tus
failel to do.