The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-03-15
State Administration Proposes
to Reorganize the Militia
By Giving Republicans Prefer
ence Over POpulists.
MIR. GODDARD WRITES
Another Opinion Which Starts
the Ball Rolling.
News of the State House and
State Departments.

When the Republican administration
took charge Of the state house the Pop
uIiStS were recognizing the state mill
tia, under the direction of the adjutant
general, H. Allen, and Governor Leedy.
The plan, after the Kansas troops went
away to war and voted the Republican
ticket in the field, was to organize the
new militia of Populist young men
After the election several new COM
panies were organized in various parts
of the state. Then Governor Stanley
told some friends that the militia would
be reorganized and that the Populists
would have all their trouble for moth
ing. 1t appears that the governor was
right we'll posted on the plan for the
future.
A new law was passed during the
legislature recognizing the militia in a
general way, but it was not regarded
as a measure which would disband the
present armed forces in the state. But
such is the fact.
The attorney general has held in a
written opinion that the new law abOl-
ishes the existing militia companies
which were recently organized and at
the same time is so framed that to
comply with its provisions it will be
necessary to go through the form of re-
enlisting men in the militia service,
after which the companies will be mus
tered in. In this shaking up the au
thOrity to muster in new companies of
men will be so conferred that the Re
publicanS who desire to enter the ser
vice of the state in this capacity will
be given the preference. They should
not be given the preference, any more
than the PODu1istS should have been
given the preference.
1t is not strange that the Kansas
militia was not in condition to go to
war with Spain as organized at that
time, because the organization is torn
to pieces every time there is a change
in the state administration, which has
taken place at an average Of every two
years.
This is another instance of how the
monster of craftsmanship defornS, de-
grades and makes worthless every
measure undertaken by a state admins
tratiOn in Kansas. 1t does not matter
which party is in power, every public
measure and public institution is looked
at through the crOss-eyed vision Of par
tiSanShip and warped and twisted out
of shape. The plan of the POpuliStS to
reOrganiZe the militia on PopuliSt lines
was just as bad as the plan of the Re
publicanS to reOrganiZe it on Republic
can lines. Militiamen should know no
party in the performance of their duties
any more than hremen or other public
servants should.
All this craftsmanship in public matters
is exactly accountable for the putting
out of office every state administration
as fast as the voters can get a whack
at it, and this turning over of the state
from one party to the other will go on
until public officials recognize that par
tisanship is destructive of their own
tenure of office instead of perpetuating
it. If Governor Stanley is going to be
a narrow party man as Governor Leedy
was and Governor Morrill, was, he is
going to suffer the same fate.
The governor has a great opportunity
to make himself the governor of the
whole state of Kansas. Do not make
the militia Republican or Populist, but
give all the good citizens of Kansas an
oh tn in he
any who obtrudes his politics into mill
tary affairs should be dismissed. Often
sive craftsmanship is nowhere quite so
offensive as it is in the army.