The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-10-28
Funstoniana.

That fine organization Of fighting Amerl-
can manhood, the Twentieth Kansas. will
be mustered out Of service to-day at San
Francisco and will start tomorrow for
home, where a wild welcome awaits tho
ment comes its famous Colonel, Gen. FRED
FUNSTON, a small individual OF peculiar
merit.
Governor STANLEY has issued a procla-
e1ation designating the day OF tho return
Of the volunteers as Flag Day in Kansas.
This is an appropriate welcome, inasmuch as
FUNSTON and the Twentieth have been in the
habit Of making every day flag day wherever
duty called them. The General will remain
for only ten days in Kansas and then he
will go right back across the continent
and across the Pacific to make more
flag days in the immediate neighborhood OF
AGUISALDo. Such is his conclusive COM
mentary on certain lying reports spread
during his sequestration at sea by the
anti-expansionists regarding FUNsToN's
private views OF Administration policy in
the Philippines. His sympathy for AGuI-
NALDO and the insurgents is so ardent that
he can't stay at home away from them for
much more than week and be happy.
We observe that some admirers OF WILL
IAN J. BRYAN are criticising the arrange
mcnts for the reception of FUNSTON and
the Twentieth. They think they discover
politics in the date chosen for the cclebra-
ton. II is proper to say with frankness
that their apprehension is undoubtedly ac-
curate. The original plan was to muster
out the regiment at San Francisco
week from next Wednesday, that is to
say on November s. one day after
election day. In that case the vot-
ing would all have been over before
FUNSTON and the gallant Twentieth
were fully in evidence before the country.
Some Republican politicians in Kansas or
elsewhere had the wit to perceive that this
would be sad waste Of campaign ammu-
milton, and they thereupon procured at
Washington a change Of date. making the
regiment get back before election, in time,
let us boldly say, to figure as a campaign
document, or procession, or object lesson
to orators in Kansas. Nebraska, Ohio and
other points Of the Union.
What magnificent campaign document
FUNSTON and the Twentieth Kansas make
as such! With all respect for former
| Col. BRYAN's fastidious ideas as to the
incompatbility of the soldiers uniform
and politics, we may remind him that this
is just about the way ABRAHAM LINCOLN
| would have worked it.
AS to FUNSTON himself, he will receive,
on the steps of the State Capitol at Topeka,
| a beautiful sword, which he has earned a
thousand times over. On the blade is an
| inscription which would have interested
| PLUTARCH At the battle OF Caloocan Gen.
eral MACARTHUR asked FUNSTON IL he
could hold the line in his front and the little
fellow replied Until my regiment is mus,
tered ont" The swordblade will bear that
legend. Some of the followers OF a certain
| Nebraska Colonel who did not hold any
line anywhere until his regiment was mus,
tered out, have started the report that the
alleged utterance of FUNSTON at Caloocau
was manufactured to order; whereupou
FUNSTON is appealed to, and he replies
aniably by telegraph from San Francisco
to the Topeka Capital: Stories regarding
Inscription originRe with liars. knockers,