The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-07-10
FIGHT ON EVANS.
Friends of Commissioner Attempt to
Prove Capt P. n. Coney is the
Ringleader.

Prove Capt Z. ID. Coney IS the
Ringleader.
Some of the Topeka members of the
c.. A. R seem destined to take the lead
in the fight which has been instituted
against Commissioner of Pensions
Evans. The G. A. R. committee which
was appointed by the last national en-
campment to Investigate Commissioner
Evans will begin its investigation to-
morrow, and Department Commander
o. H. Coulter, of Topeka, left Satur-
day afternoon for Washington to pre-
sent what evidence he can against
Evans.
The friends of Evans and of the ad-
ministratiOn in Washington claim that
the fight is instituted solely by the pen
sion attorneys whose business Com
missioner Evans interferes with. To
substantiate this claim a letter has
been given out in Washington which,
it is claimed, was written by Captain
p. H COney, of Topeka, to his cores
pondents in Washington, and which
fell into the hands Of friends of Evans
This letter has caused the fight on the
side of Evans and the administration
to be directed against Coulter and
Coney. The letter follows:
Topeka, Kan, Nov. 81, 1S98.-My Dear
Comrades: Our mutual friend, Colonel
o. H. Coulter, editor and proprietor of
the Western Veteran, WILL in his next
issue, republish the resolutions of the
national encampment and also publish
Skaters insulting excerpts from ms
letter to Postmaster Willis of Nashville,
Tenn, and my letter to Shafter in re-
ply to it, and Skaters reply to me and
my response to Shafter, together with
Postmaster Willis letter TO me IN de-
tense of Commissioner Evans and my
exhaustive and unanswerable reply to
Willis, in which I make a special de-
Tense of attorneys and claim agents Of
the strongest character, and IN my Opln-
ion an unansWerable defense, as well as
unanswerably portraying the pernicious
policy of obstruction, evasion and per
version of the pension laws by Evans
in his administration of the pension bu-
reau. He will also publish a very
strong editorial in support of all this,
demanding the reformation of the ad-
ministratiOn of the pension bureau by
the president or the substitution of the
present commissioner by some capa bic
and just cOmrade, and he also appeals
to congress and particularly TO the
delegation from Kansas, Missouri and
the west, to see that this is done. He
will make a powerful defense OF our
| comrades, pension claimants and pen
SionerS, and of their widows and or
phans and dependent parents, who are
/ pension claimants and pensioners 1t
will make the most VOluminOuS and
! powerful defense of them and eXposi-
ton of the perhdiOus policy that has
been pursued in the administration of
| the pension bureau that has ever been
| published.
He also contemplates or proposes to
compile all of this, with other matter
| equally as powerful, such as the mag
| nifcent address of General A. d. Shaw
| before the Rensselaer, county, N. Y,
Veteran association, which suppose
! YOU have seen, as it is a magnificent
| defense of our comrades and plea in
! their behalf, as well as an exposition
/ of the violation of the spirit and in
| tent of the pension laws, in the ad-
miuistratiOn Of the pension bureau, and
! also advocating the issuance of so year
| pension patriot bonds" in sufficient
! quantities to meet the enlarged ex-
penditure for pensions, by the increased
! pension roll; these bonds to be gold
| bearing with 21z per cent interest, pay
| able semi-annually, which plan the vet
/ eran approves Of as do. And he will
| also embody in this pamphlet such 9TH
| er matter that may be found or cOntro-
/ buted of force and bevity, under an
| appropriately prepared caption in leaf
let for the purpose of presenting the
| same to each member of congress and
| to each washington official of the gov
| eminent, believing that it will arouse
| the attention of congress to taking
| some definite action in either curtail-
| ing, reprimanding or changing the pres
| ent dilatOry, obstructive, evasiYe and
| pervaSiVe policy of the pension bureau
| that is so antagOnistic to claimants
| and their attorneys. He proposes to
| publish about 10000 copies Of this
| pamphlet. In doing this, 1t will cost
| him in excess of $500, and particularly
| if he carries out his plan of himself, who
! is not a claim agent or an attorney, go
| ing to Washington with the pamphlet,
and personally supervising the distri-
| button of it to each member of con-
gress and to each official of the gov
| eminent; if the same cannot be Sue
| cessfully arranged for by some of you
| interested persons in Washington.
/ I regard this proposition as of vital
| Importance to all of US, and that it
/ ought to be encouraged with our ener-
| getic financial and moral support Col.
| Coulter IS a poor man and whatever
| he is doing is from a patriotic devotion
| to his comrades, and to those who are
| battling in their behalf. He is honest
| and jealous, and no more faithful de-
| fender and champion of their cause
| lives. I have given my time and talent
| in making this great battle and assist
| ing him in his noble work. I have also
| said to him that I would contribute S25
| to defraying the expenses. It occurred
| to me that the pension attorneys of
| Washington were more Interested in
| this than I was or Col. Coulter, for the
! reason that most any OF you have a
| thousand times more business than 1,
| who have only a small country business
| and that, therefore, you are just a
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