The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-08-23
Should Make Appropriation to
Bring Soldiers Home.
IMPOSE ON RAILROADS
Not Fair to Ask Them to Wait
For Pay.
Would Have Legislators Here
on Own Expense.
Approves of Leedy Plan to Sc
cure Sentiment.

Cyrus Leland has a new plan for
bringing the Twentieth Kansas boys
home from San Francisco. He would
not call upon the railroads to bring the
regiment home for nothing and then
trust to the generosity of the legisla-
ture in the future to reimburse them,
but he would call a special session Of
the legislature to make the necessary
appropriation now to pay the railroads
for a special train.
kansas must devise some way to
bring her soldiers home free" said Mr.
Leland today Nebraska has already
raised the necessary funds in one way
ana another and Kansas must not be
behind Nebraska. Nebraska is not so
rlch state as Kansas and cannot af-
ford to put up the money as well as
Kansas can. In addition to this the
Nebraka regiment has not won the dis
JUNCTION that the Twentieth Kansas
has. The Nebraska boys did nobly. but
the eyes of the nation are not on them
as they are on the Twentieth Kansas.
The state has no business asking the
railroads. TO pear this expense and trust
to the future for their pay. Whenever
We get into trouble we call on the rail-
roads to help US out, and then We cuss
the railroads and legislate against
them. The railroads pay heavier taxes
than any other class in the state, and
they ike to make a little money. They
ought not to be called on to advance
class in Kansas.
IF were governor I would follow
the same plan Leedy did before he
called his special session. I would
write to each member of the legislature
and ask him if he would be willing to
pay his own expenses here at Topeka
for two or three days, to pass an ap-
preparation bill to meet the expense OF
bringing the regiment home, provided a
special session should be called. I be-
HeVe nearly every member of bOtn
house and senate would respond in the
affirmative. The most of them have
transportation, and those who have not
could easily get a trip pass from the
railroads for that purpose. If they
were paying their own bills they would
come and pass that appropriation bill
and then quit.
''Fhe state has the money in the
state school fund. 1t would require
about $4,000 I am told, to charter a
train to bring the regiment to Topeka
Bonds for that amount could be is
sued and sold to the school fund and
the interest would go to benefit the
public schools of the state. I under
stand the school fund has half a million
dollars in the Topeka banks uninvested-
If the members of the legislature
would not acQuieSce in that plan, the
next best thing to do would be to call
for loans from the citizens of the state.
with the understanding that they
should be repaid by the next legisla-
ture. There are plenty of people in
Kansas who would advance 500, $500
-Or even 81 900 at a low rate of interest
to the state for this purpose. It would
be just what the people Of Lawrence
did last year when the university heat
ing plant burned. They put up the
money to rebuild it, and when the leg
islature met, the money was returned
to them with interest.
Topeka will have TO put up a good
deal of money to entertain the regiment
if it is thought best to bring it here
but the other towns would subscribe
lfberaly to the loan fund. L think there
ought to be enough raised not only to
bring the regiment to Topeka but also
to send the boys to their homes after
the state reception. Set them down at
their own door without their having
to pay out a cent.
Il believe the plan of calling the leg
islature together the most feasible.
see Governor Stanley does not intend to
call his reception committee together
until the regiment starts home. but it
is not necessary to wait for that before
this other step is taken. These letters
can be sent out at once, and as soon as
members of both houses viii be willing
to come here at their own expense, the
session can be called. It would not re-
quire more than a quorum, because
there would not be any votes against
a proposition of that kind. 1t should
be thoroughly understood that the
members were not to pass any appro-
priation bills for themselves while they
are here, so that the only real expense
the session would be to the state would
be the postage stamps necessary in
sending out the letters. I think there is
enough patriotism in the Kansas leg
islature to respond readily to any such
call as that, especially as the most OF
them have transportation and would
like to come to Topeka anyway