The Topeka state journal., 1899-09-26
REUNION OPENS.
First Camp Fire Held at Camp
Funston.
Speakers Talk Expansion and
Are Applauded.
KEEP UP THE FLAG
Rev. E. B. AIKEN Takes a Pro-
nOunced Stand.
MOdOcs Sing and Everybody Is
Happy.
KEEP UP THE FLAG

The one thing strange about a G. A
R. reunion campfire is that there is no
fire at ali although one would be very
comfortable these cool nights. The first
campfire of the sixteenth annual state
reunion was a success.
The fire" was opened by the Modocs
singing Hail Happy Greeting and
the old soldiers, who know the Modocs
of old, were loud in their applause
Captain 9. H. Titus, the veteran pre-
siding at the meeting, congratulated
the old soldiers who were first on the
ground as they would secure the best
tents, the cIeanest straw and the long
est sticks of wood He introduced
Rev. E. B. AIKEN, of Marion, the chap
lain of the Kansas division.
Rev. Mr. AIKEN started off with a
story with a moral relative to the fix
the Filipinos are in. He said: when
I was boy I slept with my brother.
One night we had committed some Of
fense and father came up to punish US
I was on the outside of the bed and he
went after me. I thought that he took
me for the culprit and after he had be-
labored me for awhile he stopped to
rest. 1 decided that it was the other fel.
lows turn to have a few so 1 crawled
over him to the other side of the bed SO
that when the punishment was resumed
he would receive it but father thought
he had given the one on the outside of
the bed enough and reached over the
fellow nearest him and grabbed the
other. That was me-"
Rev AIKEN went on to speak about the
situation in the Philippines He said:
I do not believe the old flag should be
hauled down wherever it has been rails
ed" The applause which greeted this
remark was like the Yankee yell. The
audience clapped shouted and stamped
, rr-.A !,
I'VE believe you we believe you, we
believe you just now" The uprOar did
not subside until the speaker raised his
hand. In continuing he said: If the
party that [ have affiliated with since
81 says that flag must come down I
will vote against that party or any 9TH
er party that says the same" At the
conclusion of his remarks the applause
was resumed.
COmrade Ginger of St. Louis recited
poem in German dialect He exploited
the generals, the cOlonelS, the majors
and all the officers and then asked Vat
did der privates do, by gOlly," which
amused the audience and all through
the evening by golly" was the by
word.
Department Commander .. H. Coul-
ter said the statement had been made
that the audience was a Topeka audi
ence and asked all who Lived out of
town to raise their hands. At least 80
per cent of the hands IN the audience
went up. 4 knew it, he said, because
there are so many good looking women.
Unfortunately I live in Topeka
Move out" yelled some one in the
back of the audience. Commander
Coulter apologized in a eneral way be-
cause the reunion was not better and
gave as the reason that the people of
Topeka were all holding back for the
return of the Twentieth Kansas He
touched upon the fight made against
Pension Commissioner H. Clay Evans
in speaking of National Commander
~ a nd n n "a d
er said He stands with usi to see that
our demands for the needy and desti-
tute cOmrade are allowed and that he
be cared for
Comrade Kirkpatrick of Blue Mound
said expansion was the proper thing
and explained that the Philippine isl