The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1899-05-05
Reception to Returning Soldiers
Will Have Right of Way.
Fall Festival Postponed in
Honor of Fighting Twentieth.
THE>COMMITTEE ACTS.
Organization Which Has Man
aged Grand Demonstrations
Steps Aside and Citizens of To-
peka Will Take Action.

| The Fall Festival for 1899 will give
| way to the grand reception to be ten
| dered the Twentieth Kansas. Such was
| the decision of the Committee of Fifteen
! for nothing will be allowed to detract
| from the welcome home of the Kansas
| heroes.
The committee met last night in the
Commercial club rooms and after thor
oughly discussing the situation a mo-
ton to adjourn. subject to the call of
| the president, was carried. The years
| festivities will be in the hands of the
Commercial club and the Committee of
Fifteen will go out of business for a
year but will retain the organization
ready to take up the work whenever
the time comes. Before the adjourn
ment D. J. Greenwald was elected preSi-
dent and all the old officers reelected.
The horsemen expect to have week 5
race meet in June and the state G. A.
r. reunion will be here early in the
fall These two events, together with
the reception to the Kansas regiment
will be sufficient without the annual
Fail Festival.
Kansas regiment will be given a rousing
reception and that the whole state will
turn out to welcome Them the Commit
tee of Fifteen would at once commence
preparations for the Fourth Annual Fall
Festival. For the people of Kansas ex-
pect to be entertained in the capital
city every year but nothing will equal
in enthusiasm and splendor the recep-
ton, civic and military ceremonies and
entertainments to be given in honor of
the return of the Twentieth and the
whole state will not only be in attend
ance but will take part in the demon
Stration. 1t was thought wise to do
nothing that would detract from the
splendor of this reception.
The proper parties to arrange for
the reception of the Twentieth Kansas
are the business men," said Capt. G. H.
Titus, and that means the Commercial
club. The COmmlttee OF FIFTEEN is in the
Fall Festival business and / believe we
should stand aside this year and allow
the Commercial club to arrange this
reception without any Festival. The
people of Kansas will all want to see
the regiment instead of entertainments.
When the news comes from Manila that
the regiment has started home the peO-
pie will take hold of the reception and
make it a grand ovation. Therefore. [
move that the Committee of Fifteen ad-
jOurn subject to the call of the presi-
dent, in order that the Commercial club
may have the united efforts of the peO-
pie in arranging for the reception of
the Twentieth Kansas" The motion
carried.
The Commercial club is now in charge
and the people of Topeka will lend their
aid in carrying out the programme as
suggested by the Committee of Fifteen.
AT present it can not be fOretold when
the regiment will start on the home
ward journey. All details are in the
hands of Gen. Otis. The regiments will
probably return in the order of their
going, but the time for them to start
home will be set by the military gov
ernor of the Philippines, and the off,
cials at Washington can not even ap-
prOXimate the date of returning 1t
has been decided that the regiment will
return by way of Honolulu and San
Francisco and not by the way of the
Suez canal. as has been suggested. The
war department has announced that all
the transports are needed in the Pa
cific and that the triumDhal voyage
home by way of the Suez canal, which
would give the regiment q triumphal
voyage around the world, will have to
be abandoned unless enough pressure
can be brought to bear to have the gov
ernment change its plans.
mo matter what time of the year the
Twentieth Kansas returns we can take
care of them and tender them a royal
reception" said Councilman ]. S. War
ner. They have been enduring hard
ships and privations, while we have
been staying at home. We can not do
too much to show them the apprecia-
ton we feel. We can not do too much
for them"
The members of the regiment expect
to be entertained in Topeka. They are
looking forward to the time when they
will be mustered out, and their wish is
that the last ceremonies of disbanding
the famous regiment be at the capital
city.
When the boys were camped on the
sandhills of the Preside, at San Fran
cisco, and before they received the final
order to embark for the Philippines,
they were anticipating a glorious home
coming. for they were determined, every
man, to make a name for the regiment
They had named themselves the Fight
ing Twentieth" and had chosen "A Hot
Time" as their fighting tune. They have
received their baptism of fire and been
duly christened. They have won the
sobriquet
The climax of their joy, so many a
member has expressed it in letters, is
to march up Kansas avenue behind the
Twentieth Kansas band, that made it
self famous in San Francisco to the
fighting tune of the regiment and be-
tween the crowds of cheering people
and the waving of flags. They know
royal reception nor welcome them as
warmly as will the people of Topeka
and the Kansans who will assemble
here. The choice of the regiment is To-
peka.
Il would like to head a list of sub
scriptions to buy the regiment a flag
or some fitting emblem of our regard " |
said H. A Auerbach- What we want |
to do is to make the boys our guests |
for a week and entertain them regard |
less of expense"
1t has been suggested that Topeka |
or Kansas have a special medal struck |
and presented to every member of the |
regiment. Make the medal the badge
of the regiment, SO in after years the |
wearer can proudly show that he was |
a member of the famous regiment and |
of his state. The government willapre-
sent every soldier who served in the |
Philippine, campaign with a special |
medal, but let the Kansas boys receive |