Kansas City journal. [volume] (Kansas City, Mo.) 1897-1928, 1899-11-11
General Funston's Toast.

I Storms of applause interrupted Toastmas-
ter Cotton. as he introduced General F'uns-
| ton. Again and again he was forced to
pause, until the uproar suhsided, so thai
| he could proceed. In one of the intervals
the orchestra struck up "a Hot Time In
the chorus of which the members of the
club joined. the deep bass of the officers
of the Twentieth Kansas rolling into the
| medley.
| Gentlemen said Mr. Cotton. when ouie,
| had been finally restored, the ambition
of Kansas Cityan is unlimited. This or.
ganlzation IS not quite year old. yet we
! have with us the hero of the Philippine
war. We had the promise, also. of the pres
ence of Governor Roosevelt, of New York "
He then read telegram of regret from
| Governor Roosevelt.
III you ask what state he halls from,
said Mr.. Cotton, in referring to General
Funston. II will tell you he halls from
sea-" He reviewed briefly the remarkable
| career of General Funston and compared
him to Leonidas in intrepidity and general
| "Scan,'' he said. "the history of any
country in any cline, and where can You
find atS the nsss equal of Funston and the Twenti-
THE Twentieth Kansas was the toast
to which General Funston responded.
Il am glad that am not Edward Atkin-
am glad that I do not write the editorials
of the New York Blankety Blank he be.
gan.
The Twentieth Kansas has its strong
points and its weak points. I can count
on my fingers the members OF the Twen-
| tieth who f1unked in the war. but there
are 200 men who did their duty as no set
| of men ever did it.
There have been greater commanders
of regiments than myself continued Gen
eral Funston when he was interrupted by
| cries OF no! no.! and he resumed, but
there has never been a greater regiment
| The sentiment there has been always that
| We and our cause were everlastingly
right.
I'VE read of jealousies and chickering's at
home and elsewhere he said, but moth
ing of that sort was heard OF there"
More men had been recommended for
medals of honor in the Twentieth regi-
ment. he said. than in any other regiment
In the history of the country. Although
the regiment was composed of nearly every
nationality. it was a perfect unit in fight
ing for the United States.
| When we conquer the islands, said
| General Funston. our worst troubles will
come. Shall we then turn the government
| over to lot of rOOters who will extort
the lifeblood from the people and govern
into our own hands? 1t rests with the
president of the United States. We do not
know who the president will be then
! c,fes We do" was the cry that interrupt
General Funston denied in emphatic
terms the derogatory stories circulated
about the Twentieth Kansas and some OF
its members. as the spite work of a
''hlackguartl'' whom he had thrown into
prison for looting a church.
| Gentlemen said the general, in con.
| clusion. Il hope YOU will join me in drink
| ing a toast to the 3.009 members of the
| three regiments in the Philippine islands. v
| The toast was drank in a thunierous
| storm of applause.
| General Funston made no attempt at
| eloauence. He talked plainly and simply
Nearly every sentence was greeted with
| applause.
Mr.. Epperson's Address.
In responding to the toast, Make the
| Philippines Good Place to Live In L. S.
Epperson said: This subject Just suits