The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1901-08-25

about what IS going on-and there is
generally something going on in kansas
and you excite attention
Il take it that it is about the same in
| Oklahoma. You see you are from Kan
sas, a good many Of you, and. like your
Kansas brothers. you take an interest II
| what is going on-and you, too, generally
keep something going on al 1.-THE time"
| The people liked this and cheered. When
al the close OF his speech, he told the
! Oklahomans what good people they were.
and said he knew no better, with one ex-
ception-those Of Kansas-they cheered
him again and laughed heartily.
I know down n your hearts" he said,
that you feel that there is no place like
| Kansas; that it is best Of all; but 10y
atty 10 this splendid young territory
prevents you from admitting it. I would
not have you admit it. know how you
feel about il, so it is all right If you do
not make any admissions"
He then plunged into a discussion OF
| the insular problems 10 a certain extent.
! He told how it was that when the war
with Spain was over. and the question
as to disposition of the Philippines and
president made trip west 10 the Omaha
Exposition. He was uncertain in his own
mind what was the sentiment of the
country with regard TO these Islands. He
I talked coming and going TO old soldiers
| at their reunions. He sounded them on It.
/ He found positive sentiment. 1t favored
/ keeping all we had as a result Of war.
! This impressed the president. He went
7 T-se
/ structions to the peace commission then
/ sitting in Paris. Porto Rico and the
I Philippines were demanded. We got
/ them Then came the Philippine insur-
rection. The old soldiers did not hesi-
/ tate in their expression as what to do.
They insisted that it be put down. They
/ were not in favor of taking down the
/ flag and coming home. They were for
crushing the spirit of insurreetion. II
was done.
Mr.. Long believed that much of the
spirit of the country, its frmness and
strength, was due to the loyalty and
positiveness of the old soldier element of
the United States. In this connection,
his tribute to the old soldiers was good.
As the speaker was closing his speech,
an old gentleman on the platform, who
bore the name of Long, arose to ask
question Given permission, he said:
I would like to know why Evans is
not removed as commissioner of pen
sions?"
Mr.. Long answered that he was no
prophet, and did not know all things.
It was his judgment that in due time
there would bea change in the office, as
he felt there should be.
The interruptor insisted on censuring
the president for his failure to remove
Evans forthwith He wished TO know
if Long did not believe that even a good
president could be greatly hampered by
bad commissioner.
My friend" said Mr.. Long, I be-
lieve that the old soldiers of this coun-
try, and the people all over it. would
rather have a good president with bad
commissioner than a bad president with
good commissioner"
At this the crowd cheered wildly, and
insisted on Mr. Long No taking his
seat but he was not ready. He again
censured the president, and Mr.. Long
replied:
Sir the people of this country last
year decided BY no uncertain voice. old
soldiers and al, that they wished no
change in the office Of president I am
willing to accept that verdict of the peo-
pie. SO far as the commissicnership is
concerned. am willing TO trust the presi-
dent. and I believe a change will be
made"
Mr.. Long then concluded his speech,
and at his close three cheers were given
him. and then there was a rush for the
platform. he was surrounded. and many
warm handclaps and friendly words fol
lowed
The reunion grounds at Jefferson are
about the best one would wish to find.
The grounds, he on the BANKS Of PO:d
creek, and are well cared for. y COM
fortahIa platform o: SPEAKER. Music.
etc, has peec erected and the t-=ting
facilities are excsilcat 1t is o.e of the
best natural sizes FIR reI1pl5 H. okla
horna or Kansas This reunion has been
successful, though there has not been
the attendance OF noted speakers that
was expected. However, the soldiers were
here. and they are satisfied. President
Decker Of Pond Creek. and his assistants
q llNt aSEOGlalADA utStlft A4LAn -A[A@N
for their good management.
On yesterday afternoon, just beofre Mr..
Long had commenced to speak, little
fife and drum corps was playing near
the platform. It was composed Of five
old soldiers Two played the fife, TWO
had snare drums and one pounded the
has sdrum Those with the flies were old,
grey haired and grey bearded fellows,
but the IRE Of youth was in them once
more as they played the familiar old
pieces OF the days of war. The men who
beat the drums were no longer young,
and their sight was not good nor their
footsteps regular. but they extracted more
music than many a proud present-gener-
alton drummer OF a string band. The
bass drummer. as he pounded his drum.
kept vigorous time with his foot, de-
spite suggestion Of rheumatism. It was