The age-herald., 1901-04-12

to get him on board a New York stearps~ the next day without his identity heinz known to the authorities, and the next heard of the young man he had gone to the Philippines in command of a regiment Of Kansas volunteers. And now he has accomplished a wonderful feat in captur- ing Aguinaldo, which I am sure will re- suit in bringing the insurrection, to an end"
 Funston, with a Mauser bullet through his lungs his hip bone crushed by his horse being shot under him, and his con. stitution shattered from fever, had made his way to the coast after being released by squad of Spaniards who had cap- tured him, but who were unaware that he was a lieutenant colonel of the insaireent army and the chief of the artillery sery. ice in Eastern Cuba under General Gar cia-
 At the little town he saw some Ameri- can apples. the first he had seen for more than year and half, and he spent the last money he possessed for the fruit from home. Insurgent sympathizers put him on a little fruit boat owned by their friends, and he was taken to Havana. where he at once sought the American consul
 General Lee bought him ticket to New York and also fitted him out with new clothing. The consul general offered to nave suit of clothing made for him, as the only ready-made suits to be had were light-weight. But Funston did not dare remain in Havana so he accepted the 'hand-me-downs' and went aborad the steamer.
 When the Ward line steamer City of Washington landed in New York 1t was the 17th of January 1S9s and blizzard was blowing. Clad in an "ice-cream,' suit, with no overcoat, the refugee shiver- ed and limped down the gangplank in snowstorm, jumped in a cab and was driven to his old boarding house in New York. where he had left all his winter clothing and personal effects when he started for Florida in July, 1896, to embark on flibustering steamer for the island of Cuba.
 The Cuban Junta learned of his return and sent him to hospital, where. for the first time, he received proper medical and surgical treatment. After his return to Kansas war talk was in the air, and when war was declared the little insur- gent was eager to go against the span- iaros under the flag of his own country Ills friends tried to persuade him from what then seemed foolhardy enterprise. Tor he was still weak and disabled. But the Governor of the State offered him the coloneley of the first regiment formed and he accepted the commission
 And ever since he has been arnuir;nt, glory. -. are to take your places and receive at your hands the management of govern ment.
 Do you wish to transmit to those boys legacy of corruption at the polls tol- erance of which cannot but undermine their morals and debase their love of country and it's institutions?
 Cannot you see that a condition that will lead them to view with complacency frauds upon their fellows at the ballot box will prepare them to tolerate and even participate in frauds upon their fef- low in other directions and finally make rascals of them in all the relations of life?
 Do you want to see your boys depart from those lines of integrity and honesty which is the foundation of all success in life? . s That is the tendency of things If we do not have a change. Fraud is fraud, no matter whether 1t be the theft of a ballot, theft from an employer or forgery of name. Wherever exercised 1t deadens the moral sense, breaks down the high stand ards of honor, and. once embarked on, leads only to wreck.
 Once tolerated in our politics as a stern necessity in certain sections of the State, it has grown and spread throughout the State until it has become, as it were, great and loathsome cancer. eating out honor. high standards of life and fair dealing between man and man among us.
 If this be not true why is 1t that for years the best and noblest of our public men have been striving to bring about a reform? SI' | men do not concern them selves about trivial and unessential things. It Is because they see the danger that they have become anxious over the situation and vehement for change
 This question of reform of the ballot through a constitutional convention Is graver and more far reaching in it's effect than any which has confronted our peo- pie since those direful days preceding the civil war. z, t,,.
 The question Is up to you, and you must answer it to your God and your conscience.
 Will you shirk it. or will you do your duty?