The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1906-06-15

IOld soIdieTz-es. SZeusas,1les a. sallns
-COneT Et6-eEecteIs
The state eIlCanpment OF the de-
parment Of Kansas Grand Amy OF
the Republic, convened in Saliua on
June 3 Considering ehe lessening
members Of the veterans OF the civil
war. the attendance was good, some
400 or 500 delegates being present
The gathering vas he'd IN the
opera house. and IL vas very interest
ing 10 see the vigorous old men, who
1 were mere boys IN the Sos and many
endOus struggle The heads that were
bald and gray TO an observer there,
were once crowned with luZuriant
hair, and wrinkled faces were once
brown and ruddy- But there was the
same grim determination and posi-
tfveness Of character as in the former
days In many particulars, they were
still spelling for fight when an IS
sue arose and z division OF sentiment
called for alignment on either side
1t was refreshing 70 see The snap
piness" OF the old boys Fight at
the drop Of the hat" yes, OF course
There was the timber that was with
Grant at AppOmattOX and with Sher-
men had stood in the Imminent
deadly breach" Of PiCkett's charge at
Gettysburg, and had stOrmed Look
out mountain They were the IN
daunted still.
WfthaI, they were the same hard
headed, sensible men, as in the for
mer days, and one would seldom have
the opportunity TO see such a gather
ing OF men, in old age, even striking
In their appearance, and impressing
one with the sense Of mental acumen
and power
The commanders report for the
past year was long, but very interest
ing, and all were impressed with the
1 49,
done exceedingly well for the order
during the past year. Although there
tare $4,000 or $4,000 old soldiers in
/ Kansas, only about II, 200 are mem
L bers OF the Grand Army Of the Repub-
I lie. The commander had attempted,
and with some success, TO increase the
number belonging TO the order
/ The business session occupied con-
/ siderable time and was prosecuted
with dispatch and strict parliamentary
/ order. The election of officers took
place Wednesday afternoon after all
| the regular business had been disposed
/ Of. There was stiff fight against the
| reelection OF Commander COney-
many cCntending that il was proper
20 pass the honor around. But 9TH
/ ers cOntended that honor was one
/ thing but efficiency Of administration
| was another and more desirable thing
and that the administration OF Com
/ mander COney justified his re-eleC-
| jOrity over two competitors. The
| place selected for the next encamp-
ment was Topeka.
! Other associated orders were in at
tendance, and fraternal greetings
/ were exchanged and joint gatherings
I held generally in the evening, when a
| program Of speaking and singing was
rendered. The orders were: The Sons
/ OF Veterans, the auxiliary to the Sons
| of Veterans, composed OF ladies'
| dauzhters of veterans; the ladies Of
| the Grand Army OF the Republic5 and
| the WOman's Relief Corps. Each Of
/ these orders had their separate place
| Of meeting
| some Of the things that are worth
/ emphasizing were the reports Of com
mittees, Of which special mention
should be made. The committee on
| the soldier preference law reported
that the law was a dead letter in kan
saS, having been made so by the de-
cisiOn Of the state supreme court in
cases which had been taken up be-
! fore it. The committee on service
pension reported that no progress
had been made, although the matter
had been taken by the committee, as
sisted by congressman, before the
pension commissioner, the committee
on pensions in both house and senate
and with the president himself
One OF the most astonishing things
reported both by the commander, P
H COney, and. the pension committee
was that widows Of soldiers OF the
Mexican war, and Of the Spanish
American war, draw under the law
So per month, whereas widows Of
soldiers Of the civil war can only draw
under the law IS per month This
was a sumner, and Chaplain Bernard
Kelley, on the regular army retired
list who was chairman OF the pension
committee for both the department Of
Kansas and for the national Organiza-
ton Of the @. A r. reported that
they were able to accomplish nothing
in the way Of a service pension law.
and that the discrimination against
the widows Of civil war veterans was
an outrage"
J. H Stewart was a delegate to the
encampment, and paid close atten-
ton to the reports Of these commit
tees. and the discussions which follow
ed The plain unvarnished facts are
given and no attempt is made to color
them.