The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1906-01-16
LOSING ITS GRIP
Department Commander COney
Discusses thee. A. r.
Veterans No Longer Have In.
fiuence in Elections.
DON'T HANG TOGETHER
One Old Soldier in Congress,
One in State House.
Eternal Vigilance and Unity of
Action Essential.
DON'T HANG TOGETHER

In spite of an unusually heavy death
list said Department Commander P.
H. Coney of the G. A. r. Il feel conf
dent that the reports Will show that the
organization in the state OF. Kansas has
increased from 1900 to 1000 in member
ship during the year. had hoped for
an Increase of four or five thousand but
we won't come up to that"
Capt. Coney has been putting in
good deal of his time this winter MAX
ing speeches at various points through
out the state. He has been keeping in
close touch with the whole situation,
and has been booming the new member
ship proposition everywhere he. went.
me trouble IS with the old soldiers
SAID capt Coney, that when they ac-
cumulate some PROPRIETARY $40. 900 or
so, and there are hundreds and hun
dreds in the state in this condition. they
prefer to stay at home and take things
easy They don't like to get out and
hustle. Now we find that If we can lust
get this class of people out to a post
meeting, and get them interested, we can
induce them to join. But there are 81
900 eligible veterans living in this state
who ought to be members of the G. A.
X Jnly ABOUT quarter of these are
members"
Capt. Coney says that the c. A r
IS losing its political grip in Kansas be
hang together better in elections. He
saYss
YIIp to 1892 every member of congress
and senator from Kansas. was COM
rade, and nine-tenthss of the state and
county officers, tWO-thirds of every leg
islature, and a majority of every CON
Ventien held in the state Up to 1898
SO. per cent of all our laws. were wrought
and enacted by our comrades.
New we have but one eOmrade in
Our congressional delegation, and only
one comrade in the elective offices in
the state house. This is largely the
fault of our comrades themselves, and
| is a deplorable reelection on the G7,0e0
surviving veterans of the civil war of
/ the rebellion and their 100000 sons and
5000 Spanish war veterans residing in
Kansas, who could, if organized and
united, defeat or elect any party or per
son as they saw fit. This they can do
at any precinct in the state. Eternal
vigilence and unity Of action being as
essential for success now, as it was
! from 1861 to 1866, or at any time in
the history Of our republic"
Old Soldiers Are Prosperous.
Il have noticed ONE thing above all
others in my travels "a bout the state.
said Captain Coneyi 3 and that is that
I the old soldiers are gxeesperous. Espec-
| ia1Iys is this true of the old soldiers who
| live on farms. Usually it is just the
other way; the Old soldiers in the cities
are comfortable and well fixed. and the
/ old soldiers on the farms have to keen
scratching to make ends. meet. But il
is different now. I meet hundreds Of old
soldiers who say, I'm getting along
first rate I have nice farm of 16C
acres, and have been making money
I I'm not worrying.
1T is simply astonishing the way the
farmers out in the wheat country have
I been making money the past few years
/ Give them a couple years more of the
same. sort of crops, and they will be alb
solutely independent a person has to
actually go out into the country to ap-
preciate what the prosperity means. In
almost every town there are signs OF
great. improvements Every little town
is. building its new factories, new store