The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-10-02
POLITICAL GOSSIP
Mr.. Stubbs Being Criticised
From New Source.
Claimed He Is Injecting Politics
in Soldiers Reunion.
MIX UP AT SEDAN.
Senator Fitzpatrick and Law
renee Statesman Clash.
Mr.. Turner's Significant Letter
to Congressman Reeder.

| Stubbs are criticising him severely for
making political speeches at some of
| the old soldier meetings which he has
| attended Down at Sedan Mr.. Stubbs
| and Senator w. S. Fitzpatrick had a
| spirited political debate before the re-
| union crowd. 1t is claimed that Mr..
| Stubbs delivered a "non-politicaT'
| speech at the outset, but Senator Fitz-
| patrick took exception to some of his
| remarks, and after Mr.. Stubbs finish
| ed, took the platform, and rushed to
! the defense of the senate lodge. Mr..
| Stubbs replied to Mr.. Fitzpatrick. and
| said that the record of the lodge
would speak for itself.
In commenting on these political
debates at old soldier reunions Tom
Cordry says in the Parsons Sun:
From nearly every old soldier re-
| union in the state during the past few
months have come reports of political
fights being pulled off between pOliti-
cal leaders on the platform, and while
not so bloody and the fatalities were
not so great as at Shiloh, Vicksburg
and other great battles of the civil war
in which these old soldiers participat-
ed, they fully demonstrated that Gen
eral Sherman had the right idea of
what war is. At the Baxter Springs
reunion the leaders Of political fac
tions took advantage of their position
on the platform as the guests of the
old soldiers, to either seek to advance
by a notch or two their own political
ambitions, or what was worse, attack
some leader of an opposition faction.
Perhaps it was for the purpose of
showing these old soldiers that while
they were not in any of the great bat
ties of the civil war they know how
to fight. But whatever the purpose
was it was disgracefuI and a violation
of the laws of hospitality.
s"At Sedan the other day another
political prize fight was pulled off be-
tween practically the same men who
engaged in the shindy of words and
epithets at Baxter Springs Chal-
lenges were issued and accepted, in
which the political duelists were to
use the camp ground platform as the
scene ofsstheir bloodless but disgrace
ful encounter. To the credit or the
old soldiers they refused to allow the
exhibition. At neither reunion did the
politicians who were invited to speak,
except in rare cases, deliver an "old
soldier" speech. They generally open
ed with a few trite eulogies upon the
old soldiers, and then unlimbered their
political guns, and the battle against
some political enemy was on. One
bitter and vindictive speech called for
another by some factional opponent,
and what should be an occasion for
the honoring of the memory of these
old soldiers and place where pa
triotism should be taught and the
deeds of these old soldiers gloriffed, is
turned into a political dueling ground
where leaders of political factions
fight each other. 1t is desecration
that should not be tolerated and
which should shame every one parti-
cipating in it. 1t is, perhaps, not out
of place for political leaders and can
didates for office to attend these re-
unions and when invited to speak to
do So but they should leave their po-
liticaI fights against each other to the
political arena and not desecrate the
old soldiers reunions with their per-
sonal quarrels.
Logan. Kan. Oct. 2.-R. w. Turner, |
of Mankato, who was invited to make |
a speech here not long ago, was unable |
to attend the meeting, and wrote |
letter to Congressman w. A. Reeder
declining the invitation. In this letter |
Mr. Turner gives some interesting |
views on the subject of independence |
in politics So far as known this let |
ter has never been printed 1t takes
some hard raps at the postmaster
machine which it is claimed Con-
gresham Reeder, like other congress-
men, has organized. The letter said /
in part:
''It is said by some that this country
is controlled by the railroads; by 9TH
ers that the Standard Oil company is
the great corrupting influence; others
the steel trust; still others
point to a corrupt combination of all
these factors; and 1 would like to add
should not be overlooked by the dag
nosticians.
1.-The postmaster is, in nine cases
out of ten, a violent partisan, too
bigoted by office bias to ever patiently
a social. economic, or politi-
cal question. His fealty is generally
secured by the position he holds, and
he knows no prosperity except when
he is holding office. AS a class he is
dependent upon officehofding for a
livelihood. The only hard times he
ever knows is when he is not holding
pelled to earn his own livelihood. No
matter what economic conditions OBJ
ain he believes prosperity is general
80 long as he is drawing his salary; he
IS incapable of self-support. He is un-
able to understand political princi-
entiate between existing political par
les, he would be unable to do so His
politics are Office holding, bigotry, and
prejudice. There is little difference
between the voter who sells his suf-
'rage for dollars on the day of cleo
ion. and the man who sells his ac-
.ivity in politics solely for office. The
difference is in degree; not in prin-
,ipIe. AS rule the congressman
owns the postmasters in his district.
They in turn control the rural route
carriers, and among them they have
IN ever active political machine, at
work not upon the reason and good
sense of the people, but upon their
partisan prejudice BY this means, re-
yardless of the way in which the con-
FRESHMAN represents the people, he is
rom time to time returned to our ma
.ional legislative halls, too often to be
controlled by special interests. or, as
ex-senator Burton puts it, by the
of interests
''It is thinking along these lines