The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1908-05-20
OLD VETS IN CAMP
Grand Army of the Republic In
. Hot Wrangle.
The Sole Business Seems to Be
Election of Commander.
Is MUCH FEELIN G..
Friends Of w. A. Morgan and
+. +. Boyle Are Active.
W0men's Relief Corps and Sons
Of Veterans Present..

Women's Relief Corps and Sons
of Veterans Present.
Kansas City. Kan, May 2o.-with
one of the hottest fights in, it's history
for the department commandership
keeping the interest Of the thousands Of
veterans at a fever heat, the twenty
| sixth annual encampment of the Grand
! Army Of the Republic, department Of
Kansas. opened its three-day session.
| The Ladies of the G. A. r., the Wo-
mems Relief Corps. and the Sons of
Veterans are holding their sessions at
| the same time.
Old battles were not ,refought by the
veterans yesterday in the manner
| usually followed at G. A. r. reunions,
| badge was making a hot campaign for
! either w. A. Morgan of Cottonwood
Falls, or the Rev. F. F. Boyle of Atchi-
son, for department commander. The
two factions are working hard. and
practically every old soldier has lined
up on one side or. the other. Badges
have been distributed bearing the
| names of the rivals, and active support
ers are seeing that no coat lapel goes
| unadorned. sTY-
The Rev. Mr.. Boyle has opened head
quarters at the Grand hotel and w. A.
Morgan is at the Metropolitan. just
across the street. Political workers
stand thick in front of both places ar
guing for their favorites, and enthus-
| iastic supporters do not hesitate to in
wade their rivals camp.
I The fight has been going on Tor
months previous to the encampment.
There are a number of instructed deli
| egations from the camps throughout
| the state.
| Put on this Morgan ribbon and show
| your sentiments" one old soldier said
holly to a comrade as they stood In
front of the Grand hotel, Boy1e's head
quarters. yesterday afternoon. BE a
man. Come out and join the right side :
| The old soldier was about convinced
when several Of the admirers of Mr..
4 Boyle discovered there was an enemy
| in their ranks.
Don't you put on that Morgan rib
| bon," several of them shouted at once
grasping the badge before it could be
pinned on. Boyle is the man FOR US
| and you stand with U.S." 49,
| Come on across the street." said
/ the Morgan man. pulling on coat
sleeve of the uninstructed voter.
mo, stay here" said the Boyle man
The object Of the controversy had
| self heard. Finally he got an open
II have not vote he finally man
! aged to say. You see se,.s--.sz 80
| But he was left alone. The polite.
ians had lost all interest In him, and
were looking around for fresh fields te
| conquer. Elt1 9d6C<
| A dispatch from Topeka announced
that a warrant has been issued fer w
A. Morgan on a. charge of criminally
| libeling P. H. Coney, and might be
served upon him at any time. :,
| Coney charges that Morgan falsely
| accused him of being dishonorably dis
| charged from the service and of swind-
ling a negro out of some property In
| a paper circulated at the national en-
campment at Saratoga, NJ T. last
year. At this encampment Coney was
| running for commander-in-chief, and
| was beaten.
Il didn't sign my name tozthe pape,
Saratoga" said Mr.. Morgan yester-
| day. someone else signed it for me
But I would have signed it had l beer
asked. The getting of this warrant is
only a political trick. Coney is trying
to beat me for department eomman-
der"
When the Morgan faction heard Of
the issuing Of the warrant they be-
came excited, declaring they would
elect their man in spite Of all the trick:
and subterfuges which their rival, Mr.
Boyle, might be able to devise, ever
| with the aid of P. H. Coney.
Little groups of veterans stood about
the streets all day. AS one approached
he heard only the names Morgan
and Boyle" Former battles are being
forgotten for the political fight that Il
raging in the camp =
it is estimated that there are about
5000 persons attending the encamp.
ment Because of the fact that they
are scattered over both Kansas Citys
and numbers have not yet registered
at the adjutant's tent, 1t is impossible
to give the exact figures. Kansas City
Kansas, is given over to the entertain
ing of the encampment. Minnesota
avenue is lined with flags and bunting
and each of the show windows is deco
| rated in honor of the G. A. r. Band
and the fife and drum crops parade VI
and down Minnesota avenue day ant
night, playing the familiar tunes b,
which the old soldiers marche ed during
the war.
Addresses were made in the Wig
wan yesterday afternoon by E. Lomi
of Girard, w. H. Young, master o
ceremonies. and Past Vice Department
Commander Captain J. Stone, CoIone
Burton of Nevada, Mo-; T. A. Stockton
of Kansas City, Kan, and T. ]. Kin,
Of Kansas City. Kan. who was a Con
talk which was frequently interrupte,
by applause, in which he called the at
tention of the veterans to the fact tina
the war Is over. =
l III COURSE Will always nave
warm spot in my heart for the Confed
eracy." said Mr.. King. But we wer
beaten, and now you and 1, formerl
so ready to shoot one another down
are fellow citizens once again. Their
is no need of cherishing the old ami
; mostly. The war is over"
! The women are taking as great al
! interest in the encampment as tn
men. Most of them have bee
drawn into the political side of tn
! question, and they are as ready t
argue for their respective candidate
as their husbands and fathers. The
are all seen with either a Morgan O
Boyle badge.
MY fathers for Mr. Morgan" ex
: planned one woman. IT don't kno,
him personally. but 1 know he mus