The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1909-10-04
THE OTHER SIDE.
SecretaryMartin Talks of Memo
rial Hall.
Statement for State Historical
Society.
HAS FQUAL RIGHTS.
Hall Was Designed for Both
Society and G.. A. R.
Points Out "Insane" Mistakes
About to BE Made.
HAS EQUAL RIGHTS.

Secretary George w. Martin today
makes a statement in which he pre-
sents the claims of the State Histori-
| cal society for equal recognition with
the G. A. r. in the arrangement and
designation of space in the new Me-
mortal building.
Secretary Martin is mild and logi-
cal rather than acrimonious in his
presentation of his side of the case.
He calls attention to the Importance
of the state collection, it's constant
and rapid growth and the value of
the relics in the keeping of the So
ciety. He declares that no small por-
ton of these relics came from the bat
tlefields of the civil war and relate
to the glory of the soldiers in that
struggle.
He quotes from the law that Great
ed the Memorial building to show that
cal society and the G. A. r. equally
in the mind when they made the APP
preparation.
Secretary Martins statement is as
follows:
81 am gratified to see that the re-
porters have taken hold of the Me-
mortal Hall job. A change from the
horse play, the gallery grandstand
stuff we get by the column every day
the year around will be a refreshing
rest for the reader.
NO one seems to know anything
about the purpose of the Memorial
hall. 1t is to be erected for practical
use and service, of a patriotic nature
1t was designed to relieve the congest-
ed condition of the capitol building.
Nowhere and at no time has the
state ever said through the legisla-
ture, or any other s%urce of authority
perpetuate the Sons of Veterans, the
Ladies of the Grand Army, or the Wo-
mans Relief Corps, after the parent
organization of the Grand Army has
ceased to exist 1t is generally under
stood, but nowhere said in the law.
that the records and relics of the
Grand Army, and of all local posts
shall be cared for for all time by the
state through the State Historical So
ciety. Any record of any class of Kan
sas people is welcomed and every eff
fort made to gather them by the So
ciety. The State Historical society Is
not an antagonistic organization, but
1t is the state itself, through which
TINS class OF service is rendered. and
paid for by the state. The building is
surely intended first for the states
own business and the states own
property.
"a special committee of the house
of representatives, session of 1909,
made report concerning commissions
and societies in which appears the fol-
lowing:
" Fourth-That the Academy of
Science, the State Historical society
ard the Goss bird collection, now oc-
cupying the fourth floor of the capitol
building are crowded for room, and
should not be retained at the capitol
building but should be as early as
possible transferred to some building
to be built by the state for its archives
and relics
'In the preamble to the bill Great
ing this Memorial hall, and making
appropriation for its construction is
the following:
Quotes the Memorial Building Bill.
" Whereas, the Kansas State His
torical society is the custodian of one
of the largest and most valuable col
lections of original historical material
in the United States; and,
Whereas, the present quarters OF
this society are inadequate and unsat-
1sfactory and without fire protection,
ard is thereby in great danger of be-
ing lost, and is a menace to the state
capitol, and should be provided a fire.
proof building accessible to the gener-
al public; and,
" Whereas, the quarters now occu-
pied by the Kansas State Historical
society, and by the Grand Army of the
Republic, department of Kansas. are
needed by the state for other purposes
in the conduct of its business"
Another whereas says that Memorial
hall has been petitioned for by the
Grand Army, the State Editorial as
ISOLATION, and many other organiza-
tions, for the use of the State His
torical society and the Grand Army,
and section four of the act says:
"'Said Memorial hall shall be con-
structed for the use of the Grand
Army of the Republic department of
Kansas, the Kansas State Historical
society, and such other collections and
libraries as the executive council may
hereafter see fit to place therein"
Section eight gives the executive
council control over the entire build
ing, with authority to make such rules
and regulations for the use and GUS
tcdv of said Memorial hall as it NAV
see fit
The preamble says that the purpose
of the hall is a Suitable memorial to
the Union soldiers and sailors of the
war of the rebellion This should
have been limited to Kansas soldiers.
The civil war soldiers in Kansas from
other states came from states and