The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-05-12
They ALL EAT PIE
1t Took 500 to Supply Old Vets
at Hutchinson.
Much Time Taken Up in Read
ing Reports.
MIR. RICKEL'S. ADDRESS
Believes in Upbuilding of Grand
Army in Kansas.
Talks About the New Memorial
MIR. RICKEL'S ADDRESS
Talks About the New Memorial
Building at Topeka.

gether with the reports of the several
department officers and the election of
delegates who will represent the de-
partment in the next national encamp-
800 of them were given a handsome
treat. Every delegate was given a
whole pie, and the old boys went for
the pies as eagerly as they did for
beans and bareback from 1861 to 1866.
Ihey were apple pies and there was
about as much apple in them as there
was beans in a tin cup of soup.
Lawrence is here in force working
for the next department encampment,
and so far they appear to have it all
their way unless some other town
makes a claim.
r. NJ. Painter, of Meade, is here. He
is president of the Southwestern Vet
Grams association, and he is booming
the reunion to be held at Dodge City,
in August. The dates will be fixed soon
as Mr.. Painter hears from the invita-
ton which has been extended to eX-
President Roosevelt, who will visit
Kansas some time during the summer.
1t would be a sad disappointment if
| Comrade D. L. Sweeney should ever
miss a department encampment. In fact
Mr. and Mrs. Sweeney attend ali OF
them. Capt Sweeney lives in Wichita.
He is deputy United States revenue col
lector. He was a gallant veteran in the
Fourteenth New York artillery. Some
times Mr.. Sweeney'S name gets con-
fused with other names, but just the
same he don't kick At this, for he is
the same jovial, genial comrade every
day in the year. Mr.. and Mrs. Sweeney
have hosts of friends everywhere they
go.
Commander RicI1eIs' Address.
Following is the address of Comman-
der RickeI, delivered before the Grand
Army delegates this afternoon:
When 1 was elected department COM
mo f7a1. ut Tow Er,,
now, 1 promised you to devote all my
time, energy, and whatever of ability
1 possessed, to the work of restoring
harmony to the department., and that
1 should at no time allow my personal
feelings to dictate the policy of my ad-
ministration. 1 promised that nothing
should emanate from my headquarters
but such documents as would be for
the Cancellation and the upbuilding of
the Grand Army of the Republic in
Kansas. 1 also told you that 1 should
take no part in the contentious tina:
were about to disrupt the department,
but every cOmrade who was entitled to
wear the little bronze button should re-
ceive my recognition as a comrade, be
he high or low, rich or poor.
Stands for Sacred Purpose.
1 believe it is the wish of all thought
full comrades who have a high sense of
justice that we should keep our records
clear of all kinds of scurrilous matter,
and that each page should breathe that
spirit of a grand comradeship that will
be the admiration of those who shall
read our records after we have passed
from the stage of action. I feel that
every page of our history, from the
l4ring on Sumter until we all are finally
mustered out, stands for a sacred pur-
pose and will be for the benefit of the
unborn people of other nations of the
EARTH we'll as our own, and with n
feeling of sublime responsibility I shall
never be the instrument to desecrate
its holy pages.
How we'll have kept these promises,
and how close I have lived to them,
the records of my administration and
my comrades will prove. The COM
rades of this department have given
me their most loyal support and to
them owe much of the harmony that
now prevails.
Death Rate Annually Increasing.
The success that has attended my
feeble efforts proves to me that much
can yet be done, but it will require the
entire time OF the department COM
mander with the cooperation of his en-
tire staff. With the inf1rmities of age
coming on, and the diseouraging fact
that the great majority Of our COM
rades have answered to the roll call on
the other side and that the death rate
is annually increasing among US, am
convinced this department will not run
itself any longer. No comrade should
ask for the office of department COM
mander unless he is willing and able to
devote his entire time to the work.
Need More Legislation.
It is my judgment that the next legis-
lature should be asked to appropriate
81, 000 towards the maintenance of our
department headquarters, as has all
ways been done until this year. We
need to ezpend quite an amount Of
money in the near future for banners,
flags and books; and our tents are get
ting old and many of them will soon be
unfit for use. We want to keep UP the
supply, as it is a great help to our COM
rades in their reunions. Then, too
when we go into our memorial build
in there will be many things we will
want to make it impressive that will
not be furnished by the state, and will
be matter of interest to the COM
radeS all over Kansas. Ohio appro-
PIRATES $500 annually to maintain the
department of Ohio. and Kansas, the
great soldier state, cannot afford to he
beggarly, and all we need to do is to
ask the legislature and it will come.
| would recommend that this encamp
ment ask the restoration Of this $1,000
appropriation.
The New Memorial Building
When I entered upon the duties of
my Office as department commander.
| at once recognized the fact that the
| Grand Army of the Republic would look
to me as its representative TO secure
suitable location for our Grand Army
| Memorial building, and proper space
| therein for all the kindred orders.
fully realized that this building would
| be the only monument that Kansas
would ever build to the memory of the
| heroic men who saved the Union, and
1 that whatever we lost at this time
would be lost forever I therefore de-
| termined that no one should intrude
on our rights, and I prepared myself
| to stand for this department in the
erection and division of space in this
building against all who should dis
pute any of our needs or rights. Il
is a matter of much satisfaction to
me to be able to report to you that
a large majority of that commission