The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1912-06-29
COLONEL BUNKER.
It Was Honor Before Politics With
Him

| After the wah," said Colonel Bun
| ker as he finished his cocktail. after
/ the wah came reconstruction, and
while 1 played my part in it. might
ments on the field of honah. 1 could
| have been elected governor of this
| state by $4,000 majority except for
| having to pause and defend my honah.
had hosts of friends who hoped for
my political advancement, and one
| day a party committee, headed by
Judge Golden, appeared at my office,
| and the judge observed:
| " Colonel Bunker, the people of
| this great and sovereign state love and
admire yo', sub, and wish to make yo'
| governor. Yo' are a modest, retiring
citizen, sub, as becomes a brave ant,
gallant man, but we trust yo' will
please and crafty the whole people by
| accepting the nomination hereby ten
dered to yo'.'
That's what the judge said. sub.
| and, though his words were few, they
| brought teahs in my eyes. 1t was
powerful surprise to me, and it was
| some time befo' I could control my
| emo tions. When 1 had succeeded I
said to him:
"' Judge Golden, don't care for Of
fee. 1 am satisfied to rest on my rec
| ord as a soldier, but if the people OF
| this state are calling for me, sub.
| high and honorable office I will do
| my best to retain the love and affec-
ton of those who honah me.
THAT was the way it happened
suh," continued the colonel, land it is
needless to add that my tears mingled
with the cocktail 1 drank with the
judge befo' he departed
"A few days later my nomination
followed and the die was cast. Yes,
sub, 1 was nominated by reclamation,
and for a time the other party hest
tated about making a nomination in
opposition. 1t was so clear that had
H. @n IN hal
wave that they were reluctant to make
a move.
However, they at length decided to
put out ticket, and after a great deal
of persuasion as unknown person-an
unknown person way off in "a swamp
county-was induced to sacrifice him
self. While he was such cipher,
sub, that it wasn't deemed necessary
for me to make campaign, I deemed
it best to prepare few speeches and
exhibit myself to the enthusiastic and
adoring people
'I carried my speeches and I carried the
people 1t was said in the papers that /
was the popular idol, and that my re-
marks were received with hurricanes of
applause-nothing less than hurricanes.
After some of the meetings the adoring
populace lifted me up on their shoulders
and bore me in triumph, suh-in triumph.
The opposition was silent until the CAM
paign fully opened, and then they blazcd
forth like battery suddenly unmaSked.
There was falsehood and vituperatfon by
palled.
Not that they could truthfully asperse
my record, sub, but they resorted to the
basest lying and the grossest exaggera-
ton. Can yo' credit it, sub, that they
tried to take from me the honah of lead
ing my regiment in the desperate charge
of Gettysburg? Yes, they did, suh-they
shorely did-and they even went farther.
One paper said was fo'teen miles in the
rear at the time. and another published a
picture of me sitting on the fence while
my brave boys were. sweeping gallanty
up. the slopes to die for the cause Cad,
sub. but didn't my blood boil when I saw
that picture! And they made charges. |
subj charges that I was a political !
schemer and charlatan and dishonest
phantoms of an insane man.
Il couldn't go ahead, subj couldn't
my honahs' impunged, and with the
Bunkers from time immemorfal honah
has always come first. | dropped the
honah. I began at the head of the OPP
position Perhaps yo' remember of read
named Gadsby in this state? 1 walked in
on him and quietly said:
sub. I am ColoneI Bunker-Colone1
Bunker, sub. Will yo' kindly arrange to |
shoot at me at 10 paces?'
He said he would, sub, and he did, |
sub, and L must say that he died like a
gentleman. 1 trusted that my prompt and |
vigorous action would have salutary eff |
feet his contemporaries, but they only |
made it the excuse to pour out other walls
to call out and wound three in succession, |
and then l paid my attentions to a state |
senator who was seeking to couple my |
name with the scandal. I called him out |
and he was hand to the minute, and |
when he went down with bullet in his ]
shoulder he lay like a gentleman 1t was /
an affair I like to remember for its urban !
fty and general good feeling.
And then came the affair with Judge /
Harper. The Judge had questioned my |
bravery as a soldier and my sincerity as |
a politician, and I waited upon him in |
the usual way. He received me as one |
gentleman receives another. and we pro- /;
ceeded to the field of honah with linked !
arms. 1t was with all due respect for |
his many attributes that 1 put bullet /,
through his leg and made him a cripple |
for life
mo less than three other affairs follow |
ed, and all were beautifully managed and |
strictly according to the code. That. is |
a thing 1 pride myself on-following |
the code to the very letter.
Some of my opponents were not so |
careful however. Judge Thomas, for in |
stance, being challenged for doubling that i
1 had the best interests of our people at
ed ax-handles as weapons and actually !
appeared on the field with in his I
positively and unqualifiedly turned away
and public sentiment bore out in SO (
doing. Later on, when the judge was /
dying of fever he rendered me a full apo1- |
ogy and removed the stain from his char |
acter befo' passing away
1.-The time may come when gentlemen !
handles or sled stakes for weapons. but /
not in my time, hope-not in my time, /
sub.
AS to the campaign. suh-as to the !
campaign-I couldn't travel and fight i
duels and make speeches, too, and i
therefore threw the campaign over my
shoulder. Honah first-office second. The
unknown nominee the other ticket
took advantage of the occasion to stump
the state and make all sorts Of promises,
and when the adorable and enthusiastic
electors came to the polls they forget
me- If l remember right, suh-and think :
do-that unknown and unheard of per-
sons majority something like $1,000.