The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1919-01-18
Military Arguments Occupy the
Spare Time of Senators.
Numerous Bills Introduced for
Soldier Memorials.
ANSPAUGH HAS OWN IDEAS
Would Erect Useful Buildings
Instead of Arches.
Carroll and Nixon Differ About
the ArgOnne Battle.

War and wartime subjects seem to
be the principal topics for the making
of conversation when members of the
senate sit around with their feet upon
their desks during recesses and ad-
tournaments. War thoughts also seem
to be holding front line positions in
the craniums of the upper house So
Ions durings working hours-especial-
ly after the war thoughts centered
around the erection of memorials for
the boys who were in the service.
At the time of adjournment Thurs
day afternoon five bills had been in
troduced in the upper house confer
ring power upon county commission
ers to erect monuments and memorials
or making it compulsory for them to
erect memorials if the voters demand
such structures.
The ma jority of the measures sim
ply provide power to the commission
ers to levy taxes and erect memorials,
but bill that has been introduced by
A. NJ. Keene, of Cherokee, goes
farther. Keene apparently knows
something of the aversion of county
commissioners to making special tax
1evies. Also. he is apparently ac-
quainted with their hesitancy about
selecting sites. Therefore, he has gone
over their heads in drawing his bill
Keene Bill Is Complete.
The Keene measure provides that
tain buildings, monuments, arches,
highway VS. or bouIevards memorials
to the soldiers and sailors and that
whenever 20 per cent of the voters
of any county present a petition to the
county commissioners showing what
they propose to erect and the approx
mate cost, the county commissioners
must call an election to present the
matter for the consideration of all the
voters.
Not only may the voters decide
whether or rot the commissioners
shall erect a memorial, but they will
be permitted to pick out the city and
the bill provides for the COndemna-
ton of the location decided upon, thus
preventing the chance of favoritism,
hoIdups or squabbles over location In
case bonds are issued they shall not
run for a period of more than twenty
years and shall not bear an interest
rate greater than per cent.
Senator Anspaugh, of Coffey, is one
of the upper house members who does
not look with favor upon the propos-
ais to sprinkle the state with a shower
Of miniature monuments and arches.
He does not believe the proper way
to honor those who made the supreme
sacrifice, or offered to make it, is to
erect county seat band stands for mu-
sicians to sit on or county seat arches
for the morning glorieS to climb
upon.
AnSpaugh Is Practical.
"If we are going to spend a large
amount of money honoring the SOL
diers and sailors, as 1 believe is per-
fectly proper. why not spend it on a
structure that will be of service to
their sons and daughters-one that
not only will be a credit to the whole
state but also will be useful to its cit
izens?" Anspaugh asks.
IF We are going to erect memori-
ais. why not make them permanent
improvements at the state educational
Institutions" he says.
Senator Anspaugh has not definite
1y announced that he will offer a bill
providing for the erection of mem orial
buildings at educational institutions
but admits that he is thinking of do
ing so.
Senator James Malone, who repre-
sents the big district in the northwest
ern part of the state, is not troubling
his mind any about soldier memorials
but he is preparing to resist any effort
that may be made to introduce uni
versal military training in the schools
of Kansas.
Senator Malone has boy in the
aviation service in France. And the
senator himself entered the service as
volunteer at the S. A. T. C. at Hays
He gave his consent for his boy to en-.
list when only IS, and he believes
that when wars must be fought tina
every one should be ready to face the
fire, but there is no more bitter op-
ponent to militarism in Kansas thar
the Herndon senator.
Is Against Militarism.
Building up a military class IL