Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1888-09-14
THE ORDER AND ITS WORK.

The predictions of those who have insisted
that the Grand Army of the Republic was
simply passing craze, or at best mani
festation of party activity and hence les
tined to a short life, have not been verified
Notwithstanding some unpleasant occur
FENCES of late years, whereby tho reputation
of the society has suffered, the order grows
stronger daily, the members grow more de-
voted, and the soldiers who until now have
remained outside are leaning toward the
camps in friendly way on every opportu-
nifty, and new recruits are coming in by
thousands in every department each year
The order numbered at last encamp-
ment over 100000 comrades. 1t will
muster nearly 100000 now, and there arc
about twice that number of veterans who
are eligible but are not now on the rolls
Outsiders-that is, men who did not serve
are found wondering what the old soldiers
now have in common to bind them together
w hen the answer is fraternity, charity, 10y
atty, the mystery is still unsolved. The fra
ternal feeling among veterans is stronger
than among brethren bound by any other
tie, and the reason of it, as explained by
comrades who are also Masonic brethren is
very natural. Alta great Grand Army gather
ing during the handwriting two Masons gave
the mystic hailing and recognition signs and
stated i'll the presence of several comrades
who were not Masons that the bond of COM
radcship was the stronger of the two even
among Masons of long standing AS one ex-
pressed it, 1--WE love our Masonic brethren
for what they are today, but we love our
brethren of tho Grand Army for what they
were when it took a very good man to DO a
comradc."
Yet the order is not meaningless frater-
II ipol
enters largely into the motives impolling a
veteran to seek out his old comrades he finds
after n time that such association is helpful
There is a work that old soldiers can do bet
ter than other members of tho community
The matter of political intriguing so often
charged upon the order is one that would not
be tJerated by the vcry nature of the asso-
ciation The reason why the charge is made
Is that comrades, i'll politics as in all other
affairs, act in concert, but in their favors
they know no party and simply support tho
soldier element. The principle is that, all
other things being equal, tho soldier shall
have preference to a comrades support. This
support extends TO social, political and bust
ness affairs, and is no more subversive of
honest, Independent citizenship than the sup
port given by members of any secret fra
ternity or religious denomination to one
another.
The personnel of the order improves con-
stantly, and the men who now constitute the
actual majority belong to the best elements
of society. As Gen. Sherman declared at
reception given by a Grand Army post in
New York city, Gone feels like asking Grand
Army men to produce certificate that they
ever wore the blue"
Yet none but true Union veterans can join
the Grand Army This latter statement,
while not official, is founded on the fact in
the case. In order to become member a
candidate must prove an actual service and
SO strict has this rule been observed that
some men who fought at Gettysburg
Short service mcn) havo been kept out. The
unwritten law Of the order has been stronger
than the written one, but in this respect the
feeling grows moro liberal as time goes on.
In most states any soldier bearing an honor