Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1888-12-14
At ashlaoton Stanaara
Is the G. A. Il. a Republican Machine ?

bout the Grand Army OF the
Republic being IA Republican i
machine, l have already re-
,eived number of letters. friendly ,
aud otherwise, from many comrades
To these | beg space enough IN
your paper to reply once for ALL {
ard save deal OF postage money
and pen scratching.
To the comrades who agree with
me, and their name is legion, my
only reply is: Shake, boys. Didn't
l always say so?'
But to those who criticfse me
severely | may be permitted a lon
ger reply. | find these divided
into two classes; First, those who
confidentially admit to me that my
premises and deductions are entire
ly correct, but question the pro-
priety Of making them public at
this time; second, those who deny
utterly that the G. A. r., has any
politics in it and denounce me in
terms of more strength than de-
cency.
Now as to the first class, whose
opinions | esteem highly, and for
whom have the warmest fraternal
affection, | would reply to their
gentle criticism in the best of humor
and yet not multiply words, when
l merely dismiss them and their
comments by saying that know of
no policy of concealment in matters
of public interest.
And besides all that, Honesty is
the best policy" l cannot lie!
To the second class, for whom /
have no respect whatever, and who
are hypocrites or ignoramuses, my
answer is even blunter yet. The
only fruit the G. A. R., bears is
Republican votes and Republican
Offices. This l contend is all right.
We give Democratic comrades the
right hand of fellowship, but we
would no more vote for him than
he would vote for US. We do not
name politics ia the Post, for we
are a non-partisan organization,
owned and operated by the Re-
publican party alone. We do not
make stump speeches in the post
room, or fly the bloody shirt there,
but we keep up a devil of think
ing. This is all right. l find no
fault with it. If l thought the
Democratic party could use the
G. A. r., l would never use the
badge again-never! 1t has but
two duties to perform, namely, to
perpetuate the power Of the Re-
publican party and divide the
treasury surplus among its mem.
bers. This is why l agitate this
question now. This is why l have
agitated it for % years. This is
why / will agitate it till l die. The
Republican party has no other use
for the G. A. R., but to keep it in
power, and the G. A. R., has no
other nse for the Republican, party
but to get money in bounty and
pensions. This is Alpha and One.
ga, well understood and clearly OK.
pressed in all our contracts ever
since the war.
One Of my critics thinks he
squelches me entirely by PROFOUND
Ing to me the question: Where
in the printed rules and regulations
Of the order do you find authority
for stating that the Grand Army q
the Republic and the Republican
party may be put by metony.ny
one for the other; and that the,
are the Royal Radical Twins of tht
Republic?"
Boiled down into prose, l sup
pose my friend means to ask mo t.
point to the page the laws of oul
order where is is written that il
must work for the good of the Re
publican party. l will ask hin
where it il printed on the star,
and stripes " This is the American
flag?" / never saw a flag LABELLED
that way. yet never knew any
body 80 ignorant az not to recog
nize Old Glory on sight.
Some things are printed.
Some things are understood.
It was not written in our law
that the order was to be used t,
elect Grant, Hayes, Garfield, I.oga,
and Harrison. That would no
have besn good policy. 1t woult
have kept Democrats out. Besides
it was well understood without be
ing specially stated in express
words. We have charity, dea
friends, and help each other whe,
we can, and all that, but when i
comes to politics, and a long pull
al together, the Republican part,
has always known where to flint
the Grand Army. And it, by tn,
same token, knows where to flint
its good money in pension ant
bounty on the grand old principl
of you tickle me, and I'll tickl
YOU"
/ don't judge the G. A. R. by it
name, but by its uniform co.opers
ton with the Republicans! Th
reason why this matter rests s
easy on my mind, and why l hav
no fears at all of tho G. A. r. eve
divorcing itself from the Republ
can party, is, that neither can liv
without the other! The G. A. +
puts the Republican party, that
its own members, at the head {
the nation. By this time nex
year $4,000 G. A. r. men who no,
have no Offices will be installed
good places, ard good salaries.
is rather more like q business par
nership than a marriage. Befor
IL months bills will pass Congress
by the vote of the G.. A. r. me
there whom we sent as our servant
whereby we will get at least 500
100000 in pensions and bountie
So it was expressed in the col
tract. This we must and will hav
or wind up the affairs Of the par
nership with jerk.