The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-10-17
THE GRAND ARMY DENOUNCED.
Mr.. Daniel Manning's Paper Splits It's Venom
at the Union Soldiers and the G.. A. r.
special 70 the Indi.nspolis Journa.-

bers of the Grand Army OF the Rennblic. On
the morning of Oct. Q 1t said that the superin-
tendent Of the poor had been annoyed by app!i-
cations from veterans belonging to the Soldiers
home at Bath for aid TO roach their former
homes so that they could vote. The statement
concludes in this way: Albany comfy is pre-
parad 10 take care of her own INDECENT citizens,
but Superintendent McKenua does not propose
to have the Taxpayers of the county burdened
with paupsrs from other portions of the State
Those who have watched the attitude
Of tho Argus from time to time
rel ating TO veteran soldiers are not st all sur
prised that it should now call them I'D aupers."
On Monday morning, Nay 10, 1880, the Argus
contained the following as its leading editorial.
The paper was at that time controlled by Dan
lei Manning, who afterward became Secretary
of the Treasury for his reward in helping to
elect Cleveland President. The editorial shows
precisely what grounds the editorial force and
the owners OF the Argus were prepared to take
In regard TO the soldiers who fought in the
Union army. This is the editorial, word for
word:
-"ExTINGUIsH THE MILITARY -SPIRIT-DIsBASD
THE GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC"
''In the opinion OF many citizens at tho start
the 6. A. X. was "a likely TO prove an evil as a
good. Such citizens felt that it tended to pro-
long and increase the ssperities OF the inter-
state conflict. They believed and believe that
the best thing q nation can do after q civil war
is 10 forget il. They did not expect all who
took part in the civil war TO share this belief.
but they did expect that the aolest and best
would. and they were not disappointed. Nor
W ere they changed from their opinion about the
u. A. X. Its prominent membership for years
comprised loud, broiiing men, who went TO tho
war to escape their characters or because there
was money in it. The soldiers who had been
and who are the best citizens had little or 90 in
fiucnce in the order OF many places. The deco.
rations OF the graves were made the subjects OF
orders of brutality and illiteracy. Now and
then The better influences got control, but tho
effect to keep it takes all their energies. The
patriotic citizens who were soldiers, and those
who were not. unite in the conviction that the
organization has survived it's usefulness aud is
a part of q military spirit that ought not TO be
fostered among q people that would be free.
'It is manifest that the only hold tho order
has on the genaral public is through the decora-
ton OF fallen comrades. If that was done by
civil authority ali the people would be repre-
sented IN il; the one public reason for the or
ganization would cease. The benevolence OF the
order would iud ontlet. in the various beneficiary
organizations custumsry among all citizens,
, which do not rest on a fought-out feud. When
' hose who decorate the dead shall themselves
die. civil authority will decorate them and their
comrades gone before, and all the dead Of battle,
North and South. will be alike honored. The
preluOlceS WDlcn WOuiu QlscrlmllaLe are par
barous, and will certainly be brief. Had civil
spihority assumed the duty and honor from the
frat It would have been much better. The act
would have been the peoples. not a class act
for thoss who did not 60 to war compared with
those who did are q great majority-ani citizens
and soldiers. and soldiers and citiZsns could
have taken part. One may be sure, TOO, thai
brutal and savage orders ard SILLY and Sec
tional speeches would have been avoided.
Not srsly because the better, more civilized
would be secured by the civil authorities should
the G. A. K disband. The organization stands
across the path OF the civil spirit. Ii fosters the
military spirit. The first is life aud the second
is death 20 liberty. The organization is also a
standing prohibition on politics and journalism
from truth.tslling about soldiers. That Is fine
for rascals who went to the war. II is rough on
the honest who went to it It gives the first the
chances and Of the second. Il makes
n different code or claims for AL citizens from
that of the soldiers. but it makes one code for
all soldiers irrespective OF their varying merits
and ftness. This ought not 20 be SO, but IL is
so. The politicians find that anyone who es-
capped being dishonorably dismissed from the
service can join The organization. They con-
cluie that this organization. like others, stand
by one another. Butthey do not sort them or
grade them: they lump thsm, and platforms afd
papers make as much OF the bad as Of the
worthy. This has been bad for the country, for
the soldier and for all affected. The time WAS
W NOulC WHICH, WIS utItUti0us Uculh-
eoey aud cowardics which a class oreaniza-
ton and action OF soldiers bred in public think
Ing and saying would cease.
THAT time has come. and il is not too much
to ask the sensible members Of the q. A r. to
start prom pity movements 10 disband the or
ganization throughout the country, and to turn
over its habit of decorating the graves Of the
dead 10 civil authority. Nor is it too much to
ask the civil authorities and the citizens, gen
orally, 10 lot il be known that after this year
fhav will nrofar 70 Iistrsturta AN-ar o-T 80
for decoration and celebration purposes TO gov
ernmental or popular agencies, ana not 70 any
other kind. The sffrontery Of making the ob.
servarce an occasion of outragIng the purest
and the prevalent patriotism OF Americans has
been often prscticed. In places 10 ia practiced
still. The practice OF it and the liability OF its
continual recurrence are not held to be ipcon-
sisient with soiicitaiions of aid which have be-
como demands. The cowArdice of politics, the
timidIty OF the press, and the crudity or gush
of too many pulpits have abetted these de-
manas. Yet ell the time the sin and Stiffness
OF savaeery over the Graves Of the dead. and the
impudence of imputing craftsmanship aud sec
tlopalism into memorial occasions, moneyed by
citizens add authorities OF all parties, hsve
been plain to all. They have feared to
speak out their views, lest they should
be howled at and called names. The omis-
sion To speak of soldiers or ex-soldiers on
their merits and dement's, the same as of
other citizens, has bred timidity or hypocrisy In
the people, and Bullying in those who air them
selves as soldiers n generation after the war.
The humbug OF Implying that everybody went
TO the war from the highest motives, instead OF
stating what IS tho trnth, that many went to
escape from their career and character, and
others because there was more money in il than
In staying at home, has made one third of what
IS written about the war or army exaCeeratiop,
and another third a lie. And this has been kept
up under the notion that people suspended
memory, honesty and common sense in talking
on the war and army. People did not. Editors
aud politicians did. For reward they find q
fraudulent administration counted in under the
eyes OF a Congress cowed by troops, commanded
by "A great soldier who was also the worst civil
ruler of his time, and for whose wish and in.
tent TO o%verturn the government itself, all that
is vile, ard all that is timid, and all that is
monarcbical in the country are In union to-day.
Aud that this military nonsense and danger
may be kept up for another century. efforts are
making among sundry of the q. A. r.. TO organ
iZe a branch concern which they call the .Sons
OF Veterans" the lads presumably TO be coached
in the furies and follies which the organize
ton has fosfered under their fathers. OF all
schemes this latter is the worst In it's likely in
fuence on the boys and on the country. They
should DO taught a broader patriotism than CO.
besion round a feud in which they had no part;
they should be cultured as citizens alone; they
should realize that civil war is IN itself an ex-
preston OF the worst passions, and that the
function of craftsmanship and Christianity is TO
suppress those passions and cover the scars they
mako with brightness and the hates they mako
with love. The idea of the new scheme is
atrocious; it is liable TO make prigs, or hypocrtss,
or fanatics of the young. No twaddle about
boys not being ashamed OF their fathers, or
about perpetuatine the spirit Of loyalty, or
about the merely beneficiary character of the