The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1888-12-06
THE GRANnARmY.

The movement on the part OF certain
Democratic members of the Grand Army
of the Republic, led by Gen, John NJ.
Palmer of Illinois, to Divide that great
organization into two hostile political
camps, is unworthy of soldiers and good
cit Zens
They attempt to justify it by lie.
They claim that the g. A. r, ia Repub.
lican organization and largely devoted
to politics. They know better. They
do not even pretend to point out single
instance in which political action has
been taken in the national encampment,
in any department encampment or in
the meeting of single post.
The fact that outside of the organiza.
ton an immense majority of the COM
rades are Republicans and that during
the recent campaign they and other old
soldiers who are not members of the
G. A r. formed veteran clubs and did
all they could to promote the election
Of Harrison and Morton affords no occa
sion for any Democrat to Withdraw
from the Grand Army any more than
from the Masons and Odd Fellows or
from church whose pastor is Repub-
lican.
All this they very well know. But
Gen, Palmer IL sour because not many
of the old soldiers saw fit to vote for him
for Governor of Illinois. The others
who join this secession are all Demo-
Gratis. As in p litlcs they prefer liance
with the enemies of the country, frater-
nifty with Union Soldiers who prefer 10
vote as they shot has prehaps become
distasteful to them.
There are posts in Philadelphia and
Brooklyn, which, under the lead of
Democratic comrades, thoughtlessly
voted within year to admit to some
sort of membership two prominent ex-
Cunfederates. This was against the con-
sti ution of the order and they had to
give it up. The corrective was found in
the post themselves. 1t is not that they
have any present hostility to the soldiers
of the Rebellion, but that the Grand
Army Is an organization of Union Sol.
diers only, and founded upon the three
great principles Of Fraternity, Charity,
and Loyalty. These ideas run ali
drought its ritual and no man can takes
its oath who has ever borne arms agar st
the country, however loyal he may / Q
today.
The communication of Judge Veazey
is conclusive answer to Gen. Palmer's
charge. Probably no man in this country
is more familiar with Grand Army h g.
tory, constitution and prec, dents than
Judge Veazey, MS recent service as
Judge Advocate General of the order
having led him to look them up, Fe
makes strong points wheu he shows
that if politics had been carried into the
posts or encampments, 1t was in the
power of the humblest member, with
out eXpens,, to put in power the m,
chlnery OF the order for disclplining the
offender,
But this ia not all. Judge Rea ow d
his election as Commander n-ChIef 10
the fact that he was on the bench and
therefore out of politics, and the mem
ber5 wished to avoid even the appear
ance of political partisan ship. Judge
Veazey himself was strongly supported
at the last national encampment for
COMMANDMENTS Chief Oh the same ground
not less than for his recognized ability
and his brilliant record as a soldier.
And Major Warner was elected not less
because of previous pledges lhan be-
cause he expressly stated that he had
declined to be candidate for re election
to Congress and would therefore soon
be out of politics,
NOW this ia the record of the Grand
Army and the prominent Republicans
IN 1t. What is the Democratic record
Those members who are now complain
ing went to Columbus and did all they
could to elect Gen. Slocum Commander
ln-Chlef, although he had never been a
very active and prominent Grand Army
man. The object evidently was to get
the great organization into Democratic
hands dnring the campaign President
Cleveland even wrote the Commander
ln-Chief courteous letter of regret that
lie could not attend the meeting, when
III TACT he had not been invited as indeed
he could not be, not being a member.
Now, all these attempts to capture the
organization having failed, and the time
not having arrived when an ex-rebel is
considered quite as good as a defender
OF the flag, and the great body of the
Union soldiers having exercised their
rights as citizens to vote against a can
didate for President who never showed
any sympathy with the Union cause or
the Union soldier, the old experiment
of di5union is to be tried by the disap
pointed. 1t is to be hoped that most of
them will think better of il. II any
thing would give them pause, we should
suppose it would be the fact that the
men who used to rejoice over the di@as-
tiers to the Union Army are now delight
Ell over he prospect of breaking mp the
camradeship of its Survivors. Herald.