The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1888-12-10
ate 9ntelliqe1ltfr.
nice Nos. 20 and ~ Fourteenth Street.
SOME pRRTINENT REMARKS.
'TS tho @. A. Il. n Political Organization 2"
Democrats Would Make 1t So.


'IS tho @. A. Il. a Political Organization %
Democrats Would Make It So.
10 ne Editor tst LAtaligesor.
sIR:-Now that the election is over
the Regiser is again raising the cry that
the Grand Army Of the Republic is a
political organization, at least intimating
as much in its reference to the with
drawal OF Gen. Palmer from the organ
ization. Now the defeat OF Gen. Palmer,
il it proves anything. proves that the &.
A. Il. is not political organization. /
do not know what cause for grievance
the General has, but it surely causes one
to think that his defeat has SO soured
him that he has seen fit, why cannot
imagine, to vent his spleen on his COM
rades who preferred to vote for com.
rade who was q private and in every
way worthy the high honor they have
conferred upon him.
II the manager-in.chief OF the RegiSter
will do as he has been repeatedly urged
to do-join the order-he will then see
for himself whether the order is political
or not. Or, il he prefers, let him inquire
OF at least dozen G. A. K. comrades
who are Democrats, and whose devotion
to the cause is unquestioned. They are
right here, the Register knows who they
are, and II one OF them will say that
there is anything political in the order
/ will be willing to leave it. But no;
the Register knows Just as well as it
knows anything that tho order is not
political, but that the cry is made merely
for partisan effect.
II enough Democratic comrades are
foolish enough to follow the advice OF
Gen. Palmer and Gen. Koontz and
thereby establish new organization,
then there will be political side show
to the G. A. r. 1t will be Democratic
Grand Army OF the Republic. This has
a strange sound, but nevertheless it will
be true and the originators will be re-
sponsible for introducing politics into
an order that has not thus far been
political, nor was it ever intended that it
should be. But the G. A. r. proper will
90 right on and prosper, for there are
thousands Of Democratic comrades who
will not leave an order, which they |
know is not political, and in which they
know they have just the same rights
aud privileges accorded to their Repub-
lican comrades. The fact is the COM
rades heading this movement have
placed themselves in most ridiculous
light in the eyes Of all right thinking
persons. Claiming that the &. A. Il. is
q political organization and leaving it on
that account they propose to start II nom
political organization, composed entirely
Of Democrats! The accepted meaning
Of non-political organization is one
OF ala parties. Of such is the
Grand Army composed. No man is
questioned US to his political faith;
never has been, is not now and never
Nill be. While this is SO every
man is allowed the greatest OF latitude in
his political views. AS a man he can be
a politician and electioneer, work, speak
or do as he please for tho success OF his
political party, but as an officer or mem-
Der OF the Grand Army in any official ca
pacity he can do none of these things,
and / defy the Register to show that it
has been done. Why the Register con-
tinues TO misrepresent the G. A. Il. and
seems to delight in so doing is mys-
terry TO me-uuless, indeed, those Of the
editorial staff who do it are not in sym
pathy with the principles for which the
members Of that organization fought.
One would not like TO believe this, but
the course of the journal toward the old
soldiers seems almost enough to warrant
that conclusion. But the G. A. X. as an
organization will not last many years.
Twenty years from to-day the gray head
cd vetrans will be very few in number;
but the principles of the order will be
kept alive and perpetuated by
our children and our children's children
as long as our country stands. So mote
IL be. "VETERAS."