Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1888-01-24
q. 4. Il. ADDRESS.

as Post, osne,, January Is, 1883
Comrades, FIiends and Fellow. Citizens:
Having been elected and properly in
stalled in the highest position Of honor in
this Pest, it is proper sud consistent that
l thank the comrades cordially for the
high honor conferred. 1 shall endeavor
with your assistance, to so I'll this i'm
portant position OF Post Commander as
will Tetiec credit not only on myself, hut
the Post sid our Grand Army Of the Re-
public organization. And il ! can SAP
anything en- this occasion, to the COM
rades, TO cur cX-CopfederEte friends, or
to the general public that will bring our
organization and the people Of Texas
closer together, By proper explanation
of our principles, and thereby sdd
10 our usefulness and numbers,
my ambition for this occasion will h.ve
been reached snd nv duty performed.
We are awsre that the principles and
objects OF the Grand Army Of the Re-
puolic are greatly misunderstood By the
public, and often we sre misrepresented
by politicians and political newspapers,
especially SO in the south.
This arises, we think more from want
Of correct information concerning US than
from s desire, to wilfully. do Us injustice
and for this lack OF correct in
formation. l consider, that
we, as individuals, and as an
organic alton are largely at fault. We
should net hide our light under bushel.
Our principles, objects sought and work
accomplished are high and noble and will
besr the closest scrutiny, under the light
of heaven, they will show for themselves,
if properly presented and when thorough
~ understood, the conscientious news
paper man, the honorable politician, the
law-abidiug, god-fearing citizen, whether
of Ohio, Illinois, Alabama or Texas, will
heartily endorse. II we, as Grand Army
of the Republic men do not bring our
good works before the public, who is to
blame more than ourselves?
II is often charged and perhaps hon.
esty thought, that the Grand Army
of the Republic is political Or
ganiz,tion or the adjunct of q politi
calssx party-!he Republican party
Nothing Is farther from the truth. We
sAy 10 you that our rules and regulations
! positively forbid us IS an organization
from dsbbling in politics, from making
political nominations or endorsing them
when made, and yet there are (so.cslled)
sbrewd politicians who think IL only nee
essary to ssy to the Grand Army men
that 81 an Republican"-to carry them
solid. It's 6 mistake.
Inside our posts politics has nc
abiding place. 1t is seldom
mentioned; never discussed. But
some one says, What about our Ms
tional eneampments? Is there any poll.
tics in thar II any person representing
any daily paper in Texas thinks We are
political, he should read the j9urnal O.
toe last erCampment at ST. Louis and 81
convinced to the contrary. He will learr
that everything introduced st that meet
ing savoring of politics was set down Oh
hard, and the author showed under (snt
still delegate CT that floor, who is IonC
.s2et&tislics, says thSt out OF 533 dele
fg,tes present and voting, more thsn 30
we're Republicans. Iconfsss that dom
knew whether he WAS correct or not, bu
# he was, it shows thst the Republicans
having majority, had no de
sire 10 endorse or encourage
political discussions in that body
| will furnish the j1urdsl, II the newsps
y per man win agrle TO lay aside preiu
2 dice, read it carefully and then publIs
his opinion based on the 1urnsl itself
whether or net our nstionel Organization
Is political-this, certsiniy is fair prop
osition.
Our organization and work are on to
bread g gauge TO be circumscrioed by pal
" lines or religious Creeds. Among on
numbers are found members OF all III
5 churches and ell psrties-eXcept 81
: archists-the Grand Army climate is nc
conducive to the growth of the anarchis
plant; later on will explain why. In tn
8 management OF this republic "
: believe American and not foreig
= ideas and customs should Obtain
1t is charged by some that all on
/ G. A. Il leaders are political leaders
n the Republican party. We answer tn
!. by reading you the list of our command
ers.in-chlefisince our national organic.
: sion wss formed in 1866; S. A. Hurlor
!. snd John A. Logan, Illinois; A. (. Burr
s side, Rhode Island; Charles Devon!
J. Massachusetts; John +. Hartrsnft, Penn
sylvanis; j. G.. Robinson, New Yorh
= William Earnshsw, O5io; Louis Wayne
Pennsylvania; George S Merrell, Massa
i chusetts; Paul Van Der WORT, NebEasks
: Robert B Beath, Pennsylvania; John
:. Kountz, OHIO; S S. Burdett, Washington
Lucius Fairchild, Wisconsin; John
hSds A>.SNsSN ~ sAS WAN
named above.
:. In this list you find one great leader
y Logsn-a born leader, an honest nal
:; the highest type ot the American volur
|. teer soldier in our ranks, II not IN Il
combined Federal end Confedera
armies Of the late wsr, c selfmade ms
of whom, any political party or al
: Organization, might have been proud. I
= further illustrate that we are nonp olit
eel it was my good fortune to be associate
for years in the same post in OHIO Wit
General Durbin ward. man who stot
as high N The Democratic counsels OF tn
state, SIS any man in it, excepting, pei
hsps, William Allen or Allen G. Thur
msn. Bis reputation IS sterling Den
ocrat was not confined by stste lines
=, was nationsl.
4 Among prominent Democrats Ia o'
organic ,tion are sach'names as Gener
= Croker of lows, General John
, McClernsnd of Illinois, General Slocu
of New York and hundreds more OF Il
J same kind thst do not now recall. The
II are scattered from Maine to C,liforni
from the lakes to the gulf.
Among those of cur comrades WI
m have been mustered out and gone TO loi
IN that grand army above, are such Dem
ly cratic nanes 80 George B. McClells
WirnalS Srnft Hancock lanes B. Stee