The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1888-12-06

the soldier and that il was bad politics the part
of the Democrats to ignore him. There are 10000
organized soldiers in the United States, and in
Pennsylvania alone there are over 500 Grand Army
Posts. Quay knew the worth Of the soldier ele-
ment, and he looked after it in the last campaign.
Politics was not dragged into Post rooms, but the
work done quietly and yet openly. The SOL
der vote in Brooklyn numbers between % 600 and
2800O and Harrison got the great majority of that
vote.
THE soldier element expected that where Cleve-
land displaced q soldier from the head OF De-
partment Democratic soldier would be appointed
to take his place This Mr.. Cleveland did not do.
Take the appointments in this city, for example.
Col. Snowden was removed from the Mint Mr..
Fox, who wasn't a soldier, succeeded him. Gen.
Huidekoper was displaced at the Postofice Mr..
Harrity, who was not soldier, was put in his po-
sition. Gen. Hartranft was retired from the Gus
tom House. Mr.. Cadwalader. who was not a sol
der, was appointed his successor Maj. Nerin,
who commanded battery during the war, and
who was Naval Officer, was removed and Mr..
Plumer who was not a soldier, put in his
place Mai Moore was removed as Chief Appraiser
of Merchandise, and Mr.. Baker, who was not sol
dier, succeeded him. This pretty much the
same proportion throughout the country. The sol
der was either forgotten or purposely ignored"
The New York Worlds correspondents
could find no signs of detection in Washing
ton, Cincinnati, st. Louis, Syracuse, Albany,
Boston Philadelphia, Columbus, Cleveland
or Chicago and very few in New York and
Brooklyn. In Indianapolis the only seceder
found was Koontz. The other comrades who
were interviewed spoke thus:
Gen. George T. McGinnis: "Gen. Palmer is do
ing a very unwse thing and if he persists it will
result IN fat failure and disastrously to the Democ
raoy. / am surprised that Palmer, with his good
sense should do so foolish thing"
Capt Joseph Humphreys: "Gen. Palmer is
| acting ill-advsedly lie VIII not ina 20 GAL
men to indorse his course in this city"
| Maj. James R. Ross: "Gen. Palmer forces me to
believe that if the GAR. had voted for the other
! fellow in Illinois it would have been ali right.
/ Feeling as he does, he should have withdrawn long
/ ago"
John Leonard: politics has not entered the
| GAR, Palmer to the contrary notwithstanding,
! and he can do the organization no harm.
When an Associated Press reporter APP
preached Col. Matson on the subject of his
being at the head of the movement to or
ganize a Democratic GAR, he said he knew
nothing of it except what he had read in
the newspapers, and consequently is not al
the head or at any other part of the affair
The other statement in the dispateh-thai
his friends expect him to follow Gen
Palmer's course and withdraw from the
GA.R.-hesaid was also without foundation
He never was member of the organization
and therefore cannot withdraw.
In Chicago the New York Times CORE
spondent hunted up Gen. NJ. R. NJ. Wallace
representative Democrat, but got this colo
comfort out of him:
81 am for the organization. IfpoIitical interest
are dragged into it, then all 1 say is we shall
turn the politicians out.
Il do not precisely know what the grounds
of Gen. Palmer's trouble with the organization. Blu
do know that whatever they are there has beer
no disposition developed here by Democratic mem
bers of the Grand Army of the Republic to follow
his example No movement, or any indications o
a movement to organize a rival association ha
shown itself here, nor Is there any disposition, o
even lurking disposition, that know of to do any
thing of the kind. Since the election have neve
heard any expressions of dissatisfaction made b,
the Democratic members of the Posts. l hav
talked with several old soldiers who Demo
Gratis. and they have not limited at such
thing taking any action upon the Palmer mat
ter. a member of the organization who COME
from La Sale County and that with fair vote is
Democratic County tells that there is no feel
ing of the sort among the Posts of that Count
culver. -, ;iss ..!:iiiz there is Much in IT, gener
ally, and here in Cook County there is abse;.seI
nothing"
From Chicago, the New York Suns CORE
spondent reported:
Gen Herman Lieo who has been a member
the Grand Army since it was organized. says this
there is not material enough left in the country
form an cx-soldiers association distinctive fror
! the Grand Army. Gen. Lieb says that the Gran
Army is not partisan organization. He says tbs
+ the whole trouble arises from the fact that nine
{ tenths of the members are Republicans. who tax
2 an active part in every campaign. There has bee
no attempt to bulldoze influence the Demoort
members at any election and while Gen. Paine