Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1888-09-07
ADDRESS TO GRATlOT COUNTY G. A.
R. ASSOCIATION.
By Rev. Geo. F Hunting, D. D.

creditors and the rest of us"
COMRADES OF GRArIor County:
LADIES AND GENrLEMEN:--
1t Is a common custom among
men, in the event of business fail
ures, to classify those to whom they
are indebted, and among the classes
is one known as preferred creditors.
These are paid .frSt, or in full, 10y
reason of some relationship or spec
ial claim, while others, whose de-
mands are perhaps equally just, but
of different character, are left UNI
paid, or paid only in part.
IL has occurred to me, and in some
eases with emphasis, that in the ar
rangement for the payment of our
national debt, we have followed this
business custom, to the neglect of
some claims which ought to have had
attention.
Don't be frightened at those words,
National Debt, nor fancy that | am
about To bore YOU with an array of
figures and statistics, for assure
you have no idea of doing so. In
the first place | never had any taste
for arithmetic myself, and | have
learned by observation that other
people are rs little entertained as |
am with long columns of figures, eX-
cept, indeed, they represent dollars,
and are on the credit side of their
own ledger.
But there is another, beside the
financial side of the national debt,
and ! want to call your attention to
that other side, a little while, and to
what | conceive to be an injustice to
certain classes, to whom We, as ma
ton are greatly indebted, in connec-
ton with the war of vi to 65. re-
fer to the matter of personal effort
and sacrifice for our country which
has never been recognized, and can
not be, as it deserves, for there is a
kind of service which dollars do not
pay for, and for which an occasional
newspaper notice, j. a very mcagre
return. In the payment of that ma
tional debt which gold and green
backs can reach, we have done
grandly, and have, in the main, | sup
pose, done equal Justice to all to
whom we were indebted, but in this
other branch of obligation, which |
have said, dollars cannot pay, We
have, perhaps unconsciously, done
only partial justice.
We have, without wrong intention
| suspect, selected a few PrJcreo
creditors, and layished upon then
our words of praise, and our political
10 aud social honors, to the utter ne
glect of whole legions of equally de
serving men, who according to theiI
ability, and in their sphere, helped tc
win he fight for freedom ! hav,
no disposition TO pluck one leaf from
the laurels of those whom We hdc
honored, not one, they deserve then
all, but while these preferred credi
ors have shared in the rich assets o.
our hearty thanks, and the materia
tokens OF our regard, and | say anne
to it all, | want to speak for littl'
to-day, as the attorney of that grea
body of creditors, whose names ant
claims have largely been forgotten
That | may, at the outset, disabus
your minds of any thought that an
an interested party in this case, lie
me say, just here, held, during tn
war, the position of a lieutenant o
artillery, and SO am not counted a
all among those to whom ! refer.
Let me first speak of those VIII
did duty in the ranks and before tn
mast, in that four years fight. Tn
men who wore the shoulder strap,
and those who walked the quartz
deck, were, in the main rs noble
set of men as ever oflicercd an arm
or navy. We most gladly, an,
most heartily dofT our hats to Gran
and Farragut, sherman and Porter
Sheridan and Foote, and to all thei
subordinates who did their duty Xix
men, and we grudge them nothin,
which they have received at tn
hands of our people, but we onl
ask, that while they are preferre
creditors, in the distribution of tn