The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-01-05
SOME FACTSASTO THEG.A.R.
When and by Whom the Soldiers Order
Was Originally Put on Its Feet.
Ex-Commander Vanderyoort Says that Gov
John NJ. Palmer Was the First Who
Used 1t as Political Machine.


Army of the Republic stopped at the New
DenisOn House yesterday, en- route to the
East. In a conversation with Journal
reporter, the topic turned to the early &.
A. r. days, and the General was asked to
relate something of the origin of the order.
1T was in &C.," he replied, land on the 18th
day of July that the Grand Army was first
started in Springfield, ILL.,, where a large
number of veterans were mustered in, and.
ON returning to their homes throughout the
State, they organized local posts in the
several districts. Soon after the Organiza-
ton was perfected, soldiers all over the
country organized posts in the different
States of the Union"
did the great body of veterans view the
movement favorably at firstl" was asked.
"Yes; it took like wildfire, and, while
there are no authentic records to show the
exact membership, yet there is sufficient
evidence to give very approximately cor
rect idea that, at this time, there were from
$50 to 400 posts and 10000 members"
"Who was the originator of the order"
SAT the head of the movement in Spring
field was Mai. B. F. Stephenson, who was
ulated its constitution, and associated with
him were j. G. Weber. j. M. Snyder, John
N. Palmer and others
What was ex-Gov. Palmers relation to
the Department of Illinois in those daysl
In '67, if / remember rightly, John Nj.
Palmer was the department commander OF
Illinois. In the contest between Lyman
Trumbull and Palmer for the United States
senatOrship from Illinois. the former sue
ceeded i'm defeating Palmer, after misuse
of his official privileges by the latter as
commander of the q. A. Il. 4 telegram
was send by him at the crisis OF the struggle
to all the officers of the order throughout
the State saying: Call meeting of your
post. Pass resolutions favorable to Palmer
for United States Senator, and appoint COM
mittee to come to Springfield at once to
work for his election. Signed: John NJ;
Snyder, b. +. StephesOn, and j. Z. Weber,
l personally know that telegram was re-
ceived by the officers of the order, among
them Charles E. LippencOt, afterward
Auditor of the State of Illinois: and L be-
lieve the telegram was sent without excep-
ton, to all the post eomm,an.ders through aYlo
worked from one end of the State. to the
other to secure the nomination OF
Palmer for Governor over Col. X. o.. lnger-
soil. Palmer was succeSSfulln securing TINS
nomination undoubtedly through the aid OF
the order The Grand Army of the Repub-
lie, on this account, fell into the greatest
disrepute, and was practically disbanded in
Illinois. So weak had the organization be-
come that in 1873. when myself and several
others. among whom were Captain LAWYER
and Major Burst, undertook to re-organlZee
it, there were not 200 members III good
standing in the whole State, and
the conviction had become rooted
orally there that the order was SIMPLY apo.
litical machine of the cOmmOnest type, aud
it was almost an impOssibility to put it to-
gether again. 1t had not only died an UNI
Il II. .<xft in
Illinois, but it had persisted throughout tho
entire Northwest. and only eked out
miserable. feeble existence i'll the balance
of the country"
How long was 1T before the Grand Army
attained its present prosperity, Generalp
That was the labOrOf a long time. Why,
after fifteen years of active work in organ
izing the order, it only numbered about 3d.
600 members. At the sixteenth annual ell
campment, at which l was elected
commander-in-chief. our memteishiE-
of my term of service, we had over 100000
members. From the date of the overthrow
of the order by Palmer and his associates,
we only won the favor of the old soldiers of
the country at last because we implanted
i'll our rules and regulations positive pro-
vision against the use of the order for pO-
litical purposes. Ii is to-day. as much nom
partisan as any religious organization. In
its ranks are members of all political par
ties. The only test of membership is an
honorable discharge from the Union army,
and Il good record us citizen OF the coun-
trysr
affimties have never prejudiced the election
of members, as chargedW
Il say no man was ever black-balled or
kept out. of the order in any part of the
country because he was Democrat. Lead
ing Democrats have been department COM
manders and held many of the highest
offices, of the order i'll every part of the
United States. Hundreds of them are among
the best workers in the Grand Army to-day.
1t is charged sometimes that Gen. SiOcum
was defeated for cOmmander-ln-chlef at
st. Louis because he was a Democrat. /
personally know that it was actually the
foolish publications of the Democratic
newspapers in the city of New 'Ork that
defeated the General"
lit is charged, General, that the Grand
Army was used for political ends in No
yember lastE'
.Yes but if any post of the Grand Army
of the Republic has been used in the late
campaign for partisan purposes. the remedy
is plain: Let those aggrieved formulate
charges against such posts, and hearing
any post has violated the rules and regula-
tons in this respect, its charter will be for
feited. In 1884 the Department of Maine
took away the charter from post in that
department. that turned ont as an escort to
Mr.. Blaine at the anniversary of the settle
ment of some town i'll Maine-a meeting
which was in no sense partisan, and at
which politics were not discussed. The
Democratic members of the Grand
Army have always been treat
ed with the highest consideration.
They are largely in the minority,
and on that account, and on account of
their being, in the truest sense of the word,
our comrades. we have been tenderly care
full of their feelings in all our inter, curse
with them. Fully per cent. of them have
the same love for the q. A. K. that distin-
cuisines their comrades of different political
views. member of the Grand Army has
the full rights any Independent citizen
earned by faithful servicein the war to hold
any political faith that he may see fit. We
who are Republicans in the order cOncede
to our Democratic brethren that they have
earned by faithful service all the rights
that we possess, and we fully con-
cede it to them in all our camp
fires and reunions, where, meeting them
as brethren, the words Democrat and
Republican, are no more known and recOg-
| nized than they were in the days when we
touched elbows on the field of battle. We
are organized for purely fraternal and
charitable purposes, and to preserve and
maintain the Constitution and laws of the
land, and there is no Democrat or Republic
an that cannot meet upon this common
platform, and with the motto: One coun-
try and one flag march on to the final
muster"