The National tribune., 1889-04-11
THE GAR. REVOLT.
What the Morement amounts to.

What the Movement Amounts to.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: Being in re-
ceipt of letters from Grand Army men inquir-
ing about the much talked-of GAR. revolt,
some of which l have answered, have con-
cluded | can, perhaps, answer my comrades
more efectually through the medium OF your
paper
This Koontz What-is-it" reminds me of
two fugitive lines / heard when was boy:
1t is fatheress and motherless, born without skin;
Having spoken once, viii never speak again"
And, as they are nondescrips in beautiful har-
mony, l suggest their union be not severed.
There is absolutely nothing in the movement
calculated to alarm, but rather to encourage,
the Grand Army; it is nothing bnt slough
ing OF of dead. useless and excremental mat
ter, dangerous TO the health and wellbeing OF
any society. The Order was never in more
healthy or better condition or more harmo-
nious than at this hour. We have fewer " big
feet with tender corns than ever before; and
Fraternity, Charity and Loyalty, the basic
principles of our Order that ever lie close to the
heart of comrades, are observed in letter and
spirit, Mr.. Koontz and Others to the contrary
Notwithstanding.
No Grand Army man of any notable force or
influence in the Order, so far as | know, has
yetient his aid or influence to the silly attempt
to disrupt it. The only known supporters
Koontz has, with perhaps q rare exception, are
a few disappointed Office seekers, small-fry
politicians, impecunious henchmen and place
hunters, who think they see in such an organi-
cation potent lever to lift them into public
notice and possible preferment.s TSame OF those
connected with the movement are unable to
get into the G.A.R.-not possessing the neces-
sary prerequisites. Such is the character of
the larger class who deuounce the Order as be-
ing d - political machine"
No honest Grand Army man, who attends
regularly the meetings of his Post, ever so de-
nounced it. Mr.. koontz, who processes to speak
from personal experience and knowledge has
never attended d meeting of his Post since the
night of his muster, and If he ever attended
meeting of any other Post it has not yet been
made known. 1 will leave comrades to judge
Of his opportunities TO acquire information as
to the inside work of the Grand Army. Incl
dentally have come in contact with some of
those aggressive, though indiscreet, veterans ~
recently, and confess three or four such inter-
views have not only added to my store of in
formation, but blnnted my desire for more and
filled me with disgust Each of those fellows
were dressed in veterans uniform. The rec
ord shows that one resigned for the good of
the service; another was marked deserter" :;
another substitute" The other had no rec
ord, except in the Confederate army, and as
prisoner in Camp Morton. Ny experience
goes to show that uiue-tenths of the grumblers
GROWERS and slanderers of the G. r. sustained
an attitude hostile to it in its aims and ends
when it was marching to Richmond aud the sea
in 1561-'5. As q class they have disprop0rtion-
ately large feet, covered with political or social
corns of the most tender Sort and, withal, ex-
ceedingly awkward, constantly getting in the
, way of danger and being stepped on. As a
rule, the first intimation we have of their prox-
unity is a howl of pain. Somewhere in the
universe of God, perhaps, there may be a
normal place and condition for them, but l
know of no place here for any such specimens
Of arrested mental development. When they
slough of from any society of honorable and
intelligent gentlemen it should be recorded " a
good riddance," and proceed at once to sing,
Praise God, from all blessings iow.n True,
manly men will not be troubled by any twinge
of conscience over their going either but will
thank God for the Grand Army having so few
such monstrosities. The true Grand Army man
is of a species that cannot be affected seriously
by malformations of this sort. They serve, by
force of contrast. to make the fully developed
and mature all the more conspicuous
81 As rock of alabaster
Piled up to the Clouds conspicuous far.n
Indeed, Adamson expresses my idea fully
when he says: A monstrosity never changes
the name or affects the immutability of a
species y; hence, have no fear that the nom
descript being incubated by the Koontz mon
strosity viii either obliterate the name or affect
the species of the true soldier organization,
but it will 20 on recruiting its ranks from the
patriotic soldiery who love their country too
well and think too much of the comradeship
and fraternal unity of the veterans of the
Union to barter them away for the dry husks
of partisan interests.
Democrats, Prohibitionists and Republicans
| Joined in heartand hand under the star gemmed
folds of 81 Old Glory" are hustling all along
the line Of our recruiting posts, and recruiting
officers are reporting hundreds Of new recruits
/ while the prediction comes from every quarter
i that the next Encampment will show that
/ longer strides have been taken than ever before
toward a realization of our brightest hopes
/ The old ship, in weathering the recent storm
of partisan strife so grandly, strengthens our
faith, brightens our hopes and removes every
/ lingering doubt Of having prosperous present
! and an unclouded future before US. Hence
" the soldier boys, brave and trne" may con.
| tinue to share the same blanket sleep Just
as soundly aud sWeetly as in times of yore
| drink sweet content from the vintage of pa
triotism and true comradeship " from the same
canteen," and continue 10 divide our hardtacI
and sowbelly, feeling assured that our Grants
and Sheridans are at the Appomattox and oul
| Shermans at the sea in this Grand Army cam
pagn. with but one banner unfurled, bearin,
the one talismanic inscription" Fraternity
Charity and Loyalty. Wan. III. COCHRAN, In
dianapolis, Ind.
1