Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1889-10-11
THE G. A. r. AND ITS CRITICS


an officer In this organization, and who
has had certainly fair opportunity to
know its inner history. Structures have
been passed in your columns, as well as
in those of other papers, upon the treat
ment of General Bragg by the partcu-
lar post to which he belonged. Now
nothing is more certain than that if Gen
eral Bragg, or any other member of the
Grand Army, has been abused, he can
have swift and sure redress. With an
experience of twenty years in the min
istry, can say, with all confidence, that
the opportunity for getting wrongs
righted is vastly better in the G.. A. r.
than in the church. 1t is not so much of
a political machine as is the ordinary
church. The members of this organiza-
ton strenuously oppose any use of it for
political purposes. The rules in this re-
spect are very strict, and are strictly ell
forced. In all our posts there are many
Democrats, as well as members of other
political bodies. If my assertion were
along the line. The attempt to make
capital out of this has been an ignomi-
NOUS failure wherever attempted, be-
cause it had no basis in fact. The mere
rumor that General Alger wished the
position of commander-in-chief because
it might be an aid to him in future polit-
zeal preferment, will work to his disad-
vantage when he comes to ask that pre-
ferment. This is not my opinion, but
the opinion of a very large par: of our
body, as | have reason to know. On
this point we are extremely sensitive.
No man shall use our organization as
stepping stone to political office. But it
is just as certain that we will work and
vote together for those ends which we
believe to be for the best Interest of the
loyal soldiers of this republic.
In regard to the great gathering at
Milwaukee, while | admit that that city
is the headquarters of the beer interest
in the United States, and, beyond all
doubt, vast quantities of that fluid were
consumed; while also there were many
things done which a larger part of our
members did not approve-still there
are facts which lie on the surface, and
which may be known to all men. that
approach the miraculous. 1t is estima-
ted that the attendance aggregated $780,
600; it could not have been much less.
a larger part of these were soldiers.
They were the very men who, Europe
an writer's said, would endanger our re-
public when disbanded. Now, with the
best of opportunity for observation,
can report that did not see one man in
toxicated. did not see the police have
any work to do except to try and clear
the streets. ! verify believe that neither
before nor since would girl be so safe
from insult in any part of that great
city. 1t was simply amazing. Here in
prohibition Vermont | never attend a
county fair but | find some one who gets
pugilistic, and wishes to emulate the eX-
ploits of the redOubtable John l.. For
four days closely observed these men
as passed back and forth through the
struggling mass of humanity, and | came
away more than ever before proud to
call myself their countrymen.
Structures have been passed in your
columns upon the G. A. h. and the matter
of pensions. AS one who has never
asked for pension, and at the same
time knows something of the horrors of
that great war, | believe | have right
to leak The position of the G. A. r.
ha been well stated by President Har-
rison: sit is no time to deal out pensions
as physician drops poison medicine
from phial.' The reference to the
"hardships" of those who remained at
home must sound like rank irony to any
one who passed through one such battle
as the Wilderness. The awful strain of
one such day must take years from the
life of any man. On the other hand.
never in the history of the country was
there such opportunity to make money
as that given to those who remained at
home, and never was an opportunity
better employed. Looking back upon
the horrors of those days, even as they
came under my limited observation. it is
but natural that | should be FESTIVE at
the criticisms of any one who, by expe-
rience, knew nothing of them. Then.
too, even in the matter of deserters
there is danger of doing rank injustice.
For the professional deserter no soldier
has any mercy. But let me state the
case of thousands. A boy, accustomed
to all the comforts of home, enlisted in
an old regiment, April, 1864. In Nav
he is pushed through the slaughter of
the campaign that began at the Wilder
ness, and continued to the great surren.
der. Now patriotism and courage will
endure great deal, but not everything
While there seems to be chance fol-
life, men will stand up and be shot at