The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1892-11-26
THE G. A. R AND THE MONUMENT.
Commander Cheadle Responds to Some I'm
pertinent Criticism Of the Veterans

muutcI NDctNlr htclOuUc " EoLuf ALI
pertinent Criticism of the Veterans.
To the Editor Of the indianapolis Journst
The Indianapolis News of the 18th inst.
contains an editorial on "A Broader Pat
rlofism." from which / take the following:
Ii strikes us that it would be the part OF seem
lines, II not OF wisdom. for the professional ex-
soldiers 70 cease their ciatter about the states
monument. As we have noted before. In il
mainly the gentlemen who are at large on the
are conspicuous in this They are generally
much in evidence in all public events.
Also. the following:
The fragrance. the worth, the beauty. the
"high light" in the glory of this Indiana monu-
ment is that it is built 10 commemrate the valor
of lndlanas sons in all the wars they have been
\ engaged.
The last quotation sbounds in enough
~rhythmical expressions 60 entitle IL TO
have contained at least one statement of
fact. This must be said in reference TO It,
that 1t does not contain one single truth IN
reference to the monument; that lt Is mis-
leading and untrue from first TO last. What
are the factsl The Grand Army of the Re-
public began the work of preparing for the
construction of the monument, and made
an appro prlatlon out of it's own funds. the
first one made. 1t then prevailed upon the
Marion County Commissioners TO come TO
their relief. and they did with an
appropriation of $1,000, lt then went
to work and secured pledges from all the
candidates for the Legislature. and then
the Legislature made its first appropria-
ton; so that If any men know the purpose
for which the monument 10 being built il
certainly is the men who originated the
enterprise, put their own money in it and
The records OF she q. A. r.. the record of
the Marion county appropriation, and
the State appropriation. together
with the journal OF the Legislature wherein
Bn~a -
10 direct and so unequIvocal that there
never can be any question about the pur-
pose for which it was built Let me here
state u as it Is IL was TO be lin memory
OF the services OF indisps's sol
of the rebellion of 1s61-5.n The
News cannot find one sentence, phrase or
word In the proceedings of the q. A. X.
that commenced it and made the first ap-
propriation; 1t cannot find q word either in
the record OF the Marion county or State
appropriations that does not fully sustain
the intention as / have here stated il.
LOO not stop here. go one step further.
that the record of the proceedings of the
monument commission itself does not con-
tain any authorization of the change made,
Whereby the figures 1916 and 1913 are
placed upon the upper astragsl, IN
violation not only of the intention Of its
projectors, but also in violation of the
printed instruction of the commissioners
lsee their printed instructions In reference
to upper astragai dated Sept. IS, $780, The
News has thus either ignorantly or pur-
posely misstated the facts in reference TO q
great public work, and has done the q. A.
X. q very great injury. The men who COM
pose the G. A. X. must hold an honorable
discharge from the Union army, in the war
of the rebellion. No man upon whose
character the stain of treason rests can
ever crose its threshold. 1t does not merely
teaches the broadcast patriotism to
country and to principle. 1t never
has and It never will interfere in public
measures In which its members arc not d.
rectly and deeply interested. They have
interested themseIes in this monument, and
whyf Because they originated it, donated
of their own funds to build it. secured S1O,-
600 from Marion county for it, and because
their State encampmeDt was the guest OF
the Indiana Legislature at the moment when
the first State APPROPRIATION was made, the
men who are alone authorized to wear AN
army hat. blouse and badge" having been
preseLt, and having heard the reasons
given by members of the Legislature for
voting in favor of the appropriation, beg
leave to suggest TO the News that q. A. X.
men do not need any advice from that pa
per or any other enemy In reference TO their
duty In the premises. It is their intention
to see to it that the monumentIs completed
for the purpose Its projectors in tende it,
and neither leers nor sneers will in the
least deter them from dong their full duty.
h0I ~ VIM ~ III
ages been erected for one single object No
monument Of that magnitude can be found
in any land that was not built for one sin-
gle purpose. The monument at Bunker Hill
does not stand iOr Valley Forge nor York.
town. The Washington monument does
not represent any one except George
Washington. The same is true of
those erected for Lincoln. Grant.
Sheridan. The beautiful monument in the
city of Detroit stands In memory of the
Michigan heroes of the war of 1S61-5. The
same must be true of the Indiana mon
ument in Indianapolis. Its founders and
projectors intended il should and it must
be finished and dedicated to the memory OF
Indiana heroes who. upon the land and
upon the sea, from 1861 TO 1865. upon 800 diff
ferent battle-helds. did their share OF the
suffering and dying required to save the
Union and TO guarantee TO every. citizen OF
the Republic the lnestimable blessing Of
liberty protected by law. The Union
veterans would not detraot in the
least from the well-esrned fame of veter-
ans of other wars. They will be the last
men on earth 10 do that. They do not,
however, if others would. underrate the
value of the victory they won. Other. wars
were waged tor conquest-or against for
eign foes-or savages. The war OF 1868
was in defense of native land and human
liberty. As it was unlike all other wars.
and as the results of that war exceed all
others. so much the greater reason for the
monument TO commemorate that event.
There are over sixty thousand Union vet
Grams in the State. / very much doubt.
Judging from the reports from every coun-
tv. if there can be found go of them who
are not aagressively opposed to the figures
1876 and 1913, and in favor of removing
them from the monument. Speaking for
the Is, COD members of the O.. A. X in the
State, 1 know | an correct In saying that
We have never been 30 nearly united upon
any proposition as we are upon this. The
q. A. X. will nse every propsr and legal
measure within its reach TO secure the
completion of the monument in strict com-
pAaTes with the clearly and oft-.ims re-
peated derlxsstaana of ats projectors.
}. Il. CHEADLE.
Department. Commander.