Evening journal., 1893-05-24
NEWSPAPER OPINION.
A word to lhe Grand Army.

A Word to the Grand Army.
Philadelphia Telegraph.
The action cf the New York State
Department of the Grand Army of the
Republic in ordering the disbandment Of
Farnham Post is a self inflicted blow of
the most serious character, one likely to
have far. reaching effects. Notwithstand-
ing the claim that this course has been
pursued in strict accordance with rules
and regulations, with the laws govern
ing the order, it is quite apparent that
there was no necessity for such a drastic
measure to be put in force In the first
place there was no need of making the
original fuss over the patriotic resolu-
tions of Farnham Post, which simply
demanded that the pension list
should be made and maintained a
roll of honor, a credit to the men who
put down the rebellion and saved the
Union, and to the government and the
nation Farnham Post expressed the
honest views of all good citizens, and if
it technically overstepped the bounds of
the orders regulations it would have
been infinitely wiser to overlook this fact
than to follow the course which has been
taken, and which may lead to the disin.
| tegration and destruction of the Grand
| nLul nN hAhnA0A III WAAln NA0 AANAA
bers of the disciplined local society
which, it is to be noted, is named after
one of the colonels of the famous Els
worth Zouaves, and is largely composed
of survivors thereof-resented the war
on them was highly indicative of the
spirit which has been aroused in conse.
quence of reckless pension legislation and
administration Instead of making a
disturbance and disciplining Farnham
Post the State Council would have done
much better had il also put itself on
ecord in like manner. 1t is observed
that the members of the dis pine
organization propose now to take leay {
OF the Grand Army, and to form a new
organization as part of the Unior
Veteran Legion, which is making sug-
gestive headway in all parts of the
country. This association is directly tn,
result of the methods pursued by the
Grand Army, under the liberal laws o.
which any man who managed to secure
an honorable discharge from the Fedora
Army, and who is supposed to be of gooS
moral character. a condition which every
body knows is capable of great abuse-ii
I readily taken in and allowed to wear th'
button and the uniform The Uniol
Veteran Legion requires that its mem
bers shall have enlisted prior to July
1868, before the days of bounties aud tn
e general introduction of methods Of en-
0 listm ent which did not prevail thereto
9 fore. and served in active service fu
e two years. This is the association {
8 which the people may Justly take Of
their hats as it marches by. KNOWN
= . the ranks are filed exclusively with me
- who bravely served their countr
u on the field of strife. The Gran
]. Army, at its coming Nations
= enoampment. which will be held in In
y dianapolis in August next, should und
the work of the New York Council, an
= speak with no uncertain voice upo
~ the questions at issue IL il docs not,
it takes a contrary course aud ALLOW
\ the organization to be used by tho
= who have no just cleims upon it, it wi
lose its hold upon the people of u
country and this expulsion of Farnha
Post will be the beginning of the Ell
Of an order which ought to commaI
the undivided respect and admirati,
of every American citizen.
DIR. Briggs aud DIR. Sunderland.
New York Times.
Readers of the public prints a
already aware Of the surprising obsery
N lions made on Sunday by the Rev d
IL Sunderland in the First Presbyteri
III Church of Washington The serm
n was preached by the Rev Dr. Smith,
n New York, and was devoted to a consi
Grafton Of the decline Of Christianity
general aud Of Presbyi eriauism in part
ular OF this the preacher gave sol
startling illustrations The topic "
l. 80 70,