The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1893-06-01
WAS THIS TREASoN7


The following are the resolutions
passed by Noah NJ. Farnham Post of
New York, for which offense their
charter has been taken by Depart
menG Commander Cleary, upon the
technical grounds that Grand Army
rules forbade any Post to circulate
pension resolutions, until approved by
the Commander of Department.
This resolution was passed by the
Minneapolis encampment of 1884, but
has remained dead letter until now.
Posts and Departments having ex-
ercised the right to frame and pass
pension resolutions at will.
If the Grand Army is und9r o one
man censorship they have just begun
to find it out. Every Post and every
comrade in the Post should hold on to
the inalienable right of protest and APP
peal acts of his own order, or of
the government which he served ana
under which he lives.
Farnham Post, No. 225 strong, de-
serve the commendation of all their
associates and all citizens in their
patriotic utterances, even If they do
not voice the policy of liberal pensions
which is now both enforced and abused.
PATRlOTIC RESOLUTlONS'
"Whereas it is apparant to this post
that some recent i'll considered speeches
made in Congress in regard to the pen
sion laws are calculated to do serious
injury to the regulations of old soldiers
and sailors aud to the Grand Army of
the Republic, and
"Whereas the only veterans entitled
to pensions are those who, by wounds
or disabilities incurred in the service
of their country, are prevented from
earning living in their respective
callings, as they might have done had
such wounds or disabilities not been
incurred, and whose circumstances are
such as to justify them in calling on
the country for aid or support, and
"Whereas the Grand Army of the Re-
public is an association organized for
the purpose of enabling old soldiers
and sailors to take care of themselves
and each other, and
"Whereas as much real patriotism
may be shown by refraining In time of
peace from innicting unnecessary bur-
dens on the country as by coming to
her defense 10 time of war; therefore,
be it
Resolved that any old soldier or
sailor who applies for or accepts p pen
sion, except under the conditions above
set forth, IS, in the opinion of this post,
guilty of conduct calculated to injure
tho good men who were and are willing
to give their lives for their, country
without any reward save the approval
of their own conscience and that hon.
orable fame that is due to every
patriot.
"Resolved that copy of these reso-
lutions be sent to the President of the
United States, to the United States
Senators from this State, and to the
Representatives in Congress from this
city, accompanied by letter from
the commander of the post,
urging upon them to use
their best endeayors to have the
pension laws so revised as to make
them applicable only to such soldiers
and sailors as are indicated in the pre-
amble to this resolution, aud to such
persons as were Immediately dependent
upon such soldiers or sailors during or
within ten years after the expiration
of their term of enlistment,
"Resolved that this post urgently re-
quests all posts in the Grand Army of
The Republic to take, as soon as may be,
similar action to this, to the end that
the reproach may be taken away from
the Grand Army that it is charity
seeking organization and tool in the
hands of the claim agent"