The National tribune., 1894-12-13
THE SONS OF VETERANS.

| What the Order is, and What Should be
Done for 1t.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: 1t is with a
| great deal of pleasure that / learn your val
liable paper is about to use It's influence in
| assisting TO build up the Order of Sons of
| Veterans, and feel sure the members of the
| Order viii show their appreciation by fur
| thering your efforts to the extent OF their
ability.
| An organ Of such prominence as yours can
not fail to exert an immense influence on
| the veterans OF the late war, and if they be-
come interested in the Order they can enOr-
| mously increase our numbers by urging their
| sons TO become affiliated with us.
In some respects our Order is unique.
| Whatever we may be individually, as an
| organization We are unselfsh-ask nothing
| for ourselves-oniy Wishing 10 show by our
| actions that the lesson Of our great civil
! war is not lost upon US, and that we appre-
ciate the noble services and heroic sacrifices
OF our fathers 10 their successful Struggle
for the maintenance of the Union and the
honor of the flag.
We realize that after men pass the prime
of life the years roll by very quickly, and
no matter how youthful the spirit which
lives within, the frames of men who spent
the best years of their lives in the hardships
of the field must at last feel the effects of
such arduOus service, and Telegate to others
the work they have SO faithfully performed.
1t is 10 take up this work that we have
organized the Sons of Veterans 10 assist the
veterans in The proper observance OF Memo
rial Day, and other anniversaries in the
history of our country's glory, aud where
the veterans are too few in number or too
feetfe to undertake the services, to perform
them ourselves.
We strive 10 keep ever before our coun-
trymen the fact that but for the heroic sacri-
fees of such men the Union and Old Glory
woaId have no existence to-day, and TO
preach and practice loyalty, so that every
citizen, native or foreign born, VIII place
duty to his country AID his flag before
everything else, us did his fathers.
Last, but rot least, we wish 10 so perfect
our organization that we may be of material
aid aud service to those veterans who in
their distress, caused by illness or decrepi-
tude, may need assistance, so that when
they rejoin their comrades who have pre-
ceded them to the Great Commander, they
will report that neither our Republic nor
our sons are ungrateful; our services and
sacrifices were not in vain; we live again in
our descendants, and the Union will continue
foreverI"
We feel confident that with this under
standing of onr aims and objects the vet
Grams Will realize that we have true appre-
cation of our duties, and q determination
to perform them. We know that with q
young man who respects his father q re-
quest 10 join the Sons of Veterans will be
needed, and upon inyes tigation acted upon. |
l talk in this strain because L know that
your paper ciTculates among veterans prr-
cipally, and it is because so many have mis-
understood our position that they haze |!
either held alo0f or damned us By faint |
praise.
We think that our fathers will see that !
some day we will be as useful 10 them as an |
organization as we hope to be in the family; |
that we are now, and hope ever to be, true |
and faithful Sons OF Veterans
Sincerely yours, in F., C. and l.
WILLIAM D. SPEAR, Yonkers, N. Y.