The Corvallis gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Or.) 1862-1899, 1895-01-17
THE NEXT G. A. r. ENCAMPMENT.

The NEXT G. A. X. ENCAMPMENT.
The next national encampment of the
Grand Army of the Republic will be held
at Louisville, KY. It was in response to
the urgent and eloquent appeal of Henry
Watterson, editor of the Courier, Journal,
that at the last encampment, by vote
almost unanimous, the boys" decided
to pitch their tents next time in Louis
vile. That their welcome will be hearty,
that it will be full of genuine Kentucky
hospitality is not a subject of doubt or
discussion. But if it were, if there were
lurking distrust, or suggestion of posi-
Bile lack of ardor in the reception of the
old veterans, the veteran editor. with all
the force and eloquence of which he is
capable, urges upon the people of his
city to embrace this splendid opportunity
for national recognition of its patriot
ism and broad -mindedness in these words:
"The city of Louisville never before
had so great chance to distinguish it
self. Even upon the lower level of mere
self-interest it is a chance offering many
returns for all its outlays. But upon the
higher plane, where state and local pride
walk hand in hand, fed by the memory
of past deeds, fired by the aspirations and
hopes of present manhood, it should, and
it will, fill the bosom of every true Ken
tuckian, of every true American living
oxr1,i1aro4i,aCr
of his own personality, CHEEKY, breezy
sense of his own relation to the event, his
individual opportunity and duty; the op-
portunity of advancing the cause of
national uni6cation and fraternity, by
the interchange of gracious courtesy be-
tween friends, who were once enemies,
and upon battle line where all are COM
rades now ~
The sentiment embodied in the closing
lines of the above quotation finds fuller
expression in the tribute paid the organi-
zation and its, membership in another
paragraph, in which not.alone does Mr..
Watterson strike the keynote of genuine
hospitality and comradeship, bit refutes
a widespread and malicious calumny in
vented and circulated by and with a
malevolence, characteristic Of sordid and
envious natures, the spirit manifested in
stigtnatizing pensioners as paupers, and
assuming that applicants therefor are
prirna facie frauds and hypocrites, un-
worthy of credence and incapable of
honest dealing. Read this tribute to the
Grand Army of the Republic, and then
compare its sentiments with the policy
of the pension bureau, which assumes
each applicant for aid to be a swindler,
or the declaration of Grover Cleveland
that every neighborhood is infested with
fraudulent pensioners.
"The notion that the Grand Army of
the Reptile is mere partisan machine
and that its members embrace too large
a proportion of the tougher grades of the
military element is very wide of the mark.
The Grand Army of the Republic is COM
posed of the bone and sinew of the North
and West. 1t is officered by brave and
honorable American soldiers. There is
nothing about its annual sessions that
does not appeal to mems tenderest, purest
sensibilities. We can as safely admit its
war-worn veteran to our homes as we
could our brothers returned after long
wanderings in foreign lands; somewhat
older than they.were; somewhat battered,
it may be; but strong, sturdy representa-
tives of the race we are proud to claim
as our own; heroes; yeomen; country
men all Post-Inte lligencer.