The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-10-08


| csmpment and the country to the fact that
during the past year ! have seen more than
250.000 of tho veterans of the late war. have
| made it my business to observe narrowly the
| physical condition of these meu. and also to
| obtain the opinions Of men competent to judge
| Of the physical condtiio0 Of tho survivors OF
the war; Bssing my judgment upon personal
| observ and the well-cOnsidered opinions
| of others, leave the sIeeord with you to-day
| that, in my opinion. very large proportion OF
| these survivors are seriously impaired IN their
physical powers, as 8 result OF their military
| services" as IA
| One of the best friends the soldier ever had
| in Congress, Hon. Seth L. Milliken. recently
made in debate some remarks so apropos TO
this subject. though speaking upon another. We
have taken the liberty to incorporate them here:
Plutarch tells US that the father of lhenis.
| tocles took his son down to the seashore. ana
showed him there the old hulks that had been
| left upon the beach to decay. He wanted TO
| impress upon the mind of his son a lesson to
! deter him from entering public life. de SAID
| to him:
80 If you enter public life the people. when
they get through with using you, will leave
| you the strand like these old hulks.
| $50, Mr. Chairman there was time when
| you were proud of these old soldiers. when,
with bright eyes and brave hearts. they went
| to the front to defend the country which to-day
| is rejoicing in the fruits Of their heroism. You
did not believe then the time would come when
| il should be proposed by legislation TO cast
them upon the shore like old hulks, neglected
and decaying. Themistocles. rejecting the
ad vice of his father entered public life. but the
lesson which his father had sought to teach
him proved to be true. After serving his
country faithfully, and with transcendent
ability; after he had saved it from destruction
| by the Persians, he was forced to flee to the
very nation whose forces he had defeated, and
| die in a foreign land.
"Shall we legisate to treat the nearly worn
out veterans of the Union armies in this I'M
grateful way? Shall they be cast away like
| wornout ships upon the Shore to be neglected
| in their old age? Even if they cannot do the
| work Of young men they are entitled to our
grateful consideration. They have done their
| duty to their country when they were in their
| prime, and believe that when this Govern
| ment shall turn its back upon them, the men
| who were its defenders, who saved the National
life, who made it possible for You and me to
| live under one flag and in an undivided coun.
try. God will turn his back upon this Nation"
AS TO the duty of members of the Grand
| Army i'm the premises there is no question.
They can but be loyal to their own, and know
not what day may bring FORTH nor how soon,
| though now living in aflluence, they may, by
circumstances beyond their control, be glad to
accept the Inequalities of this Home for them
| selves and those dependent upon them. This
| to these veterans is but an act of simple justice
| in recognition of their services, trials and
| snfferings in preserving US Nation. the CRATE.
| full fulfllment of the promise made to them
| when their step was elastic and their form as
| erect as the pines which grow upon their native
| hilsides. Fear not; a grateful people will
care tor them who shall have borne the battle"
desire to quote the sentiments of Depart
ment Chaplain Winfield Scott Of California,
who says: "To the thinking comrades of the
| GAR. Gods providehtal dealings i'll the war
| become more plain each year. They are I'M
| pressed as never before that they were Gods
chosen instruments to preserve this great Ma
ton, and that never IN the history of the world
/ was there committcdsto men SO gracious and
sacred trust. With the passing years history
unfods the wisdom and grandeur of Gods de-
| signs in the preservation Of our National in
tegrity and unity, ana there is revealed to these
savors of our Nationmors clearly the greatness
| aud glcry of their wdll done work"
! If this be true-and who among doubts
| it ?--prosperous GraAda Army men of Maine,
may you not have been chosen by the same
great Ruler to carel for'ithese /" His instru-
ments," your comrades, in their declining
days; ana will He not hold you individually
accountable for the manner in which the work
| is done? 5ad. =
One high in the councils Of the Grand Army
of our State wisely sayss3i What the future of
our organ ization lis to be regards power,
spect iii the State and harmony Of parts, rests
tests that require caimness unity. and wisdom.
If can su coordinate. adj over our State, small
interests and personal struggles and erratic
| plans to large, wise, patriotic principles, and
stand one on them aud for them. there can
be no doubt hut that our position will always
be to command respect. But if we war
| among ourselves on trivial matters the result
is sure TO bring disaster, and while we debate
| those whom We would succ0r are neglected
and injured, and we thereby multiply the
griefs we purpose to remove
We all OF us have sufficient fortitude to bear
the misforiunes of others and wait; bat while
| we delay, those we should minister unto may
| die. Gen. Logan said :" A Government or y
State is unworthy of itself and the blood aud
treasure it cost which would permit any of its
defenders to b, come inmates OF the poorhouses
of tho land, be the objects of private char
ity."
1t is beyond belief that those who defended
Round Top and tie Devils Den. charged at the
| Hare House, repelled the assault at Dinwiddie
Courthouse, went into the "Crater" at Peters
| burg, and on a hundred fields proved them
selves the peers for bravery of any troops Of
the world, lack the courage now to ask the
State for generous treatment Of comrades and
their dependents less fortunate than them
selves.
The slur upon the enthusiasm Of the "dear
women should never be INDUCED in by old
soldiers who in those dark days partook Of
danties furnished by the Woman's Christian
commission, conceived, originated, and con.
summated solely by women who were pro.
nounced as " visionary" as these by the wise.
acres of that day.-Country COmrade.
| DEPARTMENT OF MASSACHUSETTS.
Department Correspondent Sarah T.. Cain
was one of the bright spirits Of the Massa.
chuseits delegation to the 14th National Con-
vention, W.R.C. She is an assduous and cheer.
full worker in every line of duty. and it is
to be regretted that her very excellent reports
from Massachusetts are frequently subjected 10
delay or condensation. owing to the pressure
OH the Relief Corps columns of The NATIONAL
TRIBUNE. The following notes are from a
recent letter:
National Councillor Lzabeth A. Turner
made brief stop at Chicago on her journey
from st. Paul. She will be busy for some weeks
in preparation of the Journal of the 18th
National Convention, which will be valuable
record of her able adm nistration.
Mary G. Nickersor. first President of Corps
81 Provincetown, and for II years past lead
!. ing member of that Corps. will hereafter reside
at Cambridge, Mass At the last meeting of
the Corps "a valuab1 effilyer cake basket was
given her AS partiY9ygift Of appreciation.
President SampsOps OF Corps 1876, Whitman,
delegate to the National Convention, is visit.
ing the family of her brother in St. Paul.
Prior to her departure fram home q delegation
representing l.. A. Russell Post and Corps and
Sons of Veterans surprised her by presenta.
ton of a substantial token of their regard.
Corps %, Westfeld, mObrn the loss of Sarah