The San Francisco call., 1897-10-17
Grand Army Men of Los
Angeles Filled With
Indignation.
Discover a Scheme to Herd
and Use Their Votes at the
Next Election.
Meant $4,000 for Somebody and
Probably Control of the State
Government.
Special Dispatch to THE CALL.

Special Dispatch to THE CALL
LOS ANGELES, CAL, Oct. 16.-Grand
Army men are aroused TO point of deep
Indignation and resentment over the dis
covery of a scheme 10 apparently profit at
their expense. At the head of the enter
prise is said to be ex-senator Z. c. Sey-
mour of San Bernardino.
Had it been worked out as contem plated
it would have returned somebody about
$4,000, and would have placed in Sey-
mour's hands the political power and in
fluence of not less than 10000 voters in
this State during the coming campaign.
Operations were begun several weeks
ago. Seymour is member of the Grand
Army of the Republic. 1t is well known
that considerable dissatis faction exists
among large number of Grand Army
men because they have not been, accord
ing to their idea, sufficiently recognize
when the patronage in the hands OF the
Governor has been distributed.
Playing upon this grievance. Seymour,
it was said, proposed TO first organize all
the veterans of the late unpleasantness
who vote in this county. Their voting
strength, including the inmates of the
Soldiers Home at Santa Monica, is close
to 1000.
After Los Angeles was well kneaded to-
eether the remainder of the State was TO
be canvasscd. Success would mean the
welding of solid phalanx OF 20, coo votes
to the candidate who might be favored by
the projectors of the clever political move.
ment.
YS givr,a ed hof fhA hau
the distribution OF nearly or quite 1000 po-
stions in the State, and it was proposed
to secure half of these for Grand Army
men by means of their united action
under one head. Each candidate was to
be pledged in advance to an agree emen
providing for such a result, as it was not
intended TO take any chances in the mat
ter. OF course, any who refused would
meet the opposite OF this large body of
men before the conventions met and also
during the election cam paign.
Seymour was in the midst of his prepa-
rations for carrying out tue scheme when
he was taken seriously ill. He was draft
ing resolutions, circulars, bylaws and
constitutions when lis present illness In
terrupted his new-found industry. 1t was
during his illness that the matter came TO
the attention OF some prominent Grand
the scheme.
Ex-senator Seymour was seen at his
home near Highlands and made the fol-
lowing statement OF his connection with
the movement: 81 was put on the COM
mittee to draft bylaws for an organiza-
ton whose object was to be he projection
of the Grand Army men-that is. the sur.
vivors of the late war in both the army
and the navy. We desired To bring about
conditions that would give us fair share
of patronage in public offices, which we
think we are entitled TO and which we
are not receiving at the present time
I'VE found that the Army and Navy
League was, to certain extent, a dead
letter having only four or five branches
in the STATE. We therefore conceived the
idea of forming some kind of new or
ganization, and to test the tenn per of the
mem bers the non-partisan clause was put
into the set OF bylaws reported, but with
out lntenuing to force it upon the men,
bers. 1t met with a great deal of antag-
onism and the report was referred back
to the committee Tor amendment in this
particular. What was done | don't know
as l have not been able to be present at
any meeting since.
at is difficult to get the army and navy
people to form any organization that
shall not be Republican IN politics. The
original idea was TO start an organization
lOI ana LDell, II fOunQ
practicable, to extend IL to the entire
State. We have $4,000 G. A. r. men in
the State. and there appeared 10 be a sen
timent that our poorer members shoul 4
be projected by such an organization
There are now many public places flied
by young men, and the duties connected
with them could be equally we'll performed
| by mem bers OF the G. A. r.
I'VE think we have done our full duty
10 our country In the past and believe we
ought to have some of the patronage al
the disposal OF he Government officials.
The brass button-tbe symbol OF TIE
G. A. R.-has practically disappeared from
! the civil service list of the State
1.-THE so cents that each member was to
pay was TO be for initiation and was 10 &C
into the fund of the organization. The
statement that this was to go to me wa.
probably made by some one who thereby
sought TO in jure me"
/