Evening star., 1898-10-29
SHOULD STAND TOGETHER
Commander-in-Chief Dyrenforth's Advice
to Union Veterans Union.
Says the Order Should Place In PoIit-
zeal Office Only Those Who
Favor Union Soldiers.

Gen. r. S. Dyrenforth, commander-in-
chief of the Union Veterans Union OF the
| United States, has issued a circular letter
| to department commanders with the design
of having it brought ultimately to the at
| tention of every precinct command. in which
lie presents reasons why every eligible vet
eran should connect himself with the order
| The qualifications for membership are:
Service at the front, honorable discharge
| and good character" The purpose of the
organization is to preserve and perpetuate
the principles of the war for the Union
In his circular letter Gen. Dyrenforth am
plifies this thought somewhat by emphasiz-
ing the duty of every member to place in
political offices those only who are friends
of the Union soldier, and to antagonize all
these who are either inimical or Indifferent
to his interests. The letters is in part as
follows:
We want every worthy man who is a
Datte veteran to be one of us, that as a
comrade he may enjoy the comradeship of
his fellows, and We enjoy his, and that he
may claim and obtain his right TO the
benefits, the great benefit, of this illustrious
and glorious order. the only true military
order In the world, founded, as it is on the
only correct principles of military order.
Some days ago a Brooklyn newspaper,
having been attracted by the magnificent
lttSpl4Ol dCCOIutu 10 HE mere DN my COM
radeS of the Department of the Potomac,
wrote to me asking me what the Union
Veterans Union is and what its purposes
are, the writer saying that he was also
editor of an almanac, which would be cir
culated throughout the middle and eastern
states, and he desired to publish something
about the order. l took up a copy of our
constitution, and, after studying it, again
presented substantially what in the consti-
tuition are set forth the objects of the
order; but, L think, in somewhat more
terse and incisive form.
objects of the Order.
81 wrote him as follows:
1.-The Union Veterans Union is an or
ganizaton of battle soldiers, sailors and
marines of the war of the rebellion The
requisites of membership are good charac-
ter and fact of presence in one or more en-
gagements during that war; that is to say,
| the man must be reputable citizen and
battle veteran.
80 The objects of the order are:
First. To preserve and perpetuate, with
firmness. but without animosity the prin-
ciples of the war for the Preservation of
the Union, contended for on many battle
fields.
Second. To exact from the government
proper appreciation of the services of the
Union soldier in the preservation of the in
tegrity of this nation, and just recognition
of his claims
Third. Practically, as well as theoret-
iNdliy, " secure recognition OF the right
of the Union soldier to preference for no.
sltlons of public trust and for employment
by the government.
Fourth. To support the election to DO
sitions of public trust of the friend of the
Union soldier, irrespective of politics or
creed, and vigorously to antagonize every
man who is inimical, or even merely in
different, to his interests; and
Fifth. Effectively to care for the mem
bers of the order and the widows and or
phaEs of those deceased.
The Union Veterans Union has its
commander-in-chief with a large and ef-
hcient staff, located at Washington, D.
G., and every request, through the proper
channels, for anything that can be done
or obtained. at Washington. for COM
rade, receives immediate personal atten-
ton by the commander-in-chiefa and his
staff of other workers.
Political Duty.
Now. 1 request you. particularly, to OBJ
serve clause fourth above and let the sub
stance thereof bring determination to your
heart. In a country like this, where the
people govern; where it is the duty of
every man to interest himself to see that
the nation shall prosper, and to this end
that great class of its people, the class
of men, in particular, who preserved its
integrity. and thus made it the greatest
nation on earth. shall not be neglected
No man is Of any Importance unless he
has political significance, and no body of
II en- has any influence unless ii has poll
tical power
our only hope, then, for the full OBJ
talnment OF our rights and for their main
tenance is that We shall show strength in
the matter of elections / am tired of the
indifference to the old soldier of young
men and of men who were not soldiers in
both Houses of Congress- in the legis-
latures OF the states and in public Offices
in that they are passive or contemptuous to
MIN, declaring him of political import
ance, back number and bore, and say
ing that the statute which gives prefer
ence to the veteran in the matter of ap-
pointments to public office must be ignored
because he is decreDit, etc, etc The re-
publlcan candidate counts as matter of
course upon the soldier-vote, because per-
haps, as matter of fact a majority of
the soldiers may be republicans; but we
want some of these fellows to find Them
selves woefully mistaken. | eagerly desire
that We may pick out some candidate for
an important elective Office, such as repre-
sentative or senator in Congress some
critter who thinks himself beyond reach |
ana treat him to a surprise. Now l. per-
sonal1y, happen to be a republican; but
even so, as the republican party is domi-
nant just now ] should prefer the ex-
ample to be republican;
ITO the end that we may be a power that
Is going to command respect and secure |
the rights. and permanent rights. for the |
veteran soldier of the war of the REBELLION,
we must so organize that our strength shall |
be felt, not only in every congressional dis |
trtct, but in every assembly district In |
every. state of ths Union.
Scatter the seed comrade; stir the bows
UP. Let US form line of battle; let us invest |
every point, and then, by our influence and
votes, and ths influence and votes of our |
HQy- no nln nd