The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-04-16
SPANISH WAR VETERANS.
Talk of Admitting Them to the G.
r..

A. r..
The probability of war with Spain has
opened anew the question of the perpetual
tion of the Grand Army of the Republic.
For the last six years the annual encamp-
ments of this order have wrestled with
proposition to admit members of the Sons
of Veterans to full membership in the
Grand Army. AT the last encampment,
however, the question was not discussed on
the floor, and it was the understanding that
the matter had been allowed to take a rest.
But there is still a large portion of the
membership of the organization which
would like to see something done to keep
it alive after the present members have
passed away The probability of g. Spanish
war has opened a way that has been sug-
gested to be better than the plan of adj
hitting the Sons of Veterans to member
ship, for it is believed that men who so
to war and fight for their country are more
justly entitled to the privilege than the
descendants of fighters Many of the Sons
of Veterans will take advantage of the OPP
portunity and will win for themselves the
honor of inheriting their fathers records
and of perpetuating the organization of
which their fathers were so proud.
Assistant Adjutant General Smock, of the
the idea of admitting the survivors of the
Spanish-American war--should there be
such O war-to membership in the G.. A r.
would be a good one. He stated, however,
that it would be necessary to make a
change in the rules and regulations, Chap
ter /, Article of which reads as follows:
Eligibility to neutrality-suspicious. and
sailors of the United States army, navy or
marine corps who served between April IL,
1861, and April 8, 1865, in the war for the
suppression of the rebellion, and those
having been honorably discharged there
from after such service and of such state
regiments were called into active serv-
ice and subject to the orders of United
States general officers, between the dates
mentioned, shall be eligible to membership
in the Grand Army Of the Republic No
person shall be eligible to membership who
has at any time borne arms against the
United States
Rev. Daniel Ryan, of Utica, a candidate
for the office of department commander Of
the G. A. r. in Indiana, was at Grand
Army headquarters yesterday He said on
the subject: Amy man who will go out
and fight for Qua country and in defense of
the flag is certainly worthy of membership
in the Grand Army of the Republic
Col: /. n. Walker, formerly commander
in,chief of the Grand Army, smiled when
Of the Grand Army opening its doors to the
new veterans. 1T is. too soon to think of
such a thing" he said; 1--WE will not cross
any. bridges until we get in sight of them.
IL it is desired to admit them for the sake
or perpetuating the q. A. r., | shall not
favor their admission to membership. do
not think the Grand Army of the Republic
wants to be perpetuated. L do not know of
any class Of men who can mt y be selected
to peTpetuate it. The Grand Army is a pc
culiar organization. 1t came about as the
result of a peculiar war There was never
q war like 1t before and there can never
be another The Union soldiers fought for
the preservation of the Union they loved
and dedicated this Nation to freedom for
ever. No other army that is to come can
rlghtfully claim the same accomplishments
The members of the Grand Army of the
Republic are the survivors of this great
Union army and the lines are drawn sharp
~ even on them. No man is eligible unless
he served in the Union army during the
war of the rebellion, between April II, 1861.
and April 8, 1865, and even then he must not
have been in the Confederate ranks at any
time. remember the great fights that
nave been made in the encampments, eSpe-
cially that made by General GroSVenOr, of
Ohio. at Milwaukee, for the admission of
certain mel who disqualified by reason
OF having served in the Confederate army.
There are many loyal men who were i'm
pressed into the Confederate service from
Tennessee and Kentucky who took the first
opportunity to desert and enter the Union
armies They fought for years during the
war, many of them were wounded. lost
limbs in the service, and some of them
to-day drawing pensions for that service,
but the rules and regulations say that no
man who has ever borne arms against the
United States shall be eligible to member
ship in the Grand Army of the Republic.
and thus far all efforts to change the rules
have failed
The G. A. r. was organized for spe-
citfc purpose. and of the men who came out
of single war. AS time goes OIL and the
death roll thins out the KS of the MEM
bers. membership grows more honorable
and the sentiment against taking in any
others than those made admissible by the
first plan grows stronger. The feeling
grows that the organization should die with
the members; thai there is no reason for it's
perpetuation except IN the minds of men
and on the pages of history"