The Worcester spy. [volume] (Worcester, Mass.) 1898-1904, 1899-02-21
Of Virulent Nature
for Mckinley.
LIEUT.. COL. WEST
OF the Z. Y. I. makes At
tack on the President.

Gen. Charles P. Eagan received a
more singing rebuke from a veteran
Of the civil war last evening than he
received in the court martial. Not only
was President Mckinley severely
criticised for committing Eagan's SEN
tence to six years vacation at full pay,
as the speaker termed it, but also his
war record was held up to the search
light of truth, with damaging results
as the speaker believed.
The occasion was the regular meeting
of Gen. William S. Lincoln Command
of the Union Veterans Union, and the
remarks We're made by Lieut.. Col. O.
w. West. Gen. Charles L Wood, late
commander of the Union Veterans
Union, was also present, and there was
a large delegation of prominent G. A.
K. men present, who gave to Lieut. Col
Vests arrangement their deepest at
tention.
In opening his remarks, Lieut.. Col
West defended the Union Veterans
Union. He said that people asked
what 1t existed for and stated that it
comprised sore heads. Col. West said
that he was ready to give the reasons
why the Z. V. L. did exist and would
continue to exist, In explaining the
reason for its existence he said:
There is an indefinable feeling exist
ing between men who fought shoulder
TO shoulder in line of battle, where the
kissing bullets and shrieking shell were
Tying thick and fast around them,
winch does not exist between those
who have had no such experience. The
I. V. L. is composed of only those
VINO have had this experience, and in
part the order exists because of it.
There is at least one thing that the
u. A. r. does not do, that the L. V. u.
does do. The G.. A. R. as a body takes
no part in political matters, while the
L. V. y. actively participates in polit-
ical affairs, but only for the benefit of
the veteran. One of it's principles is to
support the election to positions of
public trust, the friend of the Union
soldier. irrespective of political creeds
or party affiliations, and vigorously an
tagonize every man who is inimical or
even Indifferent to his interests. We
stand by those who stand by us We
walk on those who don't Any at
tempt TO make the old rebel cause a
Virtuous mistake because of the scrap
with Spain over Cuba is absurd
Lieut. Col. West then proceeded to
pay his respects to Gen. Eagan, say
ing there was a Lieut.. Col. c. Patrick
Eagan, who was promoted over the
heads of 100 officers who outranked
him. to commissary general of the I'm
tied States army. I need not rehearse
his record as such. And now there is
another attempt to discharge another
Union veteran, one whom we all hold
in very high esteem, Gen. Nelson A.
Miles
Gen. Miles made some statement as
to the beef furnished the army. Gen.
Eagan was found guilty of the charges
preferred against him, and recon-
mended for dishonorable discharge by
a majority Of the court.
Gen. Eagan is notorious gambler
and a man of especially bad reputa-
ton in every way He committed an
&C. which called for the severest pun
ishment, and President Mckinley, in
whose hands is the execution of the
country, and brought a blush of shame
to all that have been fond of the name
Of American.
Not only is it a disgrace to the land,
but it is an awful degradation to the
army President Mckinley punished
CD Eagan by giving him a vacation
of six years, to go where and do what
he pleases, on a salary of $1,000 per
year, and at the end of that time to
be restored to full rank. Compare this
treatment with that accorded other
American officers! Capt. Clark of the
Oregon, after one of the most wonder
full trips of the ocean history, reached
Santiago in time to play an important
part in the battle, and as a recompense
for his fine work. he has been laid on
the shelf with no promotion and a de-
crease in his pay of $500 a year.
What think you is the policy Of
President Mckinley as evinced by his
punishment meted out TO Capt. Clark
and that meted out to the gambler Ea-
GAM"
Lieut.. Col West received a marked
ovation, and was followed by Gen.
Charles w. Wood who made a very
interesting address upon THE soldiers
who are rich" making very graceful
address upon the soldier whose wealth
is his accumulation Of memories of ex-
periences of the civil war, observation
and comradeship.