The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-06-20
IT'S TEETH IND CLAWS
This Is What the Union Veter-
ans Union Claims
TO BE TO THE GRAND ARMY
Is Strictly in Politics, and for
the Old Soldier.
TO BE TO THE GRAND ARMY


in the west not yet fixed. promises to be
very large affair. The head of the order.
Robert G. Dyrenforth, has just been max
ing a tour OF New England. inspecting
local organizations, establishing new ones,
installing officers, and the like. Mr..
Dyrenforth is feeling very well satisfied
with his share of the work of selecting
Representative Henderson as Speaker OF
the House. He will be remembered as the
author of a circular calling upon soldiers
everywhere to come to the aid of Hender-
son as a comrade and a friend of the
Union veteran. Speaking today of the
relation OF his order to the other military
societies, Mr.. Dyrenforth said:
I'VE have no quarrel with the Grand
Army. I am Grand Army man, and a
very large part of our order is recruited
from the Grand Army. The point of differ
ence is simply that the Grand Army is a
strictly nOn-political organization, while
ours is an out-an-out political one. Under
stand mel do not mean that ours is a
partisan order in the sense of being either
Democratic or Republican. We have prob
ably larger element of Republicans than
Of any existing party, but we have also
Democrats Populists and all the rest.
What l mean in calling 1t a political or
ganization is that we take an active part
In politics. dividing not on party lines, but
making the test question. whenever a man
is nominated for Office, whether he is the
friend of the Union soldier or not If he is
not, We fight him. have been a strict
Republican all my life never voting any
Af.1r-
would seem to vote one. But II a Demo-
crst who was right on the soldier question
were put up against a Republican who
had got his head too high in the air for
that I should have no alternative but to
support the Democrat. Many leading men
in the Grand Army were inclined to look
askance at our order when it was first
formed. but they have got over that now:
they realize that we are not antagonizing
the Grand Army, but simply supply it with
its teeth and claws"
''Now that you have a friendly speaker,
do you think 1t probable that you will get
any new legislation In the coming Con-
gress?' he was asked.
az do not know that we are seeking
any" he answered. Personally. do not
what we want now is liberal interpreta-
ton of the statutes already In the book II
the Republicans aren't willing to furnish
that, the soldier vote is very likely to so
over to some other party which will. 1t is
a large vote, and the feeling of the men
who WELD il is strong"
ct believe your people expressed them |
selves rather freely in some quarters on
the subject of the commingling of the blue |
and gray in brotherly intercourse re-
cently?''
yes; but our position has been misrep- |
resented by some. probably speak for
good many others in saying that have no
personal animosity against any man who
fought on the Confederate side during the
civil war. but have a very distinct notion
of the folly of goody-goody talk to the
Southern people. I am ready to fraternize
as a citizen with any other man who is
now loyal to the flag; but because I don't
needlessly drag up the memories of the
past in such a case, 1 would not be misun-
derstood as wiping them out. No man who |
was loyal to the Union at that time can
afford to give any countenance to the |
statement of the Southern people that
they were right in attacking the govern |
ment. If they were right. We were wrong;
and that. you will find few men on our
side ready to admit. don't believe in |
Guessing over the events OF thirty-fve |
years ago by referring to that great strug- |
gle as a war between states'-as II we had /
had a lot of little principalites or petty |
republicshere, each independant of the !
others. and they had had an ordinary |
quarrel among themselves The civil war
was brought on by rebellion against the !
government That Is the only name to
give 1t. 1t Is a poor brand Of charity that /
tries to make it out anything else. In our |
official literature We designate the war of |
1861 as the War OF the Rebellion Its !
documentary history we call the Rebellion /
Record Those are the right forms OF
speech: but suspect that the next phase !
of our era of good feeling. socallcd, will be |
an attempt to change by legislation all |
such titles into something more euphon- !
icus. Such a movement should be resisted 7
by every patriot. We can forgive a rebel. I
but We must not ignore or pallia;e rebel /
lion"
Would you carry this to the extent of /
the ex-Confederate political |
Typ
"No. I should not fight a candidate for !
Office solely because he had taken part in |
the rebellion: but II the place he was after .
was wanted b. one OF our men, wouldn't |
leave a stone unturned to get it for our .
man"
How does your order regard President /
recent overiures to the South /
ern people?" |
The President IS very kind man. He 4
hates to see a spirit az sectionalism sur
vive in any part OF the country. In that !
view all good citizens agree with him. But I
that IS very different thing from showing !
any liberation for rebellion against Nhe /,
government Of the United States. Could /
anything be more significant than the way
his friendly overtures were metz The 4
Southern people seem 10 be divided 81 sen
tment between two factions: on was rep
resented by the man who pinned the Con- 1
fedeTate veterans badge upon the Presi- !
dents breast, as much as TO say He Is 1
one OF US This man evidently could not 4
recognize the Giffereuc~ between the good /
shown By the President toward his 4
former foes, and disposition on his part !
to wipe out the events Of our common his
tory That mans act und aubtedy to0k
the President as much BY surprise as
BUrchard's grouping az Rum Rona2isEa.
and Rsbelli6a Cid Blaine. IRE President
mast not be he'll Accountable for the s.1us-
i've act OF ore % his entertainers.
The other fActicn c,mpreaends the peo-
pie wh1 have made speeches and adaptsl
reSJ,uttorF de1ourcing the PTesideat's
suggestions. and asserting that The SgJth
Aas too nush seif-res2ect - consider
chem seriously. There are thu Two h1-us