The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1900-10-11

ans, which has never been published
heretofore. 1t is given now, because
now is an appropriate time to have it
read and pondered;
I'm THE WAY"
'He is in my way; will he never die?'
Said the vain young man as he drew a sigh.
81 am tired and sick; the veteran crew
Is always on hand where there's aught to do.
II do never turn but there's some old vet
To dispute my way-to worry and fret;
He has had his day, and hope, ere long,
He will not be known, except in song.'
Well! it may be best that the world forget
The terrible strife and the old SCARED ''vet;"
He never has asked and he does not now,
That all in the world shall TO his will bow.
But listen, young man, who would have his
feet
Go swift on the path to the last retreat
Can you tell me where you'd have been today
If once "old vets" had not stood-"in the
way?"
1t was treason's hour, and like a great pail,
Low the dark clouds hung and gloom was
DER all;
And the rebel hordes in long lines of gray
way"
On Vicksburgs fair heights, where rebels
penned in
Like demons made fight, their freedom to
win,
And sure would have won, but day after day
Old veterans stood like wall-''in the way"
When Donelson's forts belched fire in red
streams
When thick air was pierced with tn shells
awful screams;
When Buckner faced death to carry the day
He failed, for veterans. stood-''in the way"
On Gettysburg's field where furies of hell
Let loose ON our boys and the OLD rebel yell
Rang down the long lines of the on-coming
crew,
AS painting, they charged on the brave boys
in blue:
When charge after charge met awful defeat,
Till yells of delight turned to cries of ire
treat"
Till beaten they broke and fed in dismay,
Because the old veterans stood lin the
way"
When Sherman's long line cut treason in
twain,
And traitors fought back again and again,
When ION to the sea''-the band would not
stay
Twas veterans SCARED who marched-"in
the way
On Winchester's road when victory seemed
For traitors assured and bayonets cleaned,
Twas Sheridan's voice changed the tide that
And veterans turned and stood-"in the
way"
AT Lookout whose top with the fire was
ablaze
From guns which belched death through the
hours and the days,
There marched up its sides, fighting columns
of gray,
Long lines of the blue-"old vets''-"ip the
way
In Wilderness swamp, the rebels laid deep
A scheme to entrap-to catch Grant asleep"
But firm as rock the blue met the gray
The line of old veterans stood-''in the way
Along the Potomac, where war was so red
dead;
Where blood flowed as free as waters do
flow,
Where thousands who fell no mortal may
know;
Where life was as cheap as breath we inhale;
Where Death was let loose and He'll in it's
trail;
Where Greek met the Greek and traitors
fell back
From march of the blue on blood-beaten
track;
Where ground, inch by inch, was fought DER
and DER;
Where men for their homes their life blood
did pour;
Where steel clashed on steel and saber-stroke
rung;
Where men died alone, their deeds all un-
sung;
Where shot was like hail, and shells shrieked
through air,
And flashed in the light like meteors' glare;
Where men became dumb and fell to the
dust,
A ball through the heart or cold saber thrust;
Where comrades cried out in the hour of
death
For mother, for home, with quick, fieeting
breath;
Mid scenes which no tongue can tell, or e'er
may,
The veterans stood, young man-"ln the
way"
From Sumter's first shop, and armies first
tread
To old Appomattox, where treason lay dead,
Along the whole line, 'gainst the army in
gray,
The veterans stood in blue-"in the way
p. IL. BRIsTow.
1t seems to me that every Grand
Army man, every man who wore the
blue in that awful struggle for the
Nations life, should see to it that the
presidential candidate who sneered