The National tribune., 1901-11-21
TO PERPETUATE THE GAR.
Commander Kilmer Replies to an Indiana
Comrades Criticisms.

EDITOR NATIONAL TRInrXE: In The Nj
tional Tribune of Oct. II, is an article fror
! Comrade ". y. McCu,loch, OF Brazil. Ind
severely cFiiiciZing my plan OF admitting III
he SAYS l let my pen slip There he make
mistake. ! had just quoted another CON
! rndc who had proposed all hOnora bl ly-dis
charged soldiers. ] limited TO soldiers of aC
/ tual warfare. ComradC NcCuilOch says
why sclfsh:" / think he must admi
that | am less selfish than he, for | am will
Ing to admit those who served in war tn
same as he and /, while he is too selfish T.
admit any but 81 to 'G5-crs
tomrade Mctulloch quotes me correctly n
regards the sentiment of letting the 6. a
x. die. | have no sympathy with those wh'
are willing TO let the G. A. r. die. | v!sl
to perpetuate it, and to do so with the sam,
kind of material as that of which it wa
originally composed.
Comrade McCullOch does not regard m!
argument as strong. He finds fault with mi
statement that five years from now 1t will b,
more difficult to maintain Posts than now
and asks why five yearsf"
Well, sure enough! Why five years. Why
not have said one year, or seven years, or /:
years? 1t would have been just as easy and
none the less true. Let the cOmrade subSti
tute for my five years any number that suits
him better. II will not alter the fact. / am
not selfish in that matter. Fix the number
to suit yourself COmTade,
Comrade McCulloch also grumbles at my
fixing 10 years as the limit of the survival OF
ent rate some may not last so long. Many
will last longer. But it needs no prophet tC
predict n dissolution that all acknowledge
will some day come, when every Department
of the g. A. X. will be dead, and think that
day will come while many of those who
served from 81 to 80 are still living.
COmrade McCulloch thinks the q. A. II.
would die quicker by enlarging he list of
e:igibles than if left as it is. l think other
wise.
Comrade McCulloch asks "why not admit
all who gave aid TO the Government in the
war with Spain" etc? Well, cOmrade, l
think am advocating already more than you
are in favor Of but | desire to perpetuate the
g. A. X. by making eligible to membership
only those who have proven their love for
the nag and all it stands for In like man
ner with those who composed its original
That's why! Is that an an
swer? You desire Il natural death of the Or
the end of time, if possible,
and to do il with like materials.
He next accuses me Of insinuating that the
G. A. X. claims greater patriotism than be-
longs to those of later wars Not so, COM
rade. only state that by refusing them
membership in the c. A. Il. we set up for
ourselves a different standard than we ac-
cord to them.
l certainly recognize the right of the G.
A. II. or any other organization to make laws,
rules and regulations as may appear TO them
best, but / claim the right-as n member of
any such organiZatiOn-to endeavOr to secure
such changes in these same laws rules and
regulations as in my judgment would produce
letter and more lasting results.
The rules and regulations Of the G. A. r.
nave many times been changed. Changes are
low proposed, some of which / hope to see
adopted. | suppoSe-frOm the position taken
~ Comrade McCulloch-that he will oppose
hem all, and look upon the authors Of pro-
posed changes as meddlers who are simply
preaching what he calls pessimistic ''bosh."
have no patience with his pcroratiOn. and
10 desire to live to be the last member Of the
J. A. X. No; rather let my last moments be
heered by the thought that the noble Order
which we all love, has been so recruited, such
lew life has been Infused Into Il by admis-
ion Of such young blood as once filed Its
eins, that 1t is destined to live on and on,
md that the organization will survive for
.ver. Thus let the q. A. r.. cOntinue.--E. ].
Corpus Christi. Tex.