The National tribune., 1901-10-31
THE GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC.
Reply to Comrade Kilmer's Proposition to
Admit Yeteraus of ALL Wars

= sailors of the United States army and navy
: he lets his pen slip and circumscribes the or
der, by saying: Il would, however limit Il
r TO those who served in actual warfare -
y Why so selfish as this? My comrade is op
q posed to selfshness in the G. A. R., How
: do l know? BY what he says. Hear him
In referring to an editorial in The National
Tribune in the Issue OF May 16 in which
yon advocate the admission of the sons of
= veterans. he says: You allude to a strong
! desire on the part of many comrades that
the G. A. X. shall die out with the last OF
Its members. That there is such desire
on the part of many is indeed true, but let
me say right here that l have no sympathy
with any such desire. ] cannot understand
nor appreciate such an Idea. Such an idea
seems to me TO be founded a morbid,
selfish sentiment, which is not only selfish,
but at the same time impractCablc."
Then he breaks ont in n pesSimStic strain
and mournfully declares that LAS matters
stand now there are hundreds of Posts that
are nearly dead for want of members to keep
them alive This may be so; it might still
be so were we to admit all soldiers
of all the wars and sons of veterans. 1t is
so In regard to churches and lodges Hence
l do not regard his argument, just quoted,
as strong one. He then becomes prophetic
and reveals to us the fact that Five years
from now The does not tell us why the limit
Is five years. this difficulty will be much in
| creased, as In 10 years twhy 10 years. the
G. A Il. will be practically dead in many Of
the Departments" His prophetic vision
enables him 10 see continuation of his dy-
ing conditiOn-''unti at length the time will
come when the G. A. r., as an organization,
will be dead and there will still be thou
sands of soldiers living, and yet too scat
| tered to maintain an organization"
| As prophet he may be a success; all his
| statements in regard to this last matter
may be true, and yet his proposition 10 per
weak that his prophetic eye might have be
held Its dissolution. He thinks there will
be the same need of patriotic teaching In
the future as in the past. Certainly, No
nnn will hnt in
Is being taught, in the home, on the stump,
through the press in the public schools,
sometimes IN the pulpit, and and by h1I various
refuse membership in the G. A. II. to those
who sprung to duty at the country's call
In the war with Spain, or followed the nag
on the far distant soil of the Philippinesf'
He might. with the same degree of pro-
priety, have asked: Why should we refuse
membership in the G. A. X. to those loyal
men and women Of the North and South who
gave their money to carry on the war with
Spain and who gave their sons to fight our
cOuntry's battles? If the G. A. X. is only
an institution Of patriotism and loyalty,
there could be no sensible reason assigned
for not receiving all loyal and patriotic men
and women, But we now come to the most
singular and unreasonable criticism, by way
of insinnation that has ever come under my
observation. He says: The present mem
bers Of the G. A. X. and all who remain
of the matchless band of heroes who fol-
lowed the flag from 81 to 80, proven pa
trlOtS though nave DNtNht va
patriotism, nor can they claim for them
selves greater degree of bravery than be- |
longs to the men of Dewey's fleet, or that
Of Schley or sampson, nor the heroes OF
San Juan and FL Caney, nor any OF the
numerous engagements that have since oc- |
Cured in the Philippines" My comrade,
do you not know that the g.. A. X. has |
never set up such claims, neither directly
nor Indirectly as is found In your insinua-
tlCn? If you were cOnversant with u. A
r. literature, If you were familiar with the
principles and objects OF our beloved order,
you would realize the great mistake you
have made In the garing declaration. My
dear cOmrade thinks the National Encamp-
ment made great mistake In lS0s In re-
fusng to admit to membership the soldiers
of the Spanish War. Well that Is matter
of wisdom between my cOmrade and the /
National Encampment. Here my comrade
and / part company, and / align myself
along with the National Encampment on this
question. | have been in G. 4. r. work for
% years, was well acquainted with some of
the comrades who organized the first Post
at Decatur, i'll. They were Gen. l. c. Pugh,
first Provisional Commander ii the G. A. r.;
Maj. Geo. X. Steel, Capt NJ f. Kanan, ali
OF my regiment G1st I'D. I. G. Pugh was
cur first Colonel. When the c. A. r. was
organized those having the matter in charge
doubtless believed that, in this free coun-
try Of ours, they had right TO organize
as they did, and that they were at liberty
as all other organizations have been Mt lib
erty, to prescribe the eligibility Of their men,
Dershlp, without subjecting themselves TO
unjust criticism. / believe our hardships
long marches, long service with me II was
Tour years., our battles and our victories,
enfitle us to some liberties In this country
W Nho ever questioned the right of the Masons
other order, to formulate their own laws
ana prescribe terms of membership? |
hHoM =, OF no reason why an exception should
be made In regard to the G. A. r. In re-
eard 10 the perpetuity or death of the G:
A. H. VIII say, In my judgment we could
not pursue more suicidal policy than TO
admit the soldiers Of other wars ! believe
the Order would die quicker by admitting
soldiers of other wars than by any other
refhod. l am not of the opinion that the
9. A. r. will be practically dead in many .
u u the Departments In 10 years" I presume
that majority Of the ex-Union soldiers are
not over go years OF age. One OF the most |
faithful attendants Of our Post is com
-ade ~ years old Let US cease this pessl-
nistlc "bOsh" about the death OF the c. A. | .,
z. Time enough to preach the funeral of
he g. A. r. after its death.
III all ex-UnioI soldiers Of 81 to '65 will
Join the G. A. II. and be faithful in their
Iears yet. Let us work along this life line
And when our work as G. A. r. men shall
ease, when we have marched in procession
-Or the last time to the city of the dead
when We organization shall have for :
he last time strewn the flowers OF Spring
line over the silent resting place of our de- !
ime, placed the Stars and Stripes over those .
'acred mounds, and when the Grand Army
If the Republic shall have died. and the
scattered thousands" of soldiers shall have J..
Ieen called hence, until there is but one
left, may We not hope that that 4
VIII be my dear COmrade Kilmer?
md that he, In his declining years. with 7
leart OverfiOwing with patriotism and 10y
Ilty to country, may pay the last sad rites
o our noble dead, and that In doing so he
nay realize the great responsibility that
ests upon him the only surviving hero
# the greatest war the world ever knew.
And that as he stands at the graves Of our
immortal :.G.DgE, .Gt Ia last time, cOntem-
'lating the scene his mind filed with mem
'ries Of the past, possibly a tear upon his 1
GrTowed cheek may his thoughts turn heav-
inward, and may he be able, with an eye a
Il faith to penetrate the glorious future,
md for moment behold that blood washed
hrong-our immortal hero-cOmrades, the G. "
\. R.-above. And when the moment
omes when he shall depart this life, may 7
lis last moments be his best moments; and
hat he shall die In the triumphs of the liv- y
ng faith and merit the divine appreciation
# the Great Jehovah, and receive Il crown I
II everlasting life In that eternal homo.
Thus let the G. A. X. pass out Of existence.-l
n. ID. MCCULLOUGH, Adjutant, Gen.
janby Post, No. 2, Department of Indiana,
}. A. r., and Past Commander. Brazil Ind.
Home for the Veteran and His Wife T