The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1902-02-12
VETERAN LEGION DINNER
NATIONAL COMMANDER BROWN, OF
WASHINGTON, A GUEST.
He Says Harrison, Mckinley and 9th
er Presidents Did Little for
Their Brother Soldiers.

The Union Veteran Legion last night
gave a banquet at it's hall in the Pierson
block, on North Delaware street, in honor
Of National Commander J. Edwin Brown.
of Washington, ID. c. After the banquet,
in which the guest of honor, George c.
James, past national commander, of Gin
cinnati, o., Burgess Brown, of the Bald
headed Glee Club, and forty-two of the
members participated, the members ad-
journed to the main hall, where Mr.. Brown
addressed them. He said in part:
Il do not suppose that in America to-day
there is a prOuder man than i. There are
a great many things for us TO think about.
We belong TO an organization the like of
which has never been known in the history
of the world. The requirements to become
a member of the legion are such that a
man has to prove himself a true and loyal
soldier before he enter our portals.
The fact that We stand side by side with
such men should make extremely proud.
When we look back al the citizen soldiery
of America We can feel that we hold posi-
ton better than the world has seen.
Look at the war of l1l6. The average Serv-
ice of those men who formed the country
was less than nine months. To-day the
descendants of those men are searching
every record they can find to get some
statistics 10 show the service of their fore
fathers in that great struggle. When we
think of those men and women who feel
SO proud of being sons and daughters of
soldiers Of the revolution it naturally
comes to our minds what will our descend
ants of hundred years hence think
when they find their forefathers fought
from beginning to end in the greatest
struggle the world has known?
1T may be true the soldiers of the revo-
luton formed the Nation We made the
Nation. Had it not been for our services.
as the President of the United States has
said, all that had been done before was
entirely useless. We should be proud we
are veterans of from 1861 to 1865. We are
proud of that little brown shield which
we wear in the buttonholes of our coats.
The man who wins the Victoria cross of
England, the Iron Cross of Germany,
struts about in his pride. This little en-
bem is one of greater honor than those
given by the King Emperor. Their
blems are given TO men who make soldier
ing profession. These little buttons
which we wear represent the services of
men who left everything for the service of
their country; turned their backs on
fathers, mothers, sons daughters, brothers
and sisters for love of country and without
hope of recOmpense. Had it not been for
our efforts to save that flag which is now
respected in every corner of the globe we
would not to-day have a country or q
home we could call our own.
Although we are growing old, 1 believe
1t is the duty of each of us to search out
every comrade who is eligible to member
ship; to wear the emblem of long service,
and try and get him to become one of us. L
know there are not great many. In my
researches l have found but one. While
one of these men remains outside OF our
1OlQ IL Is our duty to search MIN out ana
get him in. l want you TO think of this.
LITTLE HELP FROM PRESIDENTS.
I'm speaking of the politician do not
| speak with the greatest confidence, be-
cause to my knowledge so many of them
| have broken their promises. We have had
| in the executive chair of this great Nation a
number of men who stood beside us in our
great fight to save the country There were
Grant. Hayes, Benjamin Harrison and
late lamented President William Mckinley
look back over their careers and fail to
find any real instance where they advo-
Gated measures in the interests of the men
with whom they fought and who saved this
! glorious country of ours.
when we look over the pension rolls we
| find men who served but three, six or nine
| months, getting great big pensions, while
many of us who served from beginning to
| end and came out without hospital rec
| ord getting little or nothing. There is
| not one out Of ten of US who is getting
what he deserves. There is nothing that
! this government can bestow upon you to
| amply repay you for the service you rem
dered from 1851 to 1865, and don't you forget
| ii. The men who sit in Congress can take
| off their hats to every one of us and say
! 1 owe my position to what you II in
| that great struggle from 1861 to 1865
| I'VE have a new man in the chair. do
not know what he will be. L only hope
that he will prove TO be the man he had
1 SHOWN he COulU De. lie HTSI time L met
| him he said he wished he could take an
hour to tell what he thought of the boys
| who fought from 1861 TO 1866. He said he
! had only time to refer to his speech at
| Burlington, VT, a few days before his
| predecessor was shot at Buffalo. In that
| speech he eulogizes the veterans of from
| 1861 to 1866. At another time he said to
| me: AS much as l love the men who stood
| beside me in the last war love the veter-
| ans of 1861 to 1860 far better His first
| message to Congress was a reiteration of
no Of h
| short time ago L went to him to thank him
| for his message. l told him on your be-
| half that our gratitude was due to him.
| He said, You owe me nothing and then
| stepping back, standing there before many
! notable men waiting for an interview, he
! lifted his hand to his hat and said, L touch
| my hat to every veteran Of the civil war
| l only trust he will prove to be a better
| friend of the veteran who stayed in the
| fight from beginning to end than we have
| had before"
The speaker then referred to the bills be-
| fore Congress providing for the per diem
| system of paying pensions, which in the
event of passage would require the ox-
| penditure on the part of the government
! of an additional $4,000 900 annually. In ex-
| planning his views as to why he thought
| the bill would not pass he became sarcastic
| in referring 10 the legislators who owed
| their positions TO the veterans.
| Mr.. Brown was followed by Past Ma
| tional Commander George c. James. of
| Cincinnati, who talked of his efforts to
/ secure the passage of pension laws. Bur
/ cess DIOWns a IHeIuDtT OF the famous Bald
/ headed Glee Club of this city, entertained
| the members for half hour more with
| dramatic recitalS, all of which were vigor-
| ously apDlauded. His reference to Com
| mander Brown as prince among the vet
| Grams, greater than the foreign prince from
| Germany who is shortly to come here from
| Washington, and his finale to a recitation
/ in which George Spahr was made a figure
| were particularly pleasing. The entertain
| ment concluded with few remarks by
members of. the encampment.