Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-02-05
VETERANS OBJECT.
ottumwa Veterans Dislike the Propo.
sition to Admit Sons.


Prominent members of the local
posts of the Grand Army of the Re-
public do not take very kindly to the
proposition that has been made by
some of the members of that organi
cation that the Sons of Veterans
should be admitted to membership in
the G. A. R. for the purpose of perpet-
| uating that organization. 1t is recog-
nized that the membership of the
Grand Army of the Republic is fast
becoming decimated and that it will
be but a few years when the last of
the boys" who marched away so
gaily in the early sixties shall have
answered the last roll call. There
seems to be some apprehension among
many members as to what will then
become of the organization and there
are those who have advocated the
admission of the Sons of Veterans for
onel Jonn Lindt, of Council Bluffs,
commander of the department of Iowa,
| has expressed himself as favorable to
mated that, if need be, the men who
fought in the Spanish-American war,
be also taken in.
Col. ,lIndtS Idea.
While on a recent visit to Cedar
Rapids to arrange for the next en-
] campment which will be held in that
city, Colonel Lindt gave expression to
his views on this subject, which is of
prime importance to every member Of
the G. A. R. si''a
Colonel Lindt was asked what he
thought of the proposition that the
Grand Army of the Republic should
J absorb the Sons of Veterans, admit
ting them to membership, a question
that will be proposed at the next ma
tional encampment to be held in San
Francisco At the state encampment
to be held in Cedar Rapids, the Iowa
delegation to the national body will
probably be instructed upon this mat
ter Commander Lindt said he was
inclined to favor the admission of the
Sons Of Veterans to perpetuate the or
: ganization. Not only that but he
! would extend the privilege to the sol
diers of the Spanish-American war and
the instruction in the Philippine
, islands and those of any other wal
that might occur in the future. Ii il
should be found eXpedient or necessa
ry to extend the requirements OF ad
mission of the Grand Army he would
favor as members those who have
been soldiers in the armies OF The
United States, and the sons OF those
soldiers, but excluding those whose
fathers had served in the confederate
army during the rebellion. II the iden
tity OF the organization must change
the feature of the nations soldiers
uniting together for their common
good should be maintained.
The question is one that has beel
discussed much of late and the post
of the state are taking it up. The aN
eraga age of the members now is =
SO that the grand army as an organ
cation must eventually perish. Iher
are those who hold that it cannot b
perpetuated by taking in an entirel
new membership, and that the son
of veterans will live to perpetual
I the memory of those who fought i
s the rebellion, but the G. A. r. as
organization must perish from tn
earth when the last veteran membe
shall have passed away. While
) would be desirable to perpetuate tn
organization still there are many i
! 1.-THE society who are not in sympath
{ with the plan proposed of admittln
s the Sons of Veterans.
: Some criticism has been passed III
; on the commission for fixing May 3
I as the date for the dedication of tn
soldiers monument. Commando
s Lindt said he had not heard any sci
Gus objections to the date chosen, tt
only one having been made being tn;
many men who ordinarily make a
( dresses on memorial day would be u
{ able to attend the dedication. One re
son why the date of the coming low
3 encampment was fixed for May 10
! % inclusive was to give the Iowa We
s Grams opportunity to attend the Shilc
dedication. For this service the col
mission has secured rate of one al
one-third fare from all points in low
to Paducah, KY, and return. Fro
: there the trip will be made up tt
s Tennessee river.