Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1906-05-31

varying plans, although generally unit
ed in n common purpose of rendering
assistance to those in need, who had
dared the danger and shared the con.
fict." All, my friends, the Grand
Army OF the Republic had nobler sig
nifcancc to me when first realized
the purpose for which IL was started
1t was not conceived for the purpose
Of prsisng the deeds Of It's members
1t was started TO help the halt. the
maimed and the blind II was started
TO care for the widows and the orphans
Of the fallen comrades. And as take
of my hat to honor the empty sleeve
of the old veteran also take off my
hat to honor the little button Of the
veteran In that little button I see
the symbol of charity, OF sympathy and
Of big hearted brotherhood.
Having seen how the Grand Army
Of the Republic was started, we natu-
rally take step forward and see how
II became the greatest political factor
Of this country for over quarter of
| n century after the war was ended. If
| YOU 20 TO one Of the old soldiers and
| ask him what are tho politics Of the
Grand Army OF the Republic he will
vehemently deny that the Grand Army
Of the Republic has any political az
! finities. But again and again it
elected its Representatives. TO the White
House. Grant, Hayes, Garfield, Nc.
Kinley. all wore a soldiers uniform.
| The senatorial halls were crowded
with it's leaders The gubernato rial
chairs were filed with them. 1t was
said that all John t. Gordon had to
do when he was running for Office was
| to throw back his long hair and show
! the sabcr cut which he received In that
awful civil strife and the boys in
gray" would rally 10 lis support
Now, my friends, is thcrc no mighty
lesson for you and me TO learn from
this organization Of the Grand Army
OF the Republic? Docs it not teach a
lesson to he helpful to your old friends
when they are In distress? Is there
not lesson also TO be true to the
| friends of your youth and to stick 10
them through your middle life and also
through old age? It is a noble char
acteristic, that of fidelity to our
! friends Would that In the church and
social life it was more common. A
true hero is a man who is brave before
the attacks Of an enemy. He is also
the man who is steadfast and faithful
in his allegiance to an old friend
"Fratcrnity. charity. lovalty." are the
watchwords Of the Grand Army Of the
Republic. May they he the watch.
words Of the church. the home and the
state. May we be true TO our friends
always true, and never willing TO turn
our backs upon our f'ends nor upon
our foes.
But as ! soc the long line OF the
"bluecoats" called the Grand Army OF
the Republic file past am struck with
another fact There not a grander
set OF men on earth living than these
mon. take them MS whole. | was
talking with one Of tie chief officers OF
one Of our large sold rrs' homes some
time ago He said. "Somc OF the finest
nohlest men have crcr met are here
But though that he true. yet on account
Of the prominence Of the organization
and also on account n the grand mer
who compose this organization impos
tors have Crept IN ard have been the
means of discrediting the organization
TO some extent in tie eyes of many
who want TO be Just. false heroes have
multiplied almost as ~apdly since the
war closed as have the numbers o.
people who trace their ancestry t.
some man who crossed the Atlantic il
the Mavfowrr IN lG2O The American
who cannot find one Of his ancestors il
the cablns of tho pilgrims boat has III
ancestral ingenuity. Why. if we coun
the number Of descendants Of the pill
ErImS now living we must conclud,
that those piouS refugees were thu
most prolific ~, that ever descended
from Adam. What is true in referenc,
to the May1ower pilgrims is trne to
less extent Of many who have paradet
under the noble Uniform OF tile Crane
Army. Sometimes | feel that the wa
heroes can he manufactured TO order il
our day almost as readily as the guide
can pick up the bullets and the rusty
fintlocks upon tho battlefield Of Wa
ter!oo. which those same guides buried
only a few days before they led tn,
gullible tourists to the places where
they could find them.
ImpostOrs on the Rolls.
Shame. shame. We say when SO man,
noble men have fought and blcd an,
sacrificed for their country that impos
tors and deceivcrs should parade abou
as heroes. And because these lmpos
tors have crept in upon the pension
rolls, the country has become suspi
cious. At the same time there are hun
dredS and thousands of noble veteran
deserving of better treatment who ar,
being allowed TO suffer and who hav
no adequate provision made for then
and the support of their dear ones.
We find ourselves in similar posi-
ton to that Of General Taylor afte
his elevation to the White House. ~
sooner was he Installed than grea
number Of men came to him and said
Give us position. We fought wit
you at Buena Vista. Give us Il posi-
ton" One day. after listening pa
ticntlv To a candidate who wanted T.
he postmaster in a Missouri town o.
the ground that he had fought undo
the president in the Mexican war, Gen
-