Democratic messenger. [volume] (Snow Hill, Md.) 1869-1973, 1906-06-02

widows and orphans.
Let me read to you the following
words once spoke. 10y Commander In
Chief George s. Nrrrlll: Into the
earliest hours of well won peace there
came the presence of disabled veterans.
suffering families. distressed homes.
The aid To these came chccrfillly, but
without organization. and the fire.
qucncy of the call speedily awakened
the sense that something In the line OF
systematiZcd effort was not only dcsIr-
Die but imperative. All over the north
sprang up veteran associations, with
varying plans. although generally unit
ed in common purpose Of rendering
assistance 10 those In need, who had
dared the danger and shared the con
ilict" All. my friends. the Grand
Army of the Republic had a nObler sig
nlfcancc TO me when | first realized
the purpose for which IL was started.
IL was not conceived for the purpose
of praisin2 the deeds of its members.
II was started to help the halt, the
MANNED and the blind. Ii WAS started
TO care for the widows and the orphans
of the fallen comrades. And as ! take
off my hat To honor the empty sleeve
of the old veteran | also take or my
hat 10 honor the little button OF the
veteran. In that little button 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 II step forward and see how
1t became the greatest political factor
of this country for over quarter Of
n century after the war was ended II
you 20 to one of the old soldiers and
ask him what are the politics of the
Grand Army of the Republic he will
vcllcmently deny that the Grand Army
of the Republic has any political af-
iinitics. But again and again IL
elected its representatives To the White
House. Grant Hayes. Garfield. Me
| Kinley. all wore Il soldiers uniform.
The senatorial halls were crowded
with its leaders The gubernatOrial
chairs were filled with them. 1t was
said that all John H. Gordon had TO
do when he was running for office was
TO throw back his long hair and show
the saber cut which he received In that
awful civil strife and the boys in
gray" would rally to his support
Now. my friends. Is there no mighty
lesson for you and me 10 learn from
this organization Of the Grand Army
of the Republic; Does II not teach Il
n
when they are In distress? Is there
not II lesson also to he true TO the
| friends of your youth and 10 stick to
them through your middle life and also
through old age II Is noble char
acteristic. that Of fidelity to our
friends Would that In the church and
social life IL was more common. 4
true hero IL II man who IL brave before
| the attacks of an enemy. He Is also
| the man who Is steadfast and faithful
In his allegiance to an old friend.
Fraternity, charity loyalty" 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 he true To our friends,
always true. and never willing 10 turn
our backs upon our friends nor upon
our foes.
But rs | see the long line Of the
"bluccoats" called the Grand Army OF
the Republic file past / am struck with
another fact There Is not grander
set Of men on earth living than these
men. take them rs n whole. | was
talking with one of the chief officers OF
one Of our large soldiers homes some
time ago. He said, Some of the finest.
noblest men I have ever met are here"
But though that be true. yet on account
of the prominence of the organization
and also on account of the grand men
who compose this organization impos-
tors have crept In and have been the
means OF dscrediting the organization
TO some extent in the eyes of many
who want to he just. False heroes have
multiplied almost as rapidly since the
war closed as have the numbers OF
people who trace their ancestry TO
some man who crossed the Atlantic In
the Mayilower in l62O. The American
who cannot find one of his ancestors in
the cabins of the pilgrims boat has no
ancestral ingenuity Why. II We count
| the number of descendants of the pill
grims now living we must conclude
that those plous refugees We're the
most prolific race that ever descended
from Adam. What Is true in reference
10 the Maytlower pilgrims is true to Il
less extent Of many who have paraded
under the noble uniform of the Grand
Army. Sometimes | feel that the war
heroes can he manufactured to order In
our day almost rs readily as the guides
can pick up the bullets and the rusty
| iintlocks upon the battlefield Of Wa
terloo, which those same guides buried
only n few days before they led the
gulllble tourists TO the places where
they could find them.
Impostors ON the Rolls.
Shame. shame. we say when so many
noble men have fought and BLEED and
sacrificed for their country that impos-
tors and deceivers should parade about
as heroes. And because these impos-