Milford chronicle., 1906-06-01

started as an institution Of mercy fo
widows and orphans.
Let me read to you the followin
words once spoken by Commander 1
Chief George S. Merrill: Into th
earliest hours Of well won peace ther
came the presence of disabled veterans
suffering families, distressed homes
The aid to these came cheerfully, bu
without organization, and the FIRE
quency of the call speedily awakened
the sense that something in the line Of
systematized effort was not only -desir
able but imperative. All over the north
sprang up veteran associations, with
varying plans, although generally unit
ed in a common purpose of rendering
assistance to those in need, who had
dared the danger and shared the con-
hict" All, my friends, the Grand
Army of the Republic had a nObler sig
nificance to me when l first realized
the purpose for which it was started.
1t was not conceived for the purpose
of praising the deeds of its members.
It was started to help the halt, the
manned and the blind. 1t was started
| to care for the widows and the orphans
of the fallen comrades. And as l take
| off 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.
ha n
of the Republic was started, we natu-
rally take step forward and see how
1t became the greatest political factor
Of this country for over a quarter Of
a century after the war was ended. If
you go to one of the old soldiers and |
ask him what are the politics of the
Grand Army of the Republic he will |
yehemently deny that the Grand Army |
Of the Republic has any political af-
fnities. 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 its leaders. The gubernatOrial
chairs were filed with them. 1t was
said that all John B. 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 to learn from
this organization Of the Grand Army
Of the Republic? Does it not teach a
esson to be helpful to your old friends
when they are in distress? Is there
lOt a lesson also to be true to the
friends of your youth and to stick to
hem through your middle life and also
through old age? 1t is a noble char ]
that of fidelity to our ,
Would that in the church and ,
ocial life it was more common. A
rue hero is a man who is brave before
be attacks of an enemy. He is also !
be man who is steadfast and faithful :
4 his allegiance to an old friend. ,
fraternity, charity, loyalty" are the 4
Of the Grand Army of the q
.epubllc. May they be the watch :
'Ords of the church, the home and the =
ate. May we be true to our friends .
ways true, and never willing to turn 9
If backs upon our friends nor upon =
IT foes. :,
But as I see the long line of the n
)luecoats" called the Grand Army Of Ii
e Republic file past 7 am struck with il
lOther fact. There is not grander r
t of men on earth living than these r
en-, take them as a whole 1 was A
liking with one of the chief officers Of ot
e Of our large soldiers homes some q,
ne ago. He said, "SOme of the finest in
blest men 1 have ever met are here"
1t though that be true, yet on account of
the prominence of the organization 60
ID also on account of the grand men n,
no compose this organization impos- ar
rs have crept in and have been the en-
sans of discrediting the organization ca
some extent in the eyes of many vo
10 want to be just. False heroes have ~,
llhpked almost as rapidly since the no
II closed as have the numbers of ~
Ople who trace their ancestry to T.;
me man who crossed the Atlantic in n,
2 Mayfower in 1920. The American D,
40 cannot find one Of his ancestors in p.
e cabins of the pilgrims boat has NO an
cestral ingenuity. Why, if we count bo
e number of descendants of the pill az
inns now living we must conclude d,
at those piOus refugees were the Al
)st prolific race that ever descended L.
1m Adam. What is true in reference
the Maydower pilgrims is true to de
IS extent Of many who have paraded ho
der the noble uniform of the Grand ~,
my. Sometimes l feel that the war ~
roes can be manufactured to order in ,s
r day almost as readily as the guides
n pick up the bullets AID the rusty
atlociSs NRee the battlefield of Wa
'ieO yA aAsse same guides buried
" fbw Gays before they led the
slsSle 1sugiSss to the places where
~ ess saa them.