The National tribune., 1909-09-02

THE SONS OF VETERANS.


The meeting in this city Of the Ma
tional Encampment of the Sons of Vet
Grams, U. S. A, made very pleasant
impression upon all who saw them. 1t
was body of young men of unusual
intelligence, social position and of high
patriotism manifested in every word
and act. The Sons of Veterans show
themselves in every &ay worthy de-
scendants of that magnificent army to
which the country owes everything.
While there can be no such thing as
an aristocracy in this country, the Sons
of Veterans come far nearer represent
ing that word in the best sense and in
the sense in which the word originated
and was used for many centuries than
any other organization. 1t is a coilec-
ton of the best" and the best" must
always mean those who have IT in their
blood to devote themselves to the high
est ideals of the country and to unhesi-
tatingly sacrifice themselves and every
thing else to secure those ideals. The
Union army necessarily gathered into
its ranks the very best in the country
the highest products of our American
schools. churches and homes. The war
for the salvation of the Union was
war to make effective the lessons which
the soldiers had learned in those homes.
schools and churches. 1t goes without
saying that the children of those men
! who fought four years for the preserva-
ton of the Union have in their blood
and breeding a higher patriotism, a
| more sincere devotion to high ideals
than any other class of men can have.
secure for it the greatest goodness pos
sible to human government may be on
any other mans lips mere sounding
brass and tinkling cymbal. They are
words of intense force and meaning to
a son of veteran. His birthright is a
| pledge OF unquestioning devotion to the
highest interests of the Nation.
The only regret in connection with
| the Sons of Veterans is that the organ
ization is not much larger than it is. 1t
should be 100000 strong. and it is the
great regret of the G. A. r. that it IS
far from having reached that COM
manding proportion. The country
strongly needs the Sons of Veterans
built up to the strength of 1000, 00e.
Nothing that could be possibly done
would make SO irresistibly for the coun-
| try's progress and the security of its in
stitutions. At this time, when foreign
ers, ignorant of the very fundamental
| principles of free government. grossly
Indifferent to all that has been done to
/ make the country what it is, are coming
hither by millions, it is absolutely nee
essary that we should have an organ
ization of at least 100000 of the sons
| of the men who fought for the country,
presenting everywhere and all the time
solid, unquaiiing phaIanx to support
American principles and maintain our
! institutions In their purity. III every
great city where are congregated masses
of these raw and undiGested elements
there should be strong body of Sons
of Veterans supporting, by precept and
example, infiexibly and insistently, the
ideals of government as cherished by
their fathers.
We have never been able to see why
the Sons of Veterans should not grow
to the numerical strength of the Ma
sons, the Odd Fellows and other bodies
which have much less foundation for
bringing men into united action than
have the Sons of Veterans We Still
continue to cherish the hope that the
Order will take the growth which II
deserves and rise to the numerical
strength that 1t should have. The proud
history made by their fathers is a sufi
: cient basis of union for the sons, ant
when to this is added the great public
need of such an organization to NEE
storms which may suddenly assail oul
| Government, 1t seems to US that the
reasons for the growth of the Ordel
, are irresistible. When we looked upoI
/ the splendid body of young men assem-
bled in National Encampment, orr faith
. grew brighter that these men would de-
i wise a way by which to give the Order
the growth that We all long ana hope
lfor.