Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1910-10-07
TO THE GRAND ARMY
Commander Of Sedgwck Post
Suggests important Change
Advises That Associate Members and
Others Be Admitted to Voting and Of
flee Holding Membership.


Others Be Admitted to Voting and Of
flee Holding Membership.
Editor of The Phenix:-
l have something l want to say rela-
tive to the Grand Army and its work, and
radical suggestion to make to its mem
bers and all others of allied interest.
Soon after the close Of the Civil war
an organization was formed among the
surviving Union soldiers, sailors and
marines. That is the Grand Army of the
Republic. Its object is well set forth in
its motto: Fraternity, charity and loyal
ty." The practical and earnest working
of that motto is assured by words in it's
ritual. A post commander in closing any
regular meeting admonishes the members
in words of the ritual to carry with them
in their daily lives that fraternity of
feeling which should bind them together
as comrades, that charity which shall
make them alert to deeds of assistance
to each other and to their bereaved fam
lilies, and that loyalty which shall bind
them to a faithful performance of their
duties as citizens.
They are truly fraternal. There is no
distinction between members. There are
no titles. There are no badges Of rank.
The little bronze button is the universal
symbol of brotherhood. Whenever they
meet they are at once brothers They
meet on the plane of mutual interest, and
it makes every member stronger and
better to feel that he is one of a great and
earnest brotherhood whose every life
reaches out to his own
But this fraternal feeling does not end
with abstract sentiment. 1t Is concreted
into a great and mighty system of be-
nevolent assistance. Every member OF
the Grand Army is not only willing but
glad to give needed help of any kind to
any other member. II 1t is employment
that he needs all others will do what
they can to get it for him. II it is money
help that he needs his case will be at
tended to on its merits. II any member
be stranded and in need anywhere in the
country where there is post il it comes
to the attention of the commander his
needs are supplied. Whenever a post
member is sick he is given from the post
funds such assistance as he needs. And
the families of deceased soldiers are
helped if they need. Numberless and
without the possibility Of number are
the cases throughout our country which
have thus been attended to. There has
been expended by the Grand Army for
needy members and their families upward
of twelve millions dollars. But the figures
which compute the money spent cannot
express the great rolling tide OF SYM
pathy, of personal encouragement, of
ethical strength which has thus come to
those in trouble.
The work and influence OF the Grand
disseminating an interest in the principles
of our government are great beyond COM
prehension 1t has organized patriotic in
struction in our schools, hoisted the
American flag over the schoolhouses, and
now the hearts and consciousness Of all
our younger generations are filled with
| loyalty 1t has flooded the country with
| lectures, literature and picture enter
| tainments until now the spirit OF loyalty
| to the government is one of the cardinal
| elements OF character in all our people.
| But probably the most potent effect of
| Grand Army influence is found in the OBJ
| servance OF Memorial day. This not only
| crystalizes the sentiment Of patriotism,
| but ii makes us better people. The dec
| Grafton of a grave brings us in touch
with the metaphysical, refines us, en-
| larges our feeling. Any Grand Army man
| would decorate the grave OF a Confed-
| crate soldier with as holy a feeling al he
would place flowers on the grave OF
| Union soldier, recognizing in the one case
| as in the other the worth of American
| valor and the sublimity OF death. The
| fact that the whole country now remem-
| bers its dead of all classes argues well
| for the general refinement of thought
| And the fact that in every community
| the citizens pay such marked attention
| to their soldier dead speaks volumes for
| the patriotism of the country. The sight
| OF million children each year marching
flowers in their little hands to lay on
| soldiers graves assures us that the
patriotism of the country will live when
we are gone.
In all our work we have been enthusi-
| astcally and ably assisted by the Wom-
ans Relief corps. This is an organization
| OF loyal active, large hearted women, who
| banded themselves together with only
that aim in view. They are actuated by
the same spirit which brought women to-
I gas..
| lint, roll bandages and provide other
Unnecessary things to send to the front No
| nobler band of women ever lived They
visit our sick, relieve needs from their
own treasury and have permeated our
work with all the refinement and cheer of
an ideal social order. They have expend
ed from their treasury about eight mill
lion dollars. Surely the twenty million
dollars which they and we have used in
this way constitutes a magnificent work
for humanity, and is a mighty economic
factor
And we are now, in the last few years
also greatly assisted by our associate
members. Our posts are getting small
with insufficient funds to do our work
In our extremity we called to the men OF
the communities to come and help us
They came willingly, and cheerfully pay
their annual dues into our treasury, thus
helping us, as we could not otherwise
do, to continue our work. All honor tC
them. They are worthy of it. We appre-
ciate their loyalty and helpfuness.
We have Grand Army posts i'm every
state and territory of the nation. Bu
we are growing rapidly less. Four out o.
five soldiers of the Civil war are dead
Fifty-five thousand died last year They
are now dying at the rate of $50 a day
one every ten minutes through all the
hours of darkness and light. Our post!
throughout the country are disbandinl
because there are not members enough
/ to fill the offices and do the work. Soon
under present conditions, our noble worl
will cease. Shall this great humanitarian
work he allowed to become only a mem
DRY? Not much longer will there he al
old soldier to help nor a soldiers famiI!
to need nor any need of a soldiers home
but there will be others who will need ant
} others who will have no homes. If ou
: work and the spirit which has animated l
] can be perpetuated and do service t