The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1911-05-11
AN INSULT TO THE GRAND ARMY.
There Will Be No Procession or Public
Exercises in Belfast on Memorial Day.

There Will Be No Procession or Public
Exercises in Belfast on Memorial Day.
For many years past the city government
has made an appropriation of $1O0 at the
April meeting for the use of the Grand Army
Post on Memorial Day. The appropriation
was made thus early that the Post might have
ample time to make its preparations. The
money was expended by the quartermastel
and the larger part went for the band, the
hiring of the Opera House for the evening
exercises and for carriages for the infirm and
disabled veterans and the ladies' of the Relief
Corps Last year the expenses were about
S125. At the May meeting this year the fol.
lowing order was passed:
Ordered that the City Treasurer be and is
hereby authorized and instructed to draw his
order for" the sum of 500, payable to the
Thomas H. Marshall Post, G. A. R., No. AZ, the
same to be expended by committee to be
selected by the municipal officers, the same
amount to be charged to the contingent fund
and any unexpended balance to be returned to
the city treasurer.
Alderman Black, Councilman Shute and
Townsend were made the committee to attend
to the disbursement
To say that the members of the Post, and
the citizens generally, were indignant at this
treatment of the veterans is expressing it
mildly, and the explanation the Mayor gives of
this reflection upon the integrity of the men
who fought for the Union in the Civil War
shows that it is retaliation for a fancied in
dignity to himself. When seats were taken in
the carriages to join in the procession on last
Memorial Day. the carriage intended for the
city government was, through a mistake, oc-
cupied by others. 1t was not "wilful snub,'
as the Mayor now claims, and the person re-
sponsible for the error went to the Mayor and
apologized and the apology was apparently
accepted in good faith, and care would have
been taken that such mistake did not occur
again. But TIE clergymen, the leading busi-
ness and professional men, the bank officials,
and many private citizens, have been held up
to ridicule and abuse in the Mayors personal
organ and the Grand Army has had to come in
for its share.
At meeting of Thomas H. Marshall Post
last Tuesday afternoon the following resolu-
tion was adopted:
To the Hon. Mayor and City Council:
Gentlemen: We note with surprise, that
along with the usual appropriation for Me-
mortal exercises, you have appointed COM
mittee of espionage upon the integrity of this
body; therefore, be it
Resolved, That we regard this act as an insult
to this Post, and an indignity to its individual
members, and we decline to accept the appro-
priation.
A. D. SMALLEY, Commander
I. d. GUPTILL Adjutant.
The band has been notified that its services
will not be needed, all arrangements for the
day have been cancelled and the secret socie-
ties that were to have taken part in the pro-
cession advised that the usual program will not
be carried out. The plans for the day are as
follows: At noon dinner will be served in
Memorial hall by the Ladies of the G. A. R. to
visiting comrades. At l p. m. the Post and
Ladies will go directly to Grove cemetery,
where the regulation Grand Army exercises
will be gone through with. Carriages will be
provided for the veterans and ladies. On the
return from the cemetery exercises will be
held in Memorial hall for the Post, Ladies of
the G. A r., Sons of Veterans and their auxil-
iary, with an address by Rev, William Vaughan.
The general public will of course miss the
exercises in the Opera House, with the patri-
otto addresses and music and the exercises
calculated to impress upon all, and particularly
the young, the debt we owe to those who
fought to the Union and make this the
great and glorious country it is today. But
under the circumstances Thomas H. Marshall
Post could not have taken any other course
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