The sun., 1919-03-23
Champ Clark's Son
Head of the Move
ment Abroad
Body Will Be a
Powerful Factor
in National Life
of This Country

1 ACtlOnS on tno puAt "a
! altogether unfounded. There were
a number of isolated instances
| throughout the country, notably
| General John A. Logan's action In
forcibly opposing Johnson's attempt
to remove from office the secretary
of War, Edwin NJ. Stanton.
In August, 1857, the President asked
for Stanton's resignation. and when
the latter refused johnson removes
him and appointed Gen. Grant an
Secretary Of War ad interim until tho
next meeting of Congress. On Janu-
airy 10, 1868, the Senate refused 10
confirm Grants appointment ana
Stanton Immediately resumed his post
The President issued an order dis
missing stanton and appointing the
Adtutant- General OF the army, Lo-
renzo Thomas, to the head OF the War
| Department.
Stanton refused to give up his posi-
ton, ordered Gen. Thomas to return
| to his duties as Adjutant- General ana
took UP his residence in the Secre-
tary's Office in the War Department.
For several weeks he never left tho
building, fearing that If he did so the
President would seize the opportunity
to install his successor and exclude
him by force.
Arms G. A. n. Members.
Gen. Logan not only kept watch
with the Secretary, but he quietly
mustered the members of the Grand
Army in Washington. supplied them
with arms and organized them az
an available force to oppose tho
action Of the President. johnson never
pushed his policy to extremes-had
| he done So there Is little doubt that
civil war in Washington would have
| been the result,
However, the abolition OF the de-
grees of membership under the admin
| istration of Gen. Logan and the grad
usl quoting down of national politics
| brought about an increase in member
ship, strengthening of finances and
broadening of the influence of the
Grand Army which continued for moro
than twenty years. Though the tide
had turned, the increase in membership
was slow. AS late as 1879 there were
only COSTS, a mere handful compared
! with the 100000 who served for vary
| ing periods in the Union armies be-
y
| however, there were mustered 361,779
! comrades, and during the next decade
the membership grew to nearly half
million.
! Another incident OF Gen. Logan's
administration deserves special men,
, ton. Early in May 1868, AdJt.-
Gen. Chapman received a letter from
a Comrade in Cincinnati referring to
the fact that in his native land. Rhen-
ish bavaria. It was the custom in the
spring TO scatter flowers on the graves
of the dead. The idea appealed to Gen.
| Chapman and he laid the letter be-
! fore the commander in chief. Gen
Logan accordingly issued an order
| prescribing May 30, 1868, as the day
for such ceremonial decoration of the
| graves of deceased comrades. The
/ custom was continued from year to
year until 1t became established as q
great national anniversary.
So youthful were the boys who
| donned the blue in 81 Ga majority of
them had yet 10 pass their twenty first
| birthday that it was not until tho
last decade of the century that death
began to make serious inroads in their
ranks. Meanwhile from among those
hlne clad figures had stepped every
President of the United States, save
one; dozens Of Senators, judges and
Governors and the majority OF the men
! who carried tho burden of affairs in
business and the professions through
out the Northern and Western States.
The Confederate Veterans.
In the South the preponderating in
nuence OF the Confederate veterans
was even more stirling. II the armies
of the Union had taken the great ma
jorlty OF the younger generation in tho
Southern States. the able bodied man
who had not served under Lee or
Jackson or Stuart or Johnson was an
exception. In the opinion of his fellow
citizens he was generally something
! much worse Hence service in tho
armies OF the Confederacy was not
merely a proud distinction and a de-
sirahle political asset, as service in the
. Union forces was in the North; it was
the sine qua non for political prefer
mont
II tho samc proportion OF veterans
of the Great War enter the new or
ganization as appeared on the muster
| lie, 1t will have more than twice the
membership of the latter. AS against
/ less than 100000 individual enlist
ments in the Union army during the
! civil war. nearly 5000, 900 men have
entered the service OF the United States
! during the last two years-if the half
million who served, ashore and aioat,
/ in the navy be included. Their
proportion OF casualties, too, Is
much less. More than $50 900
officers and enlisted men were killed
In action or died OF wounds and
! disease during the civil war. Casual
! ties from all causes in this country and
overseas will total far less tnan mar
! that figure, thanks TO the enormous
strides made IN surgery and santa ton
! during the last half century.
So that within "A year, unless unfore-
seen events prevent the prompt return
or the expeditionary forces, we shall
! have in this country more than 4,000.-
900 former service men. That they will
have an enormous influence in every
/ direction Is beyond doubt. They COM
! prise, to a very large extent, the youth.
the energy, the human resources OF
/ tho nation, and from their number.
even " thev had not had the awaken
| ing OF participa ton in the greatest OF
ell wars. would have come the leaders
Lar h. Axrt NAAAA