The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1920-02-04
WEDNESDAY,. FEBRUARY 4, 1920.
THE AMERICAN LEGION.

Elsewhere in this issue is given a complete ac-
count of the organization, Monday evening, of the
Abbeville County Post of the American Legion
Quite nice little story is attached to the organiza
ton of the local post and especially to the organ
zation of the State Department.
The first meeting of representative assembly
of delegates from every unit in the A. E. F. was
held March year ago in Paris, and every organl-
cation in the expeditonary forces was represented
at this meeting A few weeks later the representa-
tives of the military units in the United States
held their first meeting in St. Louis. For some
unaccountable reason South Carolina was repre-
sented at the st. Louis meeting by three negroes
from Charleston. Before matters had gone too
far, however, two patriotic ex-sodiers of Florence
hearing of the conditions at st. Louis, at their own
expense made hurried trip to the convention at
St. Louis and managed to obtain seats as represen-
tatives from the Palmetto State. Upon their re-
turn to Florence a a call was soon issued by them
for state convention to meet in Florence. Due
: to the interest of w. D. Wilkinson, Post
Commander of the Abbevile Post, this county has
the honor of being the first post to apply for char
ter in the state. At the Florence meeting however,
Abbevle lost, and properly so, due again to Mr..
Wikinson's unselfshness, on account of the dele
gates from the various counties, Abbeville incud
ed, unanimously agreeing that no matter what
other counties had applied previously for charters,
Florence should have Post No. 1. And little
army nurse of Florence has the honor of being the
first member of the American Legion in this state.
With the above knowledge in hand we believe that
Abbevle is far prouder to hold charter No. q than
she would be to hold No. 1. Things rocked along
quietly until Monday evening last when, in re-
sponse to call issued by the chairman of the if-
teer charter members, about three veterans
met in the court house and perfected the organiza
ton of the Abbeville Post.
When we consider the fact that the American
Legion will soon number over four million men,
bers, representing every walk of fe some million
aires, some day laborers, but every member one
hundred per cent American, cannot but feel
that the American Legion constitutes the most
powerful factor in this country. The fact that its
motto is, "Policies-Not Politics." will ease the
minds of every American citizen, the narrow
brain cell of the hyphenated politician.
While the Legion is not yet year old, several
crisis have been met by its members and the mot
to still holds true. The first deportation in a
wholesale manner, of Reds and undesirables, which
took place few weeks ago in the Soviet Ark, must
he credited to the activities of the Legion. The
passage of the Sweet bill in Congress, giving the
disabled National Guard National Army veteran
the same allowances and compensatons as the Reg
ular Army soldier is another proof of the wise use
of their power by the Legionnaires.
We wish to congratulate the Abbeville veterans
their organization and prophesy a better
future for the county "a whole through their ef-
forts for law and order and by Of their out
spoken antipathy to mob violence.