The Holly chieftain., 1920-04-29
70 PATRIOTIC organization in


had such remarkable growth
as the American Legion, and
It 10 going forward with speed that
Indicates membership Of 100000
before the end Of the present year.
The Grand Army Of the Republic,
founded following the Civil war,
reached its peak In 1900, when the
roster showed half million members.
With 100000 to draw from, it is pre-
dicted that with the present campaign
for 100 per cent Americanism, the
roster Of the American Legion will be
above the 100000 mark by 1921.
The Grand Army Of the Republic
has played an important part In the
life Of the republic. Once or twice
politics threatened its total disrup-
tion, particularly in the year preced-
ing the election Of Gen. John A. Lo-
gan as commander in chief. General
Logan succeeded in steadying the boat.
The disaffection grew out OF reports
that men with bad Civil war records
were receiving preferment In appoint.
ment to political Offices.
To Maj. Benjamin E. Stephenson Of
Decatur, ILL.,, belongs the honor Of
founding the Grand Army Of the Re
public. In 1868, the year following
the close Of the Civil war, Major
Stephenson called together a handful
Of veterans at Decatur and established
the first post. Only one charter MEM
Der Of the Grand Army still is living,
Capt. r. A. Smith Of Lake City, Ia.
Major Stephenson, in council with
some Of his comrades, drafted a secret
ritual 1t was wordy, ,oratorical af-
fair and was revised in later years.
The ritual was 30 pretentious that It
was hard to find printers who could
Iset the type, but Major Stephenson
finally rounded up Isaac Coltrin and
Joseph Prior, printers who served In
the Union army and entitled to know
the contents of the ritual when they
Joined the Grand Army.
Twelve men constituted the hrst
post and the hall in which they met
1til is hallowed landmark in Deca-
ltur. The Grand Army at first was 4
sort Of vigilance committee that sought
out persons given to disloyal ut
terances, and soon had them marked
for punishment II they did not de-
,sist- The men Of the Grand Army de-
lmanded a hundred per cent American
hsm, just as the American Legion
makes 1t plain that only one flag, Old
Glory, win be tolerated in this land Of
ours On through the years the Grand
Army has stood for this same prin-
Eciple Of patriotism, but death has been
removing Its comrades at rapid rate
and the ranks have diminished until
NOW only few more than 100000 re-
main.
The American Legion was born in
France, and 1t was fitting to hava It
lse, for In Flanders fields repose thou
sands Of American soldiers who died
that the principles Of American free
dom might live. On February ID, 1918,
btwenty American oncers, who had
sbsen assembled in Paris to discuss con-
Ediuons In the American expeditionary
fsrcas, met at the Inter-Allied club and
there talked Of the formation of an
after-war organization that would look
10 the well-being Of the men Of the
serviee both on land and sea-
/, The decision was made at this con.
florence to start an after-the-war or.
nnization, while the men were yet In
Brancs. Thus they would 60 back to
America with their minds and hearts
centered on protecting the principles
They had fought for. And thsy eams