People's Pilot, Volume 6, Number 15, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 1 October 1896 — Veterans File a Protest. [ARTICLE]

Veterans File a Protest.

W. M. Lakin, formerly of Jas per county, but now of Aurora, Neb., writes that the soldiers of Buffalo county, Nebraska, resent the attempt to class ’them in the republican gold standard ranks this year and sends the following under date of Sept. 20, 1896: Kearney, Neb.—lt will be remembered that a few weeks ago the republicans attempted to organize what is known as Veteran’s Union Patriotic league among the old soldiers, and that old soldiers who were favorable to silver were counted out and they afterwards left the hall and held a counter meeting. At the counter meeting a committee was appointed to draft resolutions condemning the proceedings and circulate them among the old veterans throughout the county for their old signatures, which was done, last night, they held a meeting to adopt the resolutions. The meeting was held at the Bryan club headquarters and was largely attended by the' old veterans, the room being too small to hold the crowd. The resolutions are as follows: Whereas, There was called on Saturday, August 29, 1896, a meeting of old soldiers of Buffalo county, Nebraska, jinder the following published call to-wit: “CALLED MEETING OF OLD SOLDIERS. “All union soldiers, without regard to past party affiliations, are urged to unite in a meeting to be held at the city hall Saturday night, August 29, at 7:30 o’clock. Dangerous combinations' are being formed this presidential campaign; vital questions concerning the honor and financial integrity of the nation we saved, are being agitated. Nine hundred and seventy thousand of our comrades

are creditors of our government; $140,000,000 arg their annual dues, earned in the furnace of war. Every dollar now is worth $1 in gold, and will remain so if we do our duty. Let us meet and organize for the protection of our own interests. Has any man or set of men a better right to do so? Remember the meeting.” (Six signatures.) Apd said meeting having been called toordei', there resulted as follows, viz: An attempt to organize a political order called'the Veteran's Union Patriotic League. The object of said organization being to have it appear, that all veterans of this country were in Sympathy with the principles of the republican party as expressed by that party’s platform of 1896, McKinley and the gold standard, and against that great Ameridan, William J. Bryan. Now 'whereas, in truth the'majority of old soldiers of this country are not in sympathy with- the principles of the republican party as expressed in their platform of 1896, and further, had no opportunity to prevent said organization being made by reason of the fact that an improper and misleading call was made, and no notice given for the purpose of the meeting in the above call and by reason of an unfair hearing allowed them at said meeting. Therefore be it Resolved,—That we, the following veterans of this county, do hereby protest against the attempt to fasten upon us a European system of finance rather than an American system, and that we do hereby pledge ourselves to join the Bryan club of Kearney and Buffalo county, and to do-all in our power to aid in the election to the presidency of this United States that grand patriot, William J. Bryan; firmly believing that by the great principles he enunciates 'and represents will our country’s interest be best served. That the language used in the circular read at said meeting, .calling all those who do not agree with the mandates of Wall street, “repudiatiors and traitors”, we condemn as being false in theory and in fact and unjust to the great majority of all veterans of this country, insulting to them, and calling down upon the heads of the promoters of the scheme the disapproval and condemnation of all fair minded and just citizens. Believing our actions to be fully justified, we hereby each for himself, indorse

the above expressions and pledge ourselves as above set forth. . And following this are exactly one hundred names of vetrans of Buffalo county, their company and regiment given, which are on tile in this office, It is indeed a severe blow to the ambitions of the McKinley people in Nebraska, which they have 'boasted of their ability to carry.

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