Challenges Along the Way

In the years 1919-1920, then Post Commander Geo. B. Otte, submitted a report of the post’s accomplishments. It is interesting to note that during that winter that he and Vice-Commander W.C.Brower resigned their offices in accordance with the state and national constitutions of the American Legion. Mr. Otte was elected to the state legislature and Mr. Brower was named States Attorney. During this period of time, the post adjutant moved from the community and it was presumed that he had mistakenly taken post records with him. Despite correspondence with him, the records were not returned. It was then that it was discovered that the Post Charter was also gone and an application was filed to obtain a duplicate. That document was replaced on August 2, 1946. Unfortunately it appears that the records and minutes of several years today are missing or misplaced. Legionnaires early-on were vitally concerned about preserving the integrity of their organization and following closely to the policies of the American Legion and those of the local post. Here I would like to print word for word the report of one such incident taken from the reports on file made by Commander Clarence White. No dates are printed on the report but the writer assumes it was shortly after the conclusion of WWI as it deals with a Federal Bonus issue. “During the year the post had many heated discussions over policies to be followed by the post in the future. The most outstanding of these was the question of whether the posts should allow the public or any persons to bring before the post, in person, any grievance that they might have with any member of the post or the post in general. This was prompted by the action of one H. L. Hopkins of Clark who was a member of the Board of the U.S. Bankers Association at the time directly after World War I when congress was in the process of granting a federal bonus to WWI veterans. The Bankers Association was against any federal legislation granting a bonus to the ex-service men, and took exception to the pending legislation through each of its board members located in all parts of the U.S. This Mr. Hopkins did through malicious publications and letters to congressmen in his district. The post took exception to and passed a resolution condemning the position taken by the Bankers Association, had same published in local newspapers and a copy sent to the congressmen in this district.
Mr. Hopkins thinking that some members of the post took this means of getting a broadside slam at him by encouraging the post to pass such a resolution, wished to bring his case before the post in person, which was denied on the grounds that the said resolution was passed without any member of the post so influencing it.”
Two other accounts recorded show the untarnished spirit of patriotism demonstrated by those early Legionnaires. A fellow comrade, A.A. Nelson was confronted about his association with the young people of the city, teaching them that in the event of another war he would refuse to serve the United States Government and would go to jail. Nelson was asked if he had made such statements and three times side-stepped the issue. He further stated that he would not obey the ruling of the majority of the Supreme Court of the United States which had held that a man’s conscience could not be his guide in deciding whether or not he would serve the United States in its armed forces and that he would abide by the minority opinion and that to him, that was the law. As a result of this incident, the post voted 22-1 to not accept him into membership in the future.
The other incident involved a teacher in the Ash Township School who was reportedly teaching communism and other “isms” attacking our form of government. Members of the post discussed the issue and consulted with the County Superintendant and State Superintendant of Public Instruction asking for an investigation into his conduct. Sufficient evidence was presented to cause the revocation of his certificate.