The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1889-08-16

Commander in Chief Warner Inter
poets.
CHICAGO, Aug. 12.-Gen. Warner,
commander-in-chief of the Grand Army
of the Republic, arrived at the Grand
Pacific hotel and was greeted on his
arrival by local Grand Army men, and
also by Department Commander Weis-
sert, of Wisconsin, Gen. G. P. Chapman,
and others, from Milwaukee. Gen.
Warner greeted the Milwaukee men
with his accustomed heartiness, and told
them that he would do all in his power
to make the encampment a grand sue.
cess. He also gave United Press re.
porter the following: " During my ten
weeks absence on the Sioux commission
/ have been constantly advised by my
adjutant general as to all things pertain
ing to the Grand Army of the Republic,
including, of course. the action of the
railroad companies in refusing the l cent
rate to the comrades, which | have re.
peatedly stated is
UNJUST AND INEXCUSABLE.
The encampment will be large one, but
of course the attendance will not be as
large, nearly, as it would have been had
the railroads pursued will not say a
more liberal-but wiser policy, even as
far as they are concerned"
"Has a department commander the
right to call a reunion without the &C.
ton of the national commander
"Most certainly, Gen. Martin had a
right to call a reunion of the soldiers in
this state at such time and place as he
-,
saying that l have issued any order COM
manding the comrades to attend the ma
tional encampment. All that have done
Is to
ADVISE LARGE ATTENDANCE.
AS commander-in-chiefI have no author
ity to order the comrades to attend the
national encampment at Milwaukee, nor
have the authority to order them to
stay away. have the right to advise
the comrades what / think w ould be the
best action for them in this matter.
Each comrade is then left free to go or
stay at home, as his judgment may die
tate. Certainly the department COM
manders have as much, but no more,
authority in this matter than the COM
mander:n chief. Some of them have
advised the comrades of their depart
ment to stay at home. While they and
/ differ as to the propriety of this action,
they should be no more criticized for it
than should be for mine. certainly
concede to them the same honesty of
purpose and the desire for the welfare of
the order that claim for myself"
els there any chance that the railroads
may change their rates?"
"There are some signs of
BREAK IN RAILROAD RATES.
I shall do what I can to aid in the
break"
"Have you had any letters asking for
your approval of a change of location Of
the national encampment."
"Yes, it is true; some of the comrades
have advised the change in the encamp-
ment to some other place. Such action
I deem impracticable. To what city
would we go? None has extended an
invitation. To properly entertain the
national encampment, attended as in the
past, requires months of labor and a
large expenditure of money. Milwau-
kee has provided the money and per.
formed the labor necessary to the enter
tainment of all comrades who shall at
tend. No other city has intimated to
to me that it was ready to do do what
Milwaukee has done. And it is also I'M
true that assurance was received
from anyone that better rates could be
obtained for the comrades had the en-
campment been changed to any other
city. feel that the citizens of Milwau-
kee are entitled to great credit. The ex-
ecutive committee has been untiring in
its labors to provide for the comfort of
those who shall attend the national en-
campment, and feel it my duty to do
all ] can to make the reunion of the old
veterans q success"