New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-05-11
NETWORK 1so-TwENrYFoUR PAGES

NEW-YOI
em with the choicest flowers of sprncme let US raise
above them the dear old flag they saved dshonor let
Us III this solemn presence pledges 10 aid and
assist those whom they have left sacred charge
upon nations grat dethe soldiers and sailors widow
and orphan.
H. 1t is the purpose of the Commandern Chief to in
au0urate this Observance with hope that Will be kept
up from year TO year while OF the remains
10 hohor the memory Of his departed comrades He car.
nesty desires the public press call attention TO this or
der and lend It's friendly aid bringing the notice Of
comrades in all parts Of the country time for simuane
Gus compliance Herewith.
Ill Department Commanders will use every
make this order effective. BY command OF
JOHN y. LOGAN, Commanderin.Chief.
N p. CH1pMAN. AdjutantGeneral
The order met with most enthusiastic re-
Spouse throughout the land
Two years later the National Encampment.
which was held at Washington May IL, 1870,
adopted the following as part Of the rules and
regulations, and made the celebration of the day
perpetual:
The National Encampment hereby establishes Memorial
Day to be- observed by the members OF the Grand Army OF
the Republic, the Both day May annually IN comment
Grafton OF the deeds OF fallen comrades When such
DAY occurs on Sunday the succeeding day shall he OBJ
served except where by Legal enactment the preceding
day is made legal holiday, when such day shall be OBJ
served.
One of the first declarations OF principles which
the Grand Army of the Republic put forth was
that it was organized to maintain in civil life
those grand principles for which it stood in arms
under the national flag; that it stands pledged to
crush out active treason, TO advance and support
loyalty TO secure sound constitutional liberty to
all men. and to vindicate everywhere and at all
times the full and complete rights of every loyal
American citizen against all combination of force
and fraud that may attempt TO deny or deprive
them of such rights"
ALMOST WRECKED AT THE START
These principles were certainly sound and in
themselves unobiectionable hut during the eXcit-
ing campaign preceding the Presidential election OF
SOS, when General Grant first chosen the
chief magistrate, partisanship ran high, and many
impetuous young men within the Grand Army
argued that under the declaration quoted. no
soldier Of the war could conscentously oppose
the Republican candidate. The result was the
widespread dissemination of belief that the
Grand Army organized wholly on political
lines and that its aims were mainly political
The consequences were deplorabe to the organza-
| ton, and the result was that when the heat of
the Presidential campaign died away. it began 10
dlsintegratc even more rapidly than 1t had
formed. Many predicted its utter extinction. An
additional cause at this time of dissatisfaction
was d CudnPe III tle Tltudl, creating hlItt EI"'tS
of membership, the recruit, the soldier and the
veteran. with signs grips and passwords in each
degree. recruit of two months could be ad
vanced 70 the grade of soldier and the
soldier" at the end of six months could become
n veteran" But the change
cessively distasteful 10 who had
entered upon actual service through
the simple process of muster-in, and who had
been made not imaginary but real veterans by
three or four years of hard fighting at the front
The ranks were depleted So rapidly that the mem
bershp Of quarter Of million fell in short
time TO less than one-tenth that number. Years
of depression followed. but when the National
Encampment met in May, 81. it most sensibly
struck from its constitution all reference 10
grades, and also inserted the following, which
eliminated politics forever from the organization
NO officer cCmiad- Of th Grand Army Of the Republic
shall in this organization for partisan
poses and discussion Of parsen questions shall be
mittcd any Of It's meetings shall nomination for
political Office be madeAlticle xi chapter s. Rules and
Regulations.
From the day this regulation was placed on
the Grand Army statute books. the body has
steadily grown in numbers, influence and power
for good It's progress at first was slow. for il
regained the ground and the confidence il had
lost with difficulty. For several years, however
the accessions did not exceed the losses. but by
1879 the Grand Army began perceptibly TO re-
from its early mistakes and its roster showed
the enrolment Of 44,s02 men. Az the National
Encampment of the following year COSTS names
of members in good standing stood upon it's rolls.
on THE Up GRADE AGAIN.
The report Of the Adjutant-Genera made March
81, 1882, showed that the number had risen TO
1884, a net increase during the previous year Of
29,256. Hcncefortb the growth OF the society
was phenomenal. The report OF March 81. 1883.
exhibited a total membership of l45, $685. and the
then enormous net increase Of 90, 900 10 the rolls
A year later, March 81, 1884. the Adjutant-Gcn.
eral reported 233,595 veterans in the organize
ton, or the surprising addition Of over IS 900
men.
With the increase Of numbers came also the
additional ability to aid destitute comrades and
their families, and during that year the records
show that 1913, 900 expended for relief
Every post possessed relief fund, and the ne
cessties of its members were looked after without
appeal 10 or even knowledge OF the public. Each
subsequent year has shown a corresponding in
crease Of membership and fiscal ability
On March 81, 1855, the muster-rOlls showed the
presence in the Grand Army Of 269,6s4 men, a
net gain over AL losses by DEATH SUSPENSION etc.
OF 67,567, while the amount expended for relief
during the year exceeded $4,000. The number
of persons relieved was 1906. The next
port, dated March 81, 1886, showed membership
Of 296, 1897 veterans. The relief fund had then
reached $205, 900, while that Of the posts them
selves aggregated 1901 ,0l2, footing up over half
a million dollars i'll charity Since then the relief
expenditures have yearly exceeded this handsome
sum.
In 1887 the rolls OF the Grand Army bore the
names Of 32O,94G men in good standing, and the
following year they had grown to include 354,2l6
veterans, in spite of dcathst Of 3,4O6. The |
mortuary tables have since been constantly in |
creased. making it certain that they will soon |
begin to pull down the grand total Of membership |
In 1888 the Adjutant-Gcncal reported on the |
rolls in good standing 354,2l6, and last year it |