Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-20
AN ENTHUSIASTIC MEETING.
A Vigorous Effort to Have the G. A. X. En-
campment Here Next Year.


A LARGE NUMBER OF CITIZENS MEET AT WILLARD
HALL-PArRIoTIc AND PRACTICAL SPEECHES
| MADE-coMMIssIoNER DOUGLASS PREsIpEs-
| COMMITTEES APPOINTED ON GUARANTEES FUND.
| The movement in favor of inviting the Grand
| Army to hold their annual encampmenti in this
city next year was given a strong impulse al
the public meeting which was held at Willard
Hall last evening The purpose in calling the
meeting was to effect a formal organization
with the view of securing subscriptions toward
a fund which would be used in entertaining
| the veterans who will attend the encampment.
With substantial indication of this character
of the desire of the people Of this city
that the next session of the encamp-
ment should be held here it is believed
that when the invitation is presented to
the encampment, which meets in Detroit
| in August. that there will be no doubt of its
| acceptance. This was the opinion expressed al
| the meeting last evening. which was composed
| of a large number of the leading Grand Army
men of the city and of citizens. The speeches
made and the action taken was unanimous. and
it was evident that the project met with the en-
| thusiastic approval of those present. and would
be sustained by their hearty cooperation. In
| fact the sentiment of the meeting was SO
unanimous that when Col. Robert Christy was
called upon for a speech he excused himself on
| the ground that he did not feel competent to
address an audience when perfect nnanimity
| prevailed. He always doubted his powers in
| the absence of an adversary.
| COMMISSIONERS DOUGLASS PEsIDED.
Commissioner Douglass presided and made
one of his happy little speeches. which started
the enthusiasm and gave the keynote to the
entire proceedings. He said that the Com
missioners were willing to do everything in
| their power to bring the veterans of the late
| war here next year. He believed it was pub
lie movement of the right kind and that the
Grand Army men would not only like to come
| here. but that the citizens would be
glad to give them hospitable re-
| ception. Mr.. Ros A. Fish was chosen
secretary and then Col. Christy. from the COM
mittee appointed at the preliminary meeting
| held a week ago to select a committee to solicit
| subscriptions toward a guarantee fund, which
will be the basis upon which the invitation viii
| be extended, submitted report, which was
| read by the secretary The report gave list
| of names of representative citizens and their
selection was at once approved by the meeting.
| The name of eX-Con missioner " ebb was added.
| The secretary read letters of regret from the
| following. who had been invited to be present
Rev. DIR. Bartlett. Simon Wolf and 5. s. Bur-
dett. All the letters strongly Endorsed the
movement.
COMMISSIONER ROSS REMARKS.
Commissioner Ross, who occupied a seat on
the platform, was called on for speech. He
responded in very effective manner He
said that he had been interested in the move
ment from the start and the more he thought
about it the more he was inclined to think
that 1t was good thing for the city.
He believed that if the people of the
city once reached the conclusion that the en-
campment must be held here the question
would then be settled, for whatever they un-
dertook they accomplished. He then discussed
the advantages to the city of having such an
| assemblage mere. He said that next year il
the encampment WAS held here the crowd of
visitors would be fully as great as during in
| auguratIon time. Not only would the rail-
| roads and hotels be benefited, but every inter
| est i'll the city would feel the influence of the
great Influx of people here 1t was possible to
appeal to business men on selfish grounds TO
support this undertaking. Bat apart from
selfish considerations the holding of the en-
| campment here, he believed, would strengthen
the city with the people throughout the coun-
try. When people come here they go away
better friends OF the city.
1T WILL MAKE FRIENDS FOR THE CITY
1t is important that this city should make
friends. 1t is dependent On Congress for
municipal legislation and when people come
here and see the city and discover that it
is not a mere provincial place, but their
city and they will instruct members of Con-
gress to treat the city in a liberal manner. The
best and highest motive he thought for favor
ing this movement is sympathy. IT has been
some twenty-Slx years since the veterans of the
war marched down PENNSYLVANIA avenue in the
grand review. Men will travel Thousands of miles
to witness what will be historic spectacle the
veterans OK that same army again in marching
column sweeping down the same avenue. The
speaker said that there was necessity to prove
hat ha ON rpy anna Ia Ia.. l.
only question now of practical importance is
how. Every man, he said. ought to constitute
himself a committee of one to arouse the inter
| est of others and to push this enterprise to n
| successful issue. For himself and for his asso-
clates on the board of District Commissioners
he pledged any effort that could contribute to
| the success Of this movement.
| MR.. NJ. I. wELLERs ENDORSEMENT
| Commissioner Ross stirring speech evoked a
round of applause, and after it had subsidized
the chairman called on Mr.. NJ l. Weller. who
said that he had come to the meeting for the
| purpose of indorsing the entire project. He
| shared fully the views so eloquently expressed
| by Mr.. Ross. lie added that i'll this matter il
patriotic motives could not influence action.
| then selfish motives should. At any rate the
| encampment should be held here. This CITY Is
| the only large city in this country where the
visitor can feel at home In illustration of his
meaning Mr.. Weller told a story OF friend who
endeavored to find his way in Chicago by making
| inquiries from persons he met on the street.
| The response mo speaks English" was so gem
eral that he despaired of getting the needed in
| formation until he met policeman. He told
| the latter of the difficulties he had encoun-
tered and the officer in rich brogue svmpa-
thetically replied that the city was full of
blasted foreigners. In this CITY MIR. Weller
said that there would be no difficulty of that
kind. and, in addition, there is no turbulent
| element here. 1t is the grand city of the conn