The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1892-07-21
FAIL IN, COMRADES.

in-Chief that there will only be room in the
parade at the National Encampment for
comrades of the Grand Army of the Re-
public, marching with their Posts, raises the
question, "Why are any old veterans Of
honorable records outside the CARP"
1t is difficult to answer this question sat
isfactorily. The GAR. is so good thing
in every way and the privilege of belonging
to it so great, that il is hard to understand
why any man who is entitled TO membership
refrains from joining. There are hundreds
of thousands Of men who would be SUI
premely happy to join if they could. There
are myriads of men who would give a large
portion of their possessions for the privilege
of wearing the significant little bronze but
ton in their lappels
The value of that insignia grows rapidly
with the passing years. Despite the sneers
and ISLANDERS of the soldier-haters, the war
gets bigger in its dimensions the farther it
recedes from us. We were once so close to
it that we could not comprehend its gigan tic
proportions. We vino took part in it did not
begin to realize its immensely, or the great
ness Of the parts we were playing. With the
ignorance and adaptability of youth we as
sumed that marching hundreds of miles into
the enemy Is country and fighting great battles
every day, as we did, with appalling slaugh-
ter, was in some way the natural order of
things, and we did it simply and quietly, as
we would have done any other duty that
had been presented to us as the right thing
to do
Now, as we get further away from the
gigantic conflict, it appears in its true per-
spective, and we comprehend that never was
there so great a war waged, or one in which
there was such display of desperate valor.
The men who fought it through to victory
stand the peers of any men who ever ap-
peared on the field of battle. They need not
bow their proud heads before the recital of
deeds of valor Of any men who ever drew
sword, for they can match, and more than
match, the proudest feats in song and story.
1t is grand thing to be associated in any
way with those splendid deeds of arms. No
matter how little share fortune or oppor-
tunity permitted man to have in the
glorious struggle, yet he has enough to be
properly proud of. 1t is an enviable thing to
have been modest private soldier in the
greatest war the world ever saw.
The Grand Army of the Republic is the
living monument of that mementous con-
fict- 1t stands before the American people
and the world as the embodiment of the
spirit and the organization of the men
who waged that valiant fight for the Ma
TONS salvation. When men speak of the
battles and sacrifices of those days they look
at the Grand Army as the mcmento of that
of which they speak. It is the living link
which binds the present to the glorious
past.
To have been a soldier and to be now
outside of the Grand Army is wrong. It is
a wrong to the individual more than to the
Order, for he loses by it the benefits Of the
full companionship with men whose COM
partnership is a high privilege. Nowhere
can he find as true friends as active and
certain sympathy, as cougenial associations
as among the men who, like himself, wore
the blue a quarter of century ago, and
devoted all that the world held for them
to the preservation of the National life
This year should show a great growth in
the members of the Grand Army of the
Republic. 1t should be spontaneous
growth, coming from an awakening in the
minds of those who have remained outside
the Order, of perception that they have
done so entirely too long, and that they
should hasten to get once more in touch
with those to whom they are so closely allied
in sentiment, and by the bond of great ex-
periences shared together and Of mighty
deeds in which they were co-workers.
Everyone who thinks of coming to the
National Encampment, and who is not now
member of the Order, should lose no time
in connecting himself with some Post. He
win find this in every way more satisfactory.
As rule his old comrades are all in Posts,
and have affiliations and abiding places that
he will greatly miss. 1t will seem strange
TO them that he has ignored so good q thing
aud refrained from determination in which
they have found so much pleasure.
WHAT an amount of nonsense Congress-
men can talk on very slight provocation!
Last week there came up before the House
the joint resolution proposing an amend
ment to the Constitution providing for the
election of Senators by the direct vote of
the people. This was very simple, straight
forward matter that should have been
settled with comparatively few words. The
arguments in favor of the proposition are
strong, and can he succinctly stated by any