The morning call., 1893-05-26
AN ARMY CLASH.
Picnics or Sobriety on
Memorial Day.
CHURCH WARS WITH STATE.
DR.. Gray as a Good Patriot Depre-
Gates Resolutions About the Out
ing of His Church.
CHURCH WARS WITH STATE.

There is more than one row in the Grand
Army of the Republic.
First there was the DISPUTE about the
exercises of the George 81. Thomas Post
in dedicating the monument at the Pre-
sdio. There was feeling. and is now.
that George Ii. Thomas Post No. 2, as 1t
Is officially called, is a "kid-glove" post
among the others. The Grand Army of
the Republic officials object very much to
the single posts invitation to go out to the
Presidio to dedicate a monument to the
fallen dead.
Then again on Tuesday evening Colonel
c. Mason Klnne, objecting to the public
doing anything on that day but honor
those who fell in the war in the
way the Grand Army had prescribed.
offered resolutions rejecting oD proposal
from Rev. John Gray of the Church of the
Advent to attend the exercises in fashion
which Colonel Kinne thought savored OF
picnic junket.
why" said DIR. Gray. this is all most
ridiculous. l ain personally not going to
the picnic. for on the morning of the o0th
there is 70 be convention OF the diocese
If California at Trinity Church. At the
picnic, however, there will be patriotic
songs and talks to the children that Will
do them more good from patriotic point
of view than going to an old mans meet
ing / consider those resolutions too
ridiculous aud cranky to receive serious
attention.
Decoration day was selected by my
people out of regard for the general con-
venence of the children, it being holi-
day.
again the picnic is not q pubic one
and is not advertised as such. and has not
the slightest significance as public
affair. The tickets are not on sale at any
public place or by any agents OF the
church. fancy that the day will be as
quietly. soberly and patroticaliy we'll
spent by my people as by the average good
San Franciscan who stays at home.
PERSONALLY have deep and appreci-
atve interest in the work and objects OF
the Grand Army OF the Republic. | was
born un New England soil. My family
was i'm bued with the most Intense spirit of
patriotism in the civil war and several of
them gave up their lives for the Union.
Nv father / remember to have frequently
heard say that If l had been of sufficient
age he would have gladly given me up for
the service.
II regard the resolutions as a gratuitous
insult. | should be very glad, however,
to welcome the Grand Army people TO the
Church Of the Advent and shall send then
an invitation to attend divine service, as
did some years ago. on the first Sunday in
June. The church is ALWAYS more than
glad 10 remember their patriotism and
LOYALTY to their God and their country.
Our large choir on that day will sing
the national anthem and If the Grand Army
has some gifted and pous layman In its
ranks | should be pleased to have him
make a short address"
A prominent member OF George H..
Thomas Post No. sad
I'VE have been intending for years to
dedicate in quiet way this monument to
our fallen dead. You know that it repre-
sents soldier at parade rest and we
thought that as ours is the only Grand
Army post that has plat OF its own in all
the national cemeteries the other posts
here would be glad to join us in doing
honor to the men from California who
fought and fell in the war. Do you know
that out of the sol soldiers who died or
were killed in the rebellion from this
State nearly two-thrds are now buried in
the Preside. and l think 1t would be a
very graceful thing for all the San Fran
cisco posts to join us in putting up a
monument in their memory.
1.-The Society of California Pioneers has
accepted our invitation to be present on
the occasion"
How about those resolutions in regard
to DR.. Gray?"
well, l am not church member, but
L tnlnk III Will re very gO0u tnlnS t0r
those children to go out in that way on !,
uicnic If. as understood, DR.. Gray will
have some talks on patriotism for them
and national songs. | have no doubt that
he will incucate in their minds more NOR
ality and patriotism than he could by ask
ing them to watch the posts tramping over
the cobblestones for several miles with
great big sashes trying to glorlfy them
selves.
I'VE propose to do in our quiet way
something for the memory of brave men
who have fallen fighting for their country
and have been laid away in the national
cemetery at rhe Presidio."
o. s. Johnson, the secretary of the gen.
eral committee of the Grand Army for
Memorial day. had seen c. Mason KiRne's
resolutions about DR.. Gray and wanted
them made much stronger. Speaking of
the matter he said:
ut is not a day for picnics. We have
been trying for years to do away with
what are like Sunday picnics on that day.
We think that we have right to ask that
our memorial day shall not be day for
festivities even for the church people, just
as they ask us not to hold picnics on Sun
day. We ask that only one day in the year
be devoted to the memory of men who
have saved their country. We want every
one to on this day 60 to the cemeteries or
hold other exercises in memory of those
who fought in the war"