The National tribune., 1894-03-15
GA. r. CHAPLAINS.
Status and Progress Of a Noble Band
Christian Workers.

Status and Progress of Noble Band OF
Christian Workers.
Address all communications for this column 70
Editor Chaplains' Department, The NATIONAL
TRIBUNE-l
Chaplain E. c. Harper. of Nebraska. served
through the war; was discharged at 10 years
of age; has been 3 member of the GAR. for
more than 20 years; is a Past Department.
Chaplain; has filed almost every Office in the
Encampment and Post, and now asks why he
should not be a member of the Departments
Eucampment as well az a Post Commander.
Can anyone give good reason why be should
not2
He says: "Why should the office of Depart
ment Chaplain be of less Importance than thab
of Post Commander? The Department Chap
lain presides over the work of the State; does
work for the entire State, which. / assure you,
is no small amount. The Post Commander
presides over Post of 10 or 10 members in
some instances, yet when the State EneamD-
ment comes the ex Department Chaplain is left
out, while the ex-Post Commander walks in.
If Chaplains are men of piety, of good judg-
ment of loyalty and good council, why exclude
them?
'If their services are as valuable to an En-
csmpment as that of Post Commanders, why
not allow them to enter? This refusal to ad
NIT them brings the blush to the cheek of Q
highly-respectable and genuinely-lOyal class Of
it should open its councils to US and We will
do them good. Don't let the GA. r. call en- the
Chaplain for invaluable services and then show
their regard for them by saying No Irish need
apply"
Surely this is a pertinent inquiry. The
GAR. needs the help of this very worthy class
of loyal and intelligent men. Why not make
ex-Department Chaplains members of Depart
ment EncampmentsP
GET CLOSER TOGETHER
Comrade Rogers, of Chelsea, Mass, adds an
other suggestion: II suggest that the comrades
ought to get together at our meetings. You
will need no argument from me to prove that
the great open space in our regular meetings
are far more provocative of wranglings in de-
bate than they are of harmony. There ought
to be at least one regular meeting per week of
Post so arranged that we draw together
socially without any reminder of tactics. The
sOciability of our soldier life was largely due
to greater intimacy in the tent and on the
march than We eau get sitting in a hollow
square,"
Suppose Chaplains try this, or at least make
an effort to introduce less formality and more
sociability in the Post meeting, or in some por-
tion of it. Draw together in the center of the
Post room, and informally talk OF some battle
or soldier as the subject.
MOSTLY CHRISTIAN MEN.
Chaplain Harper says: my observation is
that a large per centum of the ex-sOldiers are
Christian gentlemen. 1t is rare thing st our
Encampments (Nebrasks) to see one of the
boys worse off for drink very little blssphemy
INDUCED in. In fact, our Encampment Is .
model crowd-the delight of our citizens. The
soldiers of the COS represented largely the
wealth, force, refinement, and professions of our
country. towards and ignoramuses were not
in the front in the days of sacrifice. They are
not in the front to-day. God forbid that they
ever should be-"
All of such suggestions are OF value. Let
every cOmrade, and especially every Chaplsin
send in their hints.