The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1896-09-04

in good standing and 42.511 are carried on the
suspended list for non-payment of dues, q
decrease In this list during the past year of
.oss The gain by muster during the year was
Is. 467. In this recapitulation the Department
OF Pennsylvania shows a loss OF 1888 MEM
bers that have been enormously carried on
in the last report. The total loss during the
year was II .406. of which number 1898 was by
death, which Is decrease OF rs from last
year. When we take into account the great
business depression of the year, the lack of
employment, and the fact that SO many OF
the veterans are possessed of such a small
portion of this worlds goods and the further
fact that. owing to age and infirmities, many
have been unable to attend post meetings.
ana nave lailed to pay their dues. our mem
bership has held It's own remarkably WELL
The report of quartermaster general shows
our finances to be In good condition, and that
there has been reduction in expenses aside
from that paid by order of the encampment
IN hitting up rooms for our archives and Gus
todian,s salary. and In prosecuting the Long
pension case.
RAILROAD RATES.
In accordance with the resolution of the
last encampment, and remembering the diff
Guilty that had attended the matter during
the Milwaukee encampment, the question of
railroad rates was early considered and after
a prolonged contest with the Western Passen-
ger association which covers all this North
y,
a rate of cent per mile and thirty-day
extension of tickets was granted. In this
contest l was earnestly supported by the
citizens CON mittee Of st. Paul, but I do not
believe that our combined efforts would have
been successful had it not been for the man
datory resolution directing the commander
ln-cnief to move the encampment to some
other location, provided the 1 cent rate was
not granted, and recommend that this in
struction be made permanent by this eneamp-
ment
While engaged In satti;nO tho railroad
trouble the following correspondence, which
explains the matter to which it refers, oc-
CURED:
New York, Dec. is, 1895.
Gen. Ivan N. Walker Commander-in- Chief
G. A. R., Indianapolis, Ind:
Dear Sfr-The Committee of citizens. which
mas Deen organized for the purpose of holding
In the city at an appropriate time during the
coming year, a reunion and parade of the
veterans OF, the Civil War. have requested me,
as their chairman, to address this letter to
you. Believing that you, with the patriotic
hundreds who have communicated their ap-
provai OF this purpose of the committee, will
be pleased to assist in bringing together the
men and the leaders on both sides of the
struggle to testify publicly to the restoration
OF peace and promote that earnest and frater-
nal feeling which is the life of our prosperity
and the guarantee of greater things to come
for the whole people and the whole country,
we ask your cooperation and that of those
trled defenders OF the nation whom you COM
mand In due season the formal invitation
VIII be extended to the veterans. At this
time our committee holds it's further arrange
ments In allegiance, awaiting your answer.
very truly yours,
"CHAs. A. DANA.
During my visit to New York in November,
l learned that his scheme was being agitated
by a few ex-Confederate residents of that
city, who hoped to advance their personal
interests. and that they were seeking to Sc
cure the support of the prominent profess
sional and business men Of that metropolis
TO aid them in their plans. / therefore re-
turned the following reply:
indianapolis, Ind, Dec. 30, 1895.
Hon. Chas. A. Dana, Chairman New York
City, N. Y:
Dear Sir-On my return home find your
1avor OF recent date, and in reply thereto,
without fuller knowledge than 1 now have
OF the objects, purposes and proposed details
OF your organization, would not want to say
whether they would meet with my personal
appreciation, much less should l endeavor to
commit the organization which I have the
honor, in part, to represent.
II there has been at any time during the
past thirty years the slightest necessity of
public testimony to the restoration of peace
or the promotion of that earnest and thor
ough fraternal feeling which is the life of
OF our prosperity, it certainly cannot be said
that it has been in any degree owing to the
acts or omissions of the Grand Army of the
Repubiic. AS an organization and as indi-
vidualS we have always been eager and any
ious to meet and cooperate with any and all
upon the common plane of loyalty to the
country. What Is to be the character of the
parade or the veterans of the Civil War of
which you write?Are they to march together
as citizens and patriots under common flag
to signify their devotion to common coun-
try? II SO, l am without reservation, men
tally or otherwise, in favor of it, and, if cir
-cumstances should permit, would with pride
and pleasure participate. IT, however, it
means that they are to march, the one in
blue and the other in gray, representatives
OF the two great hosts that then contended
for the victory, another and much graver
question would be presented for determine
hnxyf or SO fr orNA !;
tinctiy representative of the lines that then
divided Them logically they should march
under different banners. and I, for one, would
be unalterabiy opposed to seeing a column
in gray marching under the stars and bars
and contending for the pIaudfts of our citi-
zens on equal footing with the column in
blue, marching under the Stars and Stripes.
Those two columns would not now represent
the same idea, nor did they ever heretofore.
While we fully appreciate the vaior of the
men who bore arms against us, and gladly
receive and welcome them as citizens 10 ali
the privileges and honors Of common coun-
try we both now love, it is the unalterable
conviction of the Grand Army of the Republic
that those who wore one uniform and fought
under one flag, fought for their country and
were in the right, while those who wore the
other uniform and fought under the other
banner, fought against their country and
were wrong, and sentimental nor COM
mercial efforts to efface these radical dis
tlnctions should be encouraged by any true
patriot.
IF it should be- therefore as I fear it is,
the intention in your proposed parade to
obliterate the radical distinctions between
the two and to have them march as repre-
senting antagonistic ideas, although the an
tagonism may not be made fully apparent
as 1t might be by carrying the discarded ban
nerS that once were carried with and over
the gray as its true symbol, it would be
hardly necessary to communicate further
with me as you can already without difficulty
foreshadow what my answer would be, both
personally and officially. have the honor
to be very respectfully yours
II N. WALKER.
"Commander-in-C Chief"
To this letter Mr.. Dana answered as fol-
lows:
New York. Jan. g. 1896.
Gen: Ivan n. Walker, COMMUNICATIVE chief,
Indianapolis, Ind.
My Dear Sir-I have read your letter of
the 30th ult. with extreme interest. I rejoice
to see that, as regards the main point of the
subject, your mind is entirely in accord with
that OF our friends here, who have been active
In promoting the plan we have in view. This
is to hold simply great fraternal reunion
and manifestation of zeal in behalf of our
native land, and to bring together for that
purpose those who, thirty years ago, fought
in blue with those who, at the same time
fought on the opposite in gray. 1t is to bring
them together as equal citizens of our COM
mon country in a festival of patriotism and
fraternal cooperation. This is the essential
purpose and all of the rest is a matter of de-
tail, to be considered and arranged as shall
appear to be most Judicious and most eff
fective for the great end we have in view.
In this case we hold that only one principle
should rule; namely. that all are equal as
Americans, and that there is no cause to
be promoted and no idea to be raised into
prominence except the cause and idea of
America.
las for the flags, it Is intended that there
shall be but one that of the United States,
and that it shall float over the whole parade
as the recognized symbol of the whole nation
and of all of its members. AS for the uni
forms the case is similar. Although as we
wish to make 1t evident to all on-lookers