The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-02-06
THE ST. PAUL DISPUTE.


Chicago last week to consider the matter
of lower rates and extension of time to
80 days to the National Encampment
at ST. Paul. After prolonged dis
cussion it was decided that it would
not do, in face of the coming meeting
of the Knights of Pythias at Mime
apolis, to grant lower rates to the GAR,
and that the proposed extension to 80
days would be demoralizing to their
business. So both requests were denied.
When Commander-in-C Chief Walker
was informed of the decision he said:
"Well, that simply lets st. Pual out
of it. That is all there is of it. The
entire matter will now be re-opened,
and another city selected for the En-
campment.
When informed that the other roads
of the Joint Traffic Association, would
stand by the action of the Western Asso-
citation, he said:
"Then there will be no National En-
campment this year. We must have a
so days extension, or there will be no
Encampment"
He was incorrectly reported in this
last. What he said was that the Ma
tional Encampment would be confined
to the members of the Encampment-
about / 200 altogether, and there would
be none of the monster gatherings usual
at National Encampments. This course
has been suggested several times before
when there have been disputes of this
kind, but not adopted, because an ami
cable arrangement was arrived at.
Col. Walker was present at the meet
ing Of the Western Traffic Association,
and made a strong appeal to them to
make the desired concessions. Before
leaving Chicago he had a conference
with the members of the st. Paul COM
mittee, Gems. Mason, and Flower, Gov.
McGill aad Albert Schaefer, the latter
being a member of the Executive Com |
mittee of the GAR. Council of Admin |
istration. He informed them he would |
wait 10 days to see if the railroad de-
favored St. Paul's demands, |
and if not he would summon the Grand |
Army Executive Committee to meet in
Chicago Feb. 7 or 8 to take action
the location of the Encamp-
ment where the railroads would do rs
In a newspaper interview with Com
rade Schaefer he expressed confidence
that the Great Western Railway would /
at once issue a 10-days' notice to the
other St. Paul lines that it would grant
the 30-day extension, as it was bound
by contract at Louisville to do, and he
believed the competing lines would see
their interests lay in doing the same
eff the extension is not given" he
said, "St. Paul will not have the En-
and, of course, we must have
:ome assurance from other lines besides
the Great Western that the 3O-day ex-
.ension will be given before we will
want the Encampment, as the Great
Western could not carry all the visitors.
As member of the Grand Army Ex-
,cutive Committee, you may say that if
he ne-cent-a-mile rate and the 3O-day
extension are not granted by the rail-
.oads, the Grand Army will not hold
National Encampment anywhere in
Western, Southern or Eastern territory.
There will only be an assembly of Dele
rates under such circumstances. We
want no more Encampment failures, as
We had at Milwaukee, on account of the
ailroads.'
Comrade Schaefer is entirely right,
md the comrades will to man support
he position taken by Commander-in-
thief Walker. We might as we'll
make the issue this year rs at any time,
nd if we have to forego the grand q
at the National Encampment,
ct us forego it rather than back down q
N inch. 1t will teach the railroads a
eeded lesson, not only for ourselves,
ut for the whole country. The con-
essions asked for are simple justice to +,