The National tribune., 1900-07-26
THE I34th NATIONAL ENCAMPMENT.
Chicago Meeting Expected to be the Greatest the History Of
g , the Order
CHiCAGo, ILL.,, July %.

his letter answering the invitation to at
| tend the Encampment Confidential" 1t
| was, so far as can be learned, the only
| answer received from any of the promi-
nent men of the country so marked. A
few days ago Chairman Harper, of the
Executive Committee, gave out list of
those who had accepted invitations to be
with the veterans in Chicago during the
last week in August. President Mckin-
| ley, officers Of the Army and Navy,
Judges and others whose names are
known in every household in the land,
were among those who had accepted. The
Chicago newspapers printed these names
and Mayor Harrison and other leaders
| of the Democratic Party of course read
them.
Where does Mr. Bryan come in?' the
| Mayer is said to have exclaimed when he
finished the list.
A consultation of prominent members of
the party was held: Why had not Mr..
Bryan been invited? Was the Encamp-
ment to be turned into a Republican dem
onStration? Was President Mckinley to
| be given the whole field and allowed to
soiidify himself through connivance of the
Committee on Arrangements? If this
was to be so, then Mayor Harrison, which
meant the City of Chicago, technically
and officially, would have nothing to do
with the Encampment, and for which
| they had been working.
Everybody who had the success of the
| Encampmcnt at heart was surprised. Had
| q biundcr been made, and who was re-
| sponsible for it? But Chicago and the
| country did not have long to wait for an
| explanation from the officers of the COM
| mittee. Chairman Harper and Col. Wood
| called upon the Mayor at once and showed
him q letter they had received some time
before from Mr.. Bryan. Mr.. Bryan had
been invited at the same time that Pres
ident Mckinley had been. In his answer
to the committee, however, Mr.. Bryan
said he could not at that time say whether
| arrangements made by the Democratic
National Committee would permit his
presence in Chicago during the Encamp-
lnent. Until he could say definitely
whether he could be here he desired his
letter treated as confidential. When
Mayor Harrison became acquainted with
the facts he said he was satisfied that all
the fuss that had been made over an al
legged slight to Mr.. Bryan was uncalled
for. He further said if the Encampment
were to be strictly a non-partisan affair
he would take off his coat and do every.
thing i'll his power to make it a grand
success. And everybody who knows any
thing about a big city knows that without
the cooperation of the Mayor anything of
this nature cdnnot succeed very well.
Mayor HARRISON is q broadminded man,
ana all he asks is that there be no poll
tics; that the Encanfpment be reunion
Of old soldiers, Republicans, Democrats,
Populists, Pf'ohibitionists, or whoever else,
who fought fOr their country and whose
patriotism made the present political par
ties possible. 1'' o ~
Recently Tord has been received from
Mr.. Bryan indicating that he will be in
Chicago during the Encampment if it is
thing possible. He says he is exceedingly
anxious to attend the reunion Of the vet
Grams, and will try to shape other arrange
ments in a way that will enable him to
attend. Thus it may happen that two can
didates for the Presidency, MIR. Bryan and
President Mckinley, may be entertained
under the same auspices. IL the National
Democratic Committee believes it good
policy for Mr. Bryan to attend the En-
eampment, and there is no reason for
thinking it will not, in view Of MIR.
Bryan's personal desire TO be here, the
Chicago Committee on Arrangements may
expect to receive his final acceptance very
soon. Mr.. Bryan and Maj. Mckinley
have never met while they have been op-
posing candidates for the Presidency, and
the fact that they would review the pro-
cessiOn of old soldiers from the same plat
form would more than anything that
could happen show the broad-minded
makeup Of the American people, and their
ability to set aside politics even during a
heated tuitlbdiSI d Lew utfO-
ton to the flag and honor to the men in
blue who fought for n united country.
STATEMENT FROM CHAIRMAN HARPER.
The little embarrassing incident over the
Bryan letter has led Chairman Harper
and other members Of the committee to
nip in the bud any attempts to ring poll
tics into the Encampment. The Cook
County Marching Club, the big local Re
publican organization, was making elab-
crate plans to act as escort to President
Mckinley i'll the veterans parade. The
Committee Of Arrangements has sat down
Oh this plan hard, aud there will be no
escort to the President except one formed
by the old soldiers Regarding the politi
cdl phase Of the Encampment Executive
director Harper has given out the follow
ing statement:
There is absolutely 10 politics in the
coming G. \. r. Encampment. Never
in the history of this organization has
there been an Annual Encampment to
which the President of the United States
has not been invited as the chief execu
tive officer of the Nation.
Mr.. Mckinley is also, however, the
most distinguished comrade of the G.. A.
r. lie is not tn be the only special guest
of the Encanpment The list of notable
men whom we have asked to come to Chi
caeo as special guests Of Chicago and the
Encampment numbers nearly %. When
the formal invitation was sent by Gen.
John G.. Black, Chairman of the Commit
tee on Invitations, to President Mckinley,
similar invitation was forwarded to w.
j. Bryan. The President has accepted,
but up to date Mr.. Bryan has not"
Gen. Black, Chairman of the Commit
tee OH Invitations, is Democrat, as is
also Maj Heafford, the Chairman of the
Committee on Transportation. Many 9th
ci.s connected with the committee and the
hardest of the workers are Democrats.
Now that politics so far as the En-
campment is concerned are buried, atten-
teHtion is again turned to the legitimate
work Of the big gathering. The En-
| campment will probably bring together
more notable persOnages than have at
| tended a function of any kind at the same
| time in years, if cyer.J
| PROMINENT GUESTS OF THE ENCAMPMENT.
One Of the acceptances was particular
| ly agreeable to the local committee. That
| was the one from the Duke de ARGOS,
| Spanish Minister to the United States. 1t
| will be remembered. that last Spring when
| the local committee ilp charge of arrange
| ments for Dewey Day were sending out
| invitations, through iblunder on the part
| of one of the mailing clerks an invitation
| was sent to the Spanish Minister Nat
| urally the Duke was indignant when he
| received an invitation to attend n celebra-
ton of the victory of the downfall of
10 rot rS.tIn Intta fT