The Sunday globe., 1901-05-12
DISCONTINUANCE REQUESTED.
The Bad Effects Of this System OF Raising
Funds for The Proper Observance
Of the Day-HoW Il Is
Done In Other
Cities

comment going on among the contrib
utors, as usual, some going so far as to
I characterize this annual collection as a
species of polite blackmail, levied un-
der the guise of patriotism. OF course
this is an unjustifiable misstatement
and not warranted by the facts. for
any man can decline to contribute with
out fear Of the consequences.
Memorial Day, with all its sacred
duties to the living and the dead. should
be fittiugly observed especially by
those in the service of the Government
The fallen heroes dess rves by the pub
lime sacrifice of their lives all the fri
butes and all the tears of remembrance
offered at their silent bivouacs. IT isa
sacred ceremony, old as humanity. to
honor the memories of those who died
fighting the battles of their country
and all civilized nations have cared for
or distinguished the survivors by deco
rations, pensions and honors. But in
this sacred duty of remembrance of the
fallen nothing should be done by the
living or surviving comrades to bring
reproacho or cause sinister comment, and
these annual collections in all the De-
partments have tendency to that eff
feet.
In all the other cities of the North
the local Grand Army posts pays fitting
tribute to the dead and flowers in abun-
dance are provided to decorate the
graves,
Voluntary contributions are usually
called for and the women organizations
Of the Post charge themselves with the
collection OF the flowers and all the other
details. If there's any financial shortage
the posts promptly come forward and the
subscriptions of its members soon lioui-
date the Indebtedness.
1t is estimated that there are over
$4,000 employees of the Government in
the several departments. The total sum
realized from the ten and twenty-five
cent donations is entirely unnecessary for
the expressed object of its collection.
Five hundred dollars ought to easily
cover the expenditures Of Memorial Dav.
What becomes of the large sum collected
is a question which is creating scandal
among the old soldiers, and it is from
this class the Globe is made aware of the
dissatisfaction which exists over this an.
nual levy on the employees and clerks of
the departments
The old soldiers feel that the whole
tendency of the matter is to belittle
them and excite prejudice against ex-sol-
diers by their fellow clerks and en-
ployees, who either fought on the wrong
slde, or were too young, or lacked the
patriotism to shoulder q musket for the
preservation Of the Union. In fact, the
old soldier is put on the defensive ex.
planning matter he knows nothing
about himself viz, the disposition of the
money collected, or rather the large sur
plus left after the expenses of the day,
proper, are deducted, for it is conceded
that but small portion of the thousands
collected is expended inthe necessary
flowers, wagons, lunch, etc provided on
Memorial Day.
To bring this matter more clearly home
to the various posts or to those at the
head of this annual election, the Globe
prints this brief interview:
Odd you subscribe for Memorial
DayT"
''No, sir; putup no money for flowers
to honor those who stabbed the South to
death"
"But the South is alive and flourish
ing part of the Union now"
"Yes and we children of the South
have made it so. We care for our living
ex-soldiers and we provide flowers for
the dead, too, without making collec-
tion in the departments.
This expresses the sentiments, however,
uncharitable and unpatriotic, OF a class,
members of which are asked to subscribe.
Then, again, we have our own reluctant
people, who neither served in the army
if they were old enough and who, if too
young, express themselves tired Of the
old soldier racket" 1t is from these
the cry comes regularly that "the old
soldier is played out, etc.
Every decent, patriotic ex soldier in
the District would rather g down in his
pocket and subscribe the extra sum re-
quired than have annual collections made.
But there will not be, and ought not to be,
any extra sum required nor any hardship
imposed on the ex.soldier in the sum
really necessary for the observance OF the
day.
! As stated in the other cities of the
country, the day is observed equally as
elaborately as it is in Washington, and
no forcing Of reluctant subscriptions is
resorted to. The practice, anyhow, of
collecting subscriptions in the depart
ments for any and every object should be
modified or put under regulations Of some
kind.
/ Now the grand old organization Of the
Grand Army of the Republic, to which
the writer has belonged since 1S76-when
first mustered in the old organization in
Greble Post No. 10, Philadelphia-can
not with dignity classify itself with the
various and numerous pretenses for the
collection of money in the departments,
The writer has been a department
officer in Ohio, and in that State we did
things differently. If in any locality
there was any post financially unable to
observe the Day assistance was rendered
it, but II must be confessed to the credit
of the patriotic people of that State dur
ong our term Of office as Assistant Quart
iermaster- General we were never called
upon tO, aid or assist, and we believe that
our predecessors and SUCCESSORS had the
same experience.