The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1901-02-27
VETERANSWILL NOT MARCH
Members of the G.. A. II. Await tie
Action of General Sickles.

The ORGANIZATIONS VIII Either Act Ms
pear in the Parade - General
There will be no Civi war veterans in the
inaugural parade This statement was
made last night 10y General Sickles, who
was seen by Times reporter. General
Sickles reafiirmed his attitude in regard to
the demand of the veterans to be assign
cd to an honOred position in the parade.
He stated most positively that the vcte-
rams would not parade, unless invited to
serve as the personal escort of the Presi-
dent. General Sicklcs spoke of his inter
view with the President, and the Pre- si-
dents intimation that II was his wish
that the veterans serve as his personal
escort to the Capitol preceding the OFF,
cial ceremonies of inauguration. In view
of the fact that the orders of the Grand
Marshal had not been changed to meet
with the desires OF the President, which
General Sickles believes to have been con-
veyed to the Grand Marshal by General
Corbin. General Sickles expresses the
opinion that the President is not a man Of
much influence in the Capital.
General Dyrenforth. commander-.n-
chief of the Union Veterans Union. was
seen yesterday afternoon. and stated that
the position of the organizations he rep
resented was in the hands of General
SiclIles Otherwise General Dyrenforth
was non-commttal.
A meeting of the Grand Army of the
Republic was held last night. bit the
question seems not to have been consid-
cred. Commander Stone. head of the De-
plrtrOpDf IF bn Suys that Tho
organization is waiting for word from
General Sickles.
A Noel Brakeman. chief of staff to the
Grand Marshal, believes that the voter
ans will march in the parade. He has
seen the same question agitated on three
former occasions by the veterans, under
nearly the same conditions. he states. the
veterans declining to march if not grant
ed their demands and on ali of these oc-
casions the veterans have been in the
column, in the position assigned to them.
Mr. Brakeman considers that precedence
has established the rule as to where the
veterans shall march beyond all possi-
bility Of alteration.
In view of the fact that no change has
been made in the position assigned to the
veterans in the inaugural parade, in the
orders issued yesterday by the Grand
Marshal, and of the previous utterances
Of the veterans that they would not
parade unless granted their demands in
the matter of their place in the process
sion, there will be no veterans in the in
augural parade if they have meant what
was said
General Greene has announced that the
veterans position in the column will not
be changed. nor will they be permitted to
escort the President to the Capitol. with
ont the expressed direction of the Presi-
dent that this be done. General Greene
further states that he has not received
any communication from General Corbin
conveying the direction of the President
that the veterans shall serve as his escort
to the Capitol. nor conveying any other
request of the President in regard to the
position in the column to be assigned
to the veterans. II is understood that
General Greene saw General Corbfn yes
terday, and that nothing was said in
reference TO such direction having been
made by the President.
Regarding the question raised by the
veterans organizations concerning their
position in the parade, General Greene
Il am particularly DESTROYS to do spe-
cial honor to the veterans iii the parade.
ana for that reason L selected General
Sickles, as one of the most distinguished
generals of the civil war, to be the mar
shall OF the veterans division. With the
view to further honoring the veterans |
arranged with the President the review
of the veterans at the Court of Honor in
front of the White House after the
parade.
'.The President is the COMMANDMENT
Chief of the Army, and there has never
been any occasion when any organiZa
tons have taken precedence Of the army.
The army represents the United States
Government, and is entitled TO the head Of
the column. The National Guard REPRE-
sent the States, in the same relation. and
their place is Immediately behind the
army. The veterans being a semi-mili-
tary organization. precede the civic or
CARNATIONS. In 1881 General Sherman. at
the inauguration OF Garfield. established
this formation of the column, which has
invariably been followed in all succeed
ing inaugural parades. Porter, four years
ago. followed the same precedent. as
Grand Marshal of the inaugural parade.
General Dodge, one of the most distin-
guished veterans Of the civil war. OBJ
served the same formation at the Grant
parade in New York. and General But
terrified, another distinguished civil war
veteran, settled the question in like man
ner at the Dewey parade. The position
10 which the veterans have been assigned
in the Fourth division of the military
grand division, will not be altered, eX-
cept the President himself directing. /
have not received letter from General
Corbin. stating that II is the wish of the
President that the veterans shall escort
him 20 the Capitol
I'm escorting the President to the Capt.
toll the same question of precedence is
involved. 1t is possible that none of the |
of the Twenty-third Ohio Vol
who were to have served the
l.
able to attend the inauguration. In this
event guard of honor might be Sc
lccted, with the Presidents approval, |
composed Of members of each of the vet
eran posts.
The order for the parade has been in
course of preparation, and has been for
some time in the printers hands. 1t vras
necessary that the orders be ARRANGED |
for the convenience of the %, go troops at |
the post of march in thu. inaugural pa
rade. IL was impossible to delay this. |
pending another possible solution of the |
question
Chairman c. II. Randolph presided at
a meeting of the Committee on Fire |
works. held in the rooms of the Inau-
gdral Committee last night The follow
ing resolutions We're adopted:
Whereas the assembling of spectators in the vi
entity of the place where the fireworks displays
have been discharged has former occasions
resulted in increasing the doctor and undertaken
bills because Of illness more or less serious. and
fatal, due to the night air and damp
ground at such points selected for the purpose;
and
Whereas on the present occasion, the fireworks
display will he entirely Of an aerial character
adopted to render unnecessary the attendance Of
the spectators the point of display. with a
view to avoiding the serious difficulty; and
Whereas the display he best appreciated
from a more distant point Of view therefore, |
be il
Resolved. That the public be requested not TO
assemble at the Monument Grounds the night |
Of March TO witness the pyrotechnicdl display |
in honor Of the Inauguration vi William Nc
kinley.
A subcommittee. charged with the du- !
ties of supervising the pyrotechnical dis !
day. was appointed as follows: Richard |
5hipp. Chairman. and Messrs. Armstrong,
Carey. Dodge, Himrod, Moore, Patterson, |
Potter Prescott. and Steinbrenner.
II was decided that the discharge Of fire |
works should begin at 7:45 p. m. on the |
night of March 1.
.a1 l,ad snaciallxt do ,fl