The National tribune., 1901-10-10
The GAR. Encampment at Cleveland.
PHILADELPHIA Record. Sept. 12D

Public attention, riveted for the time
on the Presidents plucky fight for speedy
recovery, has hardly recognized an an
nual event which usually pre-empts every
Fall many columns of newspaper space
the National Encampment of the Grand
Army of the Republic. Held at Cleve'
| land, in the Presidents own State, and
designed from the outset as an impressive
protest against the pension policy of the
Administration, this ERcampment has
been naturally and inevitably transformed
into sympathetic experience meeting in
which no syllable Of criticism of the
Executive has been breathed. The vet,
Grams, it may be presumed, still hold firm
ly to their original and oft-repeated views
in regard to Pension Bureau administra-
ton; but this is not the time, nor is a
patriotic assembly in Ohio the place, FOR
the appropriate advancement of such
opinions. The threatened flood of adverse
criticism has been perforce postponed I'M
til another year.
1t is scarcely surprising, however, that
the parades and campfires of the great
civil war contingent should manifest at
this juncture reduced orbit of influence
We are in the second generation from the
civil war, and fully One-half of our adult
population know of that memorable strug-
X
the veterans rapidly away, and their ranks
are being decimated year after year in
rapidly increasing ratio. The 6,045
Grand Army Posts in the United States
now average less than so members each
while the annual reduction of membership
takes an average annual toll of five mem
bers from each organization.
During more than a quarter of cen
fury the social and political influences ex-
faH Inv cd nd Arm
Posts have been numbered among the
most forceful and imperiouS element of
personal and official control in this cOun-
try. They are so STILL in 10 incOnSider-
able degree, although with the march OF
time other important and powerful inter
ests have arisen to dispute or to share
precedence with the veterans strong and
active organization. Instead of debating
the course of political action at Washing
ton, as in former days, the Grand Army
must yield right of way in Congress and
in the Executive Departments to mere
magnates of Grub street and to hero
plants of the new cult of Republican I'm
perialism. The keynotes of Federal policy
are struck not in the veterans Encamp-
ments, but in mystic chambers where only
a select few may intrude.
This new aspect and condition of af-
fairs, so far from causing concern or alarm
among the civil war heroes, seems to have
been hailed largely as warrant of re-
lease from unpleasant duty and a guar
antee of higher honors for the future. As
the years shall roll on If will be found
that the Republic is not ungrateful to
those who freely offered their lives that
free institutions might not perish in the
land. Other wars have come, and others
still may threaten: but never again will
the Nation stand in such imminent peril
as that from which it was rescued by the
boys in blue" in the early sos. These
men. now grown gray, feeble and old, need
no fanfare of hectic oratOry to commend
their cause strongly to the tribunal of
popular favor or to the good offices of
legislative authority.