Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-05-29
MEMORIAL DAY PLANS
WoMEN's SOCIETIES TO PROVIDE
LUNCH AT ARLINGTON.
Great Demand for Flowers - Com
mander Bingham's Comment on
Observance of the Day.

ketS this morning. The flower booths look
| like gardens of fadryland in the wealth
of blooms which have been brought to per-
| lection especially for Decoration day. It
| Is said that the demand for flowers was
| never greater for memorial occasion
| flowers in wreaths, made up bouquets and
set pieces. The tables were swept bare
twice before noon today in some OF the
booths of the market but there seemed to
be plenty more to take their places.
The custom Of decorating the graves of
members of the family has grown enor-
mously in favor during the past five years,
and the various patriotic orders Of women
decorate the graves Of their deceased mem
bers at this season also. This is usually
done on the day before Memorial day. The
women who make up these orders say they
believe that Memorial day should be kept
sacred to the national dead-the soldiers
who have fought the nations battles, and
whose last resting places the nation be-
heves it should care for.
that Andrew Curtin of Pennsylvania, the
great war governor, was practically the
father of the movement to establish ma
tonal cemeteries. After the battle Of Get
tysburg the dead were buried where they
fell. Gov. Curtin visited the battlefield and
Immediately conceived the idea of making
the battlefield a cemetery which the
nation should care for There were hun
dreds of soldiers whose bodies could
never be reclaimed by their friends, and in
time their graves would become grass
grown and forgotten. Under the nation
fostering care this could not happen he
argued, and so, through his efforts, the ma
ton cemetery of Gettysburg was establish
ed on Cemetery Ridge, the scene of greatest
carnage in that bloody battle.
President LincolnS eulOgy at the dedica-
ton of the national cemetery at Gettysburg
has been translated into many languages,
and is considered a classic. 1t is read on
every Memorial day wherever a post of the
Grand Army of the Republic is established.
In far away Hawaii in the City of Old
Mexico and in every city and hamlet of
the United States, by order of the national
encampment made many years ago, this
address is read above the graves Of the
nations dead.
Observance Of Memorial Day.
Commander Bingham Of the Department
of the Potomac G. A. R., regrets that so
many well meaning people are disposed to
turn Memorial day into day for junketing,
picnicking and games.
II regret it exceedingly he said to a Star
reporter this morning. 1T should be re-
membered, first, that May 30 is day set
apart for a memorial to the dead soldiers
of the nation, primarily of the war Of the
rebellion and instituted by great general
of that war. Since the day was Instituted
another war has been fought for the free
dom of people, under the protecting aegis
of the stars and stripes and the beautiful
tribute of rosemary for remembrance" is
now laid upon the graves where they rest
But for the soldiers of9the Union there
would have been no Memorial day. There
was something noble in the sentiment of
one great people gathering on one day in
the millions of hamlets, villages and towns
of the country, to garland the graves of
those whose lives We're offered willing
sa crfce that the nation might live. So
when General Logan, May 5, 1858, sent forth
!, &c ,rc{M io1 Il npia rol 90
all loyal hearts was quickly needed.
AS 1 have said, but for the old soldiers
Of this country, who have labored earnest
ly to bring it about, Memorial day would
We have brought this about that one day
in the 365 should be devoted to retrospect
and remembrance OF those who kept this
nation united, and made it possible for 1t
to reach Its present condition of prosperity.
1T is day to take ones children and
grown children to the spot where the dead
of the nation sleep, and, while dropping a
few blossoms to the memory Of those who
rest in the low, green tents, tell of the
deeds Of those men who made 1t possible for
this nation to continue its existence. Our
children do not get much of this in our
public schools; time is precious and one
can learn history anywhere.
The Grand Army of the Republic asks
only that the facts Of history of the war of
the rebellion be set down. The plain, I'M
vanished truth will be strong as Holy
tenets of our faith is the teaching of pa
triotism, love of country and the country's
flag. Memorial day is ours. We created it.
1t is the national Sabbath to the loyal Am
erlcan. We have laws to prevent the desc
Grafton of the Sabbath Of the Christian, and
1 sometimes think we will be forced to
make laws for the protection of the pa
triots Sunday"
Proposed Change in Date.
In conclusion. Col Bingham said that the
national encampment Of the Grand Army
| of the Republic had several times quite Sc
riously considered the abandonment of May
so as Memorial day, and adopted instead
the Sunday that comes nearest the Goth
I'VE have felt SO Inundated by the spe-
cial advertising of Memorial day sports and
the studied attempt to make our own par
ticular day one of hilarious enjoyment by
people who do not seem to care whether the
stars and stripes float above them or not
that We may take the day away from them
yet People may not think of it that way,
! but as l have said, it is our day The day
Of the Grand Army of the Republic.
1T was made holiday in the District
and the various states at our request and
through our efforts. If we conclude to
make some Sunday a Memorial day, then
May 80 as a legal holiday will be dropped.
There will be no reason for its existence
and We will no longer be mortified by adj
vertisemehts of chicken fights, glove con-
tests or horse races under the head of
Memorial day sports" The Sunday laws
will protect u.s..
Provision for Free. Entertainment.
Grand Army Hall is the center of a busy
scene today. Bread by the wagon load,
butter by the tub and cheese, pickles, cof-
| fee, tea and other eatables in proportion
| are piling in. Half hundred women of
| the Woman's Relief Corps, under the .di-
rection of Mrs. Julia Roberts. chairman of
| the executive committee of the department