Evening star., 1902-02-01
The Grand Army Encampment.
O the Editor Of The Evening Star:

Shall It convene in Washington this fall?
For one, 1 earnestly hope not, unless we
shall receive the recognition due to our con-
nection with the glory and prosperity of the
country. Congress has just appropriated
$4,000 for an appropriate reception to
Prince Henry of Prussia and it will cost
like sum for our participation in the coro-
nation Of King Edward of Great Britain.
1 would suggest that Congress. at an
early day, shall appropriate 100000 to de-
fray the expense incident to the gathering
Of the Union survivors of the civil war in
this city in the coming September or Octo-
ber l mean that the agents of the United
States shall appropriate that much money.
l do not want the niggardly action Of 1892
repea ted, when Congress saddled upon the
District the appropriation Of $4,000, refus-
ing, national body, to spend one dollar
in courtesy to the men who made the as
Sembling of national Congress poSSi-
bility.
1 would suggest that the President pre-
sent the question to Congress If indorsed
by Congress, then let the veterans, in lessen
ing numbers but growing pride, march
the avenue they hallewed at the grand
parade in May, 1866. If not, let our execu-
tive committee announce that the annual
gathering of the veterans will be inter-
mitted this year. such a gathering in Wash
ington in 1902 not being deemed consistent
with the dignity and self-respect of the G.
A. r.
cannot afford to come here at the cost of
the private citizens of the District. Be it
understood that those open-handed citizens
who are taxed so freely to entertain guests
are to the distant veterans of less cQnSe
Quence than the citizens of almost any
other town. for We really are emasculated
citizens with little local but large national
pride. THE boys" will come here, think
ing in a vague way that they to be the
guests of the nation they saved, as they
deserve to be.
In 1892 all the public buildings were
closed on Sunday during the national en-
campment. They should have been opened
on that day and every other day of that
holy week from am. to 10 pm. The re-
vered Mrs. Benjamin Harrison should have
been our model. She was dying, and the
President, thinking only Of the sweetheart
of his youth, gave orders to close the White
House to all visitors. She heard of it, and.
be to "the boys (for she was a soldiers
wife of 81 to 65, and "the boys" was
our term Of gratitude and endearment
them. she insisted that the house should
be kept open. And 1t was very touching to
see unpublished men talking as low and
stepping as softly as If their own was dy-
ing.
For the sake of pride and self-respect. re-
membering the dignity Of our sacrifices. let
US resolve that we will participate in no re-
union that will lower our pride and mar
our self-respect.
believe that the ex-confederates in Con-
gress will cheerfully vote for the suggested
appropriation. They would consign to polil-
ical oblivion the man opposed to a similar
testimonial of gratitude II Jefferson DAVIS
and Robert e. Lee had led the gray to the
Independence of the south. Those sons OF
the south, doing their duty as they then
saw 1t, are now almost daily voting to erect
statues to Lincoln, Grant and Sherman, as
a confederate congress would surely do in
the cases OF Lee and johnson.
All honor to the real Union heart of Will
liam Mckinley that proposed national aid
IN inc fnr fT7a vaoko orfo 1fox,
dead Of the lost cause. Shall q reunited
nation be unmindful of the manly pride OF
the men who kept the Union whole7 It II
. western saying-"The only good Indian
IS the dead Indian" And floating in my
memory is this couplet:
Seven wealthy towns contend for Homer dead
Through which the living Homer begged his bread.
H. T. JOHNS.