Bismarck daily tribune., 1902-06-12

Ito befriend their widows and orphans,
and in accordance with the immortal
words of Lincoln at Gettysburg, to
care for him who shall have borne the
battle, and for his widow and orphans .
It was argued that there were many
women socially ambitious and pos
sessed of means who would gladly do
this work and from their social exper-
ience could do it much better than. the
ladies of old soldiers families who had
suffered equally with their husbands
from the terrible strain and loss of the
four years war. Many of the original
members of the w. r. C. rebelled
against this change and formed the or
ganization of the Ladies of the G. A.
R., in which the qualification of mem
bership is being related to some veteran
of the civil war. This organization,
Like the Legion of Loyal Women, = is
recognized by and works for and with
the G.. A. R., but the original Woman's
Relief Corps is the only regularly
adopted auxiliary.
| Time has shown the worldly wisdom
of the plan for while the ranks of the
G. A. R. are decimated and feeble, the
Relief Corps are gaining new acces-.
sions yearly to their number. Me
mortal day was instituted as day
sacred to the memory of the dead sol
'diers of the civil war. On it is en-
joined to be read the beautiful G. A.
R. burial service for the dead, and
Lincoln's imperishable address at
Gettysburg. It is enjoined by the
regulations and commanded by both
national and department general or
ders that the graves of all old soldiers
in the cemeteries shall be decorated
as part of the days services.
In most cities in this state the peo-
pie and school children go in procession
with the G. A. R. and w. R. G. to the
cemeteries and hold part of the services
there.
In others, delegations of the W. r..
G. and G. A. R. go together to perform
in person this patriotic duty. In no
city in this state have seen this duty
more fittingly performed than in 1892,
in the little town of Washburn, Nc
Lean county, which has no auxiliary.
This small post, escorted by the school
children and the entire population Of
the town marched in procession to the
cemetery one mile in the suburbs, ON
the summit of a hill overlooking the
Missouri river, and after religious SER
vices, while the band discoursed the
old wartime patriotic airs, the cere-
mony of decorating the graves was
solemnly performed, the whole form
ing a scene never to be effaced from
the minds of the children who partici-
pated in the ceremony.
At the Catholic cemetery in Bismarck
last Decoration Day this ceremony was
performed by the sexton, Mr., Thomas
Welch, as COMMITTEE for the G.. A
r. himself a good soldier, and the
duty was faithfully and reverently
performed, but it had a lonesome look,
and would seem to indicate a lack Of
interest on the part of the posts aux
Hilary
The members of the G. A. r. are
aged and indrm, and should be excused
from visiting the cemeteries in person
if they desire, but it is incumbent up
ON the w. R. G. to faithfully perform
this part of the duties of OUT National
SABBATH under their solemn obliga-
tons of fidelity, charity and loyalty to
the memory of our lost commander.
LINDA w. SLAUGHTER.
Past National Aide W. R. c., Auxiliary
to the G. A. r.