The National tribune., 1902-02-13
FUNDS FOR THE NlTIONAL ENCANP
MENT.

FUNDS FOR THE NNTIONAL ESCASIP
MENT.
The work of raising funds to secure
proper entertainment of the National En-
campment in Washington has begun, anC
those engaged in it are sanguine of sue
cess. The amount has been placed al
$4,000, and this will be raised entirely
by private subscription.
Washington stands in a peculiar posi-
tion in this regard In other cities the
Common Council has helped along the
fund by an appropriation. Sometimes the
State Legislature has aided. But Wash
ington has no City Council, Congress
standing in that relation to it. At the
time the Encampment was held here in
1892 Congress appropriated 100000 from
the city's funds, but howl went up from
the poorly informed all over the country
that money was being taken out of the
National Treasury to entertain the Grand
Army of the Republic Like most of the
things said against the veterans, this was
entirely untrue, but it did not stop its he
ing said, all the same. The money was
taken from the taxpayers of the District
of Columbia, and from no one else.
The people of Washington did not want
repetition of this howl, and the veterans
certainly did not. Therefore, it was gen
orally desired, all around that nothing
should be said to Congress, but if the peo-
pie of Washington wanted the National
Encampment they should put up the
money needed out of their own pockets.
The comrades residing here have strong
ly impressed upon the citizens that this
is a strictly business enterprise, as far
as they are concerned, into which no sen
timent of any kind entered 1t would be
the most profitable investment of their
money that they could make. The Ma
tiOnal EnCampment will bring to Wash
ingtOn very much more money than any
other gathering possibly can. Inaugural
tions and similar functions bring great
many people here, who stay but a day or
two, and are very much in evidence about
the hotels, which make the most of the
money. On the other hand, the National
Encampment will bring larger crowd
than any of them, who will stay the bigger
part of the week, and it will be made up
of men and women from all over the coun-
try, who buy many things that will have
u higher value and interest to them as be-
ing souvenirs of the National Capital.
There is little doubt that the foIthcOm-
ing National Encampment will be attend
ed by at least 100000 people. Ii they
spend Sc low an average as $40 apiece, it
Will make the total reach the astonishing
sum of $20OO,OOO. They are much more
likely to spend $40 each, which would
carry the total up to $4,0OO,O0O. There
fore, 4 subscription of $4,000 is Il trifling
bagatele compared with the certain re-
turns.
The proposition to call halt in the
Isthmian Canal proceedings until the
Darien route can be examined cannot be
regarded rs otherwise than obstructive.
The Darien route has been considered for
centuries, and the opinion has always been
opposed While it is the shortest route
between the two oceans, by good many
miles, the difficulties are very much
greater. The mountains are so high that
in the old days the buccaneers, and con
quistadors preferred longer routes by
lower levels. The only suggestion is for
i gigantic tunnel through the mountains.
which would be out of all comparison with
any piercing of mountains yet undertaken.
Tunnels are much harder and slower to
make than canals, and the first estimate
for the Daricn tunnel exceeds by $780,
G00,000 the calculated cost of either the
Panama or the Nicaragua Canals. This,
IN itself, ought to be sufficient. Then, a
tunnel of such hight and width would in
volve many new engineering problems of
colossal proportions, and is liable to meet
at any time unthought of difficulties that
may bring the whole enterprise to naught,
waste all the money expended, and compel
a return to one of the other routes.