The National tribune., 1904-08-18
ELOQUENT.

The committee gives great credit to the
American Flag Association. They show
that they have worked harmoniously with
that association, whose President is Com
rade Ralph Il. Prime. of Yonkers, n. Y:
and l recommend that the committee be
continued. with instructions to prosecute
their work along the same lines heretofore
followed.
/ also recommend the continuance of
the Fredericksburg Battlefield Park Asso-
"iaton, which reports progress.
THE REPoRT OF THE COMMITTEE ON
MEMORIAL TO DIR. BEJAMIN +. STEPHEN
SON
is of especial interest. AS to this work.
the Grand Army has pledged itself and
its earnest assistance. The selected site
at Washington should surely soon be oc-
cup;cd by worthy statue. Yet the pro-
gress in finances is but slow. Suggestions
made by the committee, and to be pre-
>ented to the Encampment. | hope will
meet with your approval. We cannot af-
ford to fail in the effort to honor the
founder of our great Order through whose
far-seeing efforts so much has been ac-
complished.
SCHOOL HISTORIES.
The attention of the Encampment is re-
quested to the report of Comrade st.
Clair 4. Mulholland, of Pennsylvania,
Chairman of the School History Commit
tee, who on Feb. !, 1904, addressed a let
ter to each Department Commander and
to each member of the committee Of which
he was Chairman. At the date of his re-
port, July Z, 1904, he had received replies
from but ID Department Commanders out
OF ID, and but three of the six other MEM
bers of his committee, and many of these
replies were, as Comrade Mulholland
states, only perfunctory. An examination
Of other replies received shows earnest and
commendable spirit on the part of the
writer's and good work in Departments,
while single protest is filed in the case
of one Department against the school his
tories used, and milder criticisms of others
and high concentrations of still others.
"A fair consensus Of these varying state
ments is that the Government of the
United States has done all it can I'm pub
fishing the records of the struggle of 81
80; that historians and publishers will
cater to the trade they seek, and that our
duty will be to suggest corrections when
errors occur, to tell the truth and urge it,
and to trust to the vitality of the truth for
its final establishment.
We need not fear the judgment of pos
terity; the work done will endure; passion
cannot long obscure it, nor vengeful re-
membrance ovcrbear its majesty, nor
natural personal lamentat tions sadden the
ear, nor will all time rob the Nation of the
majestic results.
Comrade Mulholland suggests the estab-
llshment Of the committee and that the eff
forts Of the Grand Army of the Republic
be turned toward the support of the work
of the Committee on Patriotic Educa ton.
In this view your Chief con-
ours; further suggestions will be found in
the report itself. / invite close attention
to the report of the Committee on
AT
EDUCATION IN THE PUBLIC SCHOOLS,
Of which committee Comrade Allan C..
Bakewell, Of New York, is, as he has been
for years, the efficient and indefatigable
Chairman. With him have been associ-
ated an Aid from each Department, save
two, and his work has been well done. BY
praiseworthy efforts of Comrade Bakewell
Il bill was enacted into law permitting the
detail to any school in the United States
or Territories, under certain restrictions
of retired officers and non-commissioned
officers of the Army and Navy, to be desig-
mated by the President, to instruct in drill
and tactics. The law also permits the loan
to schools of arms for drilling, oil for the
purpose of adding to the trained strength
of the Republic.
But far more than this, the Flag, our
Flag, has become to the eyes of 1900, 600
children daily vision, and they are
will be fitted to stand for it. And it is
worthy of note that Jealous comrades con-
tend for the honor of having framed the
salute and ritual employed by the schools
\ high emulation! But let us not worry
about who, in framing the salute, was
first in the exact point of time, whether
it was Wallace Foster or Balch or Bake
well; we have reached what we wanted
The children have caught the inspiration
of Old Glory, and that is fire that never
dies. In the language OF a great American
sailor on a memorable occas sion, "There
is honor enough for ALL" Let us have
peace"
The Aids in Charge. toiling constantly.
have procured observance on special oc-
Day-of the Flag honors and of special
exercise. The Flag goes everywhere. De-
partment Commanders and Governors OF
States have helped in the good work, The
American Flag Association has joined
hands with the Grand Army of the Re
public, as have Boards of Education and
Superintendents of Schools; and every
mans Relief Corps and the Ladies of the
Grand Army Of the Republic and the Sons
and Daughters of Veterans have helped
this good cause; and now it is a success
and of incalculable value to the Nation.
Let who will make its laws if Liberty
rules III It's love.
believe in CONCERTED ACTION. and
because this great committee has so we'll
done its work and is SO thoroughly organ
lied, l recommend that the duties here
tofore devolved upon the School Histories
Committee be transferred to the COMMIT
tee on Patriotic Education and that the
committee first named be discharged and
dissolved. And what is true herein of con-
certed action is true all along the line: we
have presented to us, for our favorable
action, many schemes looking to the good.
but We can not carry all at once. urge
wise selection of one or two cardinal and
important matters to which shall be de-
voted the energies of the Order; and when
these are accomplished. if deemed best, we
can attend to others. But in the foremost
rank let us place as our objects the good
of country. comrades, children-aH the
rest may wait
REVISION OF THE BLUE BOOK.
Under resolutions of the Encampment
l appointed Comrade Robert B. Beatb.
past Commander-in- Chief, as Chairman
and Comrades A. HI. Beers, of Bridgeport.
Conn, and Lewis e. Grfith, of Troy. N.
Y, on the National Committee on Revision
of Blue Book. In due time they reported
their completed labors, and, on approval
thereof, TIE New Edition was completed.
published and distributed. The volume is
handsome and is most satisfactory, and
the thanks of the Encampment are due the
Committee for their able and comprehen-