The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1906-08-24
ABOLISH THE PARADE
Agitation Along This Line
Among Veterans.
MARCH IS TOO STRENUOUS.
Other Men Prominent in Grand Army
Circles Express Themselves Re-
qsrdine This Feature.

Minneapolis. Aug. l7.-Agitation is
very strong among the old soldiers to
feature of the encampment.
Reports are being brought in from
time to time of the effects on the vet
Grams of that strenuous march of from
three to four hours. Many suggest the
holding of great picnic and having
some simple demonstration which will
not prove such burden as the long
march has.
Officers of the national organization
in discussing the matter freely express
ed their feelings on the matter
1--WE have discussed time and again
the necessity of abolishing the parade"
declared Commander in Chief Tanner,
"and it is time now that some action is
undertaken. The cry has always been
that the parade must never be given up;
that as long as fighting man remains,
he will demand that he be allowed to
perform the ceremony of carrying the
nations colors in honor of her dead.
"But it is not right to sacrifice the
men to perpetuate a custom, which all
Americans admit is unnecessary, and
which they universally declare should be
set aside. 1t is true that doing away
with the parade undoubtedly will affect
the attendance at encampments, but we
cannot stand seeing the old veterans
drop in their tracks, many of them per-
manently injured through severe physi-
cal strain; some of them actually giving
up their lives in the procession.
81 am not ready to suggest substi-
tute for the parade which will mean as
much to the veterans. The encampments
will continue, but there must be some
thing to draw the interest of the rank
and file of the veterans. Perhaps it will
be picnic; perhaps some other substi-
tute for the parade. But it is certain
that the parade cannot continue"
Surgeon General Hugo Philler, at
whose suggestion coffee was served to
the veterans, was as pronounced in his
declaration that the parade should be
eliminated.
''We have abolished the parade of vet
Grams upon Memorial day." said General
Philler, sin nearly all parts of the coun.
try, because the men are not able to
make a long march. And yet at the ma
tional encampment the men feel that
they must tramp orer hot city streets,
for fully two miles, to honor the old
flags and the old memories.
Something must be done to end the
parading feature. / can think of nothing
now but the use of carriages for the old
soldiers, and of course that would mean
endless expense, and would materially
change the characteristics of the parade.
But what is expense compared with hui
man life?"
Major Frank Butts, chief of staff of
the Grand Army, declared that the
''sooner the Grand Army does away with
the parade, the better it will be for the
old soldiers"
"The men will not stay out of the line
of march, even when they know that
they are running the greatest risks of
permanent physical injury" declared
Major Butts yesterday. 81 warned
number of them yesterday that they
must not march, but they were there
when the command came to fall in and
they were there when the order sounded
to fall out
Judge Frank L. Campbell of the de
partment of the Potomac, assistant at.
torney general of the United States,
was emphatic in his opinion that it is
wrong to let the men march,
Il would not march yesterday" said
Judge Carpenter, because | did not feel
strong enough to stand the strain. Sen
Tor Vice Commander Martin, who was
stricken in the parade, was aware of his
danger, and many of us requested him
to stay out of the march. | hope the
Grand Army will see its way clear to
abolish the parade at once"
The showers predicted by the weather
bureau came last night on schedule time