The National tribune., 1907-01-17

those who are tempted to stray across
yet devised for making men honest in
heart and act. Even Mahometanism IS
far better than no religion, for it firmly
inculcates honesty and justice and
truth, which are the main things in
life.
THE 4IST NATIONAL ENCAMPMENT
We have received the following. let
ter:
Editor National Tribune: I earnestly
hope our National Encampment for
1907 will be held at the Capital of this
Great Republic, Washington, d. c.
Vast crowds, as your noble paper has
already shown, will desire to attend
both the Encampment and the James
town (Va.) Exposition. Am certain
twice as many veterans and their
friends will attend at Washington as at
Saratoga. Twill be calamity if Wash
ington is not chosen. What grand
time We had at Minneapolis last August
I entreat you, do your level best for
Washington.-E. ". Finch, M. D., New
Rochelle, n. Y.
Josh Billings uttered a great truth
! in his remark that "the best time set
q hen liz when the hen liz reddy." This
applies with equal force to the holding
of National Encampments. The best
place to hold a National Encampment
to the Importance of the meeting, are
eager to have it held in their city and
are wrought up to the point of each
and every individual doing his or her
best to make the entertainment a sue
cess. An Encampment will be a dis
appointment and a failure taken any
where else. There has been good
deal of talk about Washington which
we have received quite coldly, because
Washington, like Josh Billings's hen, is
not ready. There is always a vast
amount of preparatory work in the
minds Of the people that must be done
before an Encampment is held This
requires a year or two at least of agi-
tation. 1t has not been done in Wash
ington; it has not even been begun in
Washington, because the people have
not yet begun to look forward to an
other Encampment. The last was held
here only five years ago, and many will
think that it Is too soon for it to come
here again. A vast number Of COM
rades all over the country would like
to come to Washington every year, and
the railroads entering Washington
would be only too glad to bring them.
but the principal work is waking up
the people of the city. This has not
been done, and it would not do at all
to attempt to bring the Encampment
here this year. On the other hand, the
people of Saratoga have been looking
forward for about a year now to Sc
curing the National Eneampment and
they have been thoroly aroused to the
matter. They have very many reasons
for desiring the Encampment, and these
reasons extend to those who expect TO
be present All over the western part
OF the country are comrades who want
to go to Saratoga in order to visit their
old homes in the East. All over the
country east Of the Alleghenies are
comrades who have not been TO an En-
pense of going West, but they have
been planning ever since the announce
ment was made last September to go TO
Saratoga, when they expect to meet
many of their comrades of their old
regiments, brigades, divisions, etc. The
alert, enterprising folks. and they see
that in one way or another their COM
pet!tors have been getting advantage
of them, and that Saratoga has not, of
recent years, had the pre-eminence
among Summer resorts she formerly
to restore this lost prestige, and it nat
urally occurred 20 them that the best
way was to have the National Encamp-
ment meet there, give the 1900 peo-
pie who assembled a great object-lesson
as to Saratogas beauty and attractive
ness. and what the people can do in
the way of entertaining a great crowd
in the most satisfactory manner, both
as to accommodations and the prices
thereof. The great railroads which en-.
ter Saratoga are equally excited, a,
they are brought into sharp opposition
to the other systems of railroads which
are trying to take the National En-
campment elsewhere. All things viii
combine in the most effective way t
enhance the entertainment that tn,
comrades will receive at Saratoga. 1
Is a condition of things that requires
year or more to work I'D. and which
could not possibly be brought about il
Washington or in any other city In time
to make the Encampment such a sue
cess as 1t ought to be. Let us dismiss
aII thoughts of every other place, ant
concentrate ourselves upon going t.
Saratoga next September and having
Sae of the best Encampments in the
four decades Of the history Of the Grand
Army Of the Republic.