The National tribune., 1907-09-12
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES BROWN.
The injecting of the 41st National f,

COM4.ANDER-IN-CHI BROWN.
The meeting of the 41st National En-
campHlent. g. \. r.. is the last official
incident in the administration of Com
mander-in-Chief Brown. He will be
able TO give to that Annual Convention
of his icomrasles a magnificent account
of his stewardship of the Order for the
year during which he has been its
head. Much as was expected and prom
ised tu the enthusiastic supporters of
Comrade Brown for the Commander
Chiefship,, he has surpassed by far
what jey could have anticipated. He
has filled long year with labor for the
Order, of urfiagging zeal of the highest
sagacity and effectiveness, and a sue
cess proportionate to his industry and
sasacity. He has an unusual record of
achievements of high importance to the
comrades. When he entered office the
Few of the more sagacious of the men-
bers of the Order had any expectation
of securing the passage of the bill for
two or three years at least. This was
the open talk among those members of
the Grand Army of the Republic who
held themselves best informed. Com
mander-in-Chief Brown determined to
signalize his year of office by securing
the passage of the bill. He summoned
to his assistance Committee on Pen
sions composed of comrades each and
all of whom commanded unusual re-
spect in the community, and when this
committee put the case of the veterans
directly before the President they
promptly won him to a support of their
views. The same was true of the
Speaker of the House and of the Pen
sion Committees of both Houses
The COmmander-in-Ch Chief and the
Committee saw all of these, and pre-
sented the needs of the veterans with
an eloquence and force that proved ir-
resistible, so that the McCumber act
went thru both Houses without dis
senting vote, and was at once approved
by the President, and began it's benefi-
cent work for the comrades. There is
iio way " lIlt luliltIlSIJy VI
the benefits of this act to the veterans
The mere amount of money, great as it
is, which will be expended under it Is
an insufficient measure, because such
are the conditions of the much-desery-
ing veterans that 81 to them does far
almost any other person. The millions
which will be paid out will be equally
diffused all thru the country, and do
incalculable good to the general busi-
ness interests. Beyond doubt the finan-
cial stringency of the past Summer was
rendered far less acute by the influence
of the regular payments of pensions,
thoroly .diffusing the money to every
nook and corner, and benefiting not
merely the men and women who re-
ceived the pensions, but everybody VINO
lived near them.
There were perplexities connected
with holding the National Encampment
at Saratoga far greater and more per-
sistent than probably any which had
beset Commander-in-Ch since the
foundation of the Order. Saratoga had
long been an applicant for the honor
of entertaining the National Encamp-
ment, and tho there were misgivings
with regard to the capacity of the town,
the National Encampment at Mime
apolis voted to go there, which action
had binding force upon the Com
mander-in-Chief and the Council of
Administration. Saratoga is very much
smaller than any city which has pre-
viously attempted to entertain the Ma
tional Encampment, and there were
many reasons more or less adverse to
the success of the meeting. In addition
to this came the railroad problem. The
railroads, sore and angry at the way
the press and Congress have been treat
make the favors and concessions which
have heretofore been readily granted 70
those attending National Encampments
Some of the railroads refused outright,
in accordance with the general program
of the railroads, to try to make legisla-
tion odious by a withdrawal of privi-
leges and concessions. Upon these two
per picking pTODleTlS Oh tne proper en-
tertainment of the Encampment at
Saratoga and of proper rates and priv
ileges by the railroads the Commander
in-Chief has bestowed months of ardu-
Gus labor and of tedious negotiations
with persons moved by battling infiu-
ences. There has been world of anx.
iety and solicitude, for at times the
seemed almost hopeless.
Whatever has been secured must be put
to the credit of the Commander-in-
Chiefs tact, forbearance and resolute
determination to secure all that was
possible for the benefit of his COM
rades. There can be nothing but praise
for Commander-in-Chie Browns ad-
for we do not see any
where the opportunity to point a sue
ceSsful criticism
REPORT OF RMASTER-GEN-I
ERAL.