The National tribune., 1908-12-24
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Nh. Mas Z Gilman. National
hhsss,Gsns Ire ., es .tAs MTeman's Relief Corps
bearing her chrSimas and New Year
Sssetane1 toEher.floyai Corps members
NAY the peals 1f the Christmas an6
NeW years beilr sCon to be heard
snIuout our land garry JOY and peace
INTO the honH Of 9ysry beloved member
2f our gloriDus sCsdsr. and may they
n turn conway sto the veterans and
rs VIII makes them bless the annsvsr-
sary OF our sauar's BIRTH" is the wish
or the National President.
| It Is to be hoped that the Corps all
over the country will try to carry out
this sweet suggestion, which y indeed
the command OF the law Of the organi-
zation-"to assist such Union Veterans
as need our help and protection, and
to extend needful aid to their widows
and orphans. To assure them
Of sympathy and friends"
The Corps that fails to do its whole
duty by the sick and suffering families
OF veterans. aye, and the hungry ones,
on these glad holidays, has no excuse
for existing at all. Corps that do ne
giect this duty are probably not doing
their. duty in any way-are probably
taken up with their own little, selfish
purposes, scrapping among themselves,
jealous Of the influence Of each other,
and in efforts to get even" have for
gotten the principles of the order, and
are letting their Corps go to rack and
ruin. 1t is this selfishness of individual
members who think more of their petty
grievances than they do of the order
that keeps the Woman's Relief Corps
from reaching the 100000 mark.
The National President announces
long in advance of the National Con-
vention, that unless certain rules are
observed, no resolutions changing the
Constitution and Bylaws of the Wom-
ans Relief Corps will get thru her Con-
Vention. She says: ut Is hereby Or
dered, that all proposed amendments to
Rules and Regulations, Ritual, Service
Book or blanks, must be formulated ex-
actly as they are intended to read, and
the exact place indicated where the
change is to be made, upon copy of
the page or blank itself, which is to be
revised. This plan will give National
Convention an intelligent idea of the
authors meaning, and enable the re-
firing National President to correctly
make necessary revisions."
The National President warns that
the Instructions apply to National Of
fici and all others.
The National President calls atten-
tion to the work for the Grand Army of
the Republic, as follows:
The Commander-in-Chief Of the
Grand Army of the Republic, in his Cir
cular Letter No. 1, dated Nov 8, 1908,
makes the remarkable showing that on
Dec. 81, 1907. the e>active and suspended
members of the GraE9 Army numbered
238,646 dncluding 13,489 suspended),
while the pension rolls contained on
June 30, 1908, the names of 628,0S4 (in-
cluding z 7,099 original claims pending), },
thereby proving that 390,43S pensioners
are outside the ranks of the Grand
Army"
Further or he says:
There is class Cs men who would
gladly join the Grand Army of the Re-
public If they could do Sc. Many are
Old men, too old to attend Post meet
ings, too poor TO pay initiation fees and
dues, who look with envy upon the
Grand Army man. They were good SOL
diers, brave, loyal and true to our coun-
try and its Flag. Some provision should
be made whereby these comrades can
be brought into our Order. 1 would
suggest that dispensation be granted
to Post Commanders to muster such
men in their homes, pin the badge upon
their breast, put the little bronze but
ton in the lapel qof their coat, let the
disgruntled ands dissatisfied appear
ance vanish from their faces and re-
place 1t withsa smile of joy and con-
ltentment. Let them sit by their fire.
sides with their children and grand
children, peaceful and happy and teach
to them the privilege and duty of pa
triotism, and when they are called. let
them go as comrades of the Grand
Army of the Republic.
"Our good auxiliaries, the noble wom-
en-. have never failed us; they whose
charities have done so much for us in
the spirit of F., G. and L., have prom
ised me that they will gladly aid in this
good work in rebuilding the fire of pa
triotism in these cold hearts, that we
cannot reach, and they will gladly pay
the per capita tax of all such COM
rades."
Here Is the most practical way in
which the Woman's Relief Corps can
be a real help to the Grand Army OF
the Republic" the National President
declares.
MANY small Posts will willingly re-
init the dues of poor comrades. but can
not afford to pay the per capital tax
on them.
Let the Corps vote, without delay,
to assume the payment of the per capi-
ia tax on all comrades whose dues have
been remitted by the Posts of whom
they are auxiliary.
Where a Post is so small that the
dues of all its comrades are necessary
to support it and retain its charter, then
let the Corps attached to such Post vote
to pay the dueus Of the poorer COM
rades.
women often succeed where men
fail. Let each Corps constitute itself
a recruiting agent for its Post, seek
out the veterans in its vicinity who are
not in the Grand Army, and use all its
well-known persuasive faculties to Sc
cure him as a recruit, even to the ex-
tent of paying his initiation fees and
dues If he is poor and worthy"
Mrs. Gilman implores the members
Of the Women's Relief Corps all over
the country to get to work and show
the Grand Army of the Republic that
we are worthy of the title Of auxiliary
to them.
A long list Of special and National
Aids is named and these are warned
by the Nationall President that they
must write an acceptance of the ap-
pointment or they will not receive a
commission. She also warns them that
their Office is no sinecure, but that they
are to be useful as well as Ornamental
no honorary" Is the way the National
President puts It. They can do much"
she says, in the way Of building up
the order and increasing the ranks of
the Grand Army of the Republic"
The National President specially rec
ommends the program which the Grand
Army has put out for commemorating
the Tooth anniversary of the birth of
Lincoln, and asks the Corps of the coun-
try to assist the Grand Army in pre-
pairing for the celebration of the day
in a manner that will show our love
and veneration for this, the Nations
greatest man.