The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1883-04-05

The annual grand Encampment of the De-
partment OF Indiana was begun at the Park
Theater in Indianapolis on the morning of the
2oth ult. with about $50 delegates in attend
ance, Department Commander Carnahan pre-
siding. Commander-in-Ch Chief Van Dervoort of
Nebraska, was present. The morning session
was devoted to the reading of the reports of
the Department officers. General Canadian,
in his report, which was very voluminous,
congratulated the Department on the good
work that had been accomplished during the
year. He said the Grand Army of the Repub-
lie was no longer an experiment, but glorious
and assured success. The G.. A. r. of Indiana
had come to stay so long as there should be
left one hOnorably discharged Union soldier
within the borders of the State He then al
luded to the extraordinary growth of the
Order in the State during the past year. He
said that Indiana was now placed alongside of
much older Departments. Another years sys-
tematic work would give the Department a
place in the National Encampment equal 10
the oldest and best now represented. When he
was elected Commander, February %, 1882,
there were only forty-six Posts in the State,
whereas there are now 155. He thought it had
been conclusively shown that the G. A. r. was
not formed for bolstering up or pulling down
any political body. Gen. Carnahan proceeded
at considerable length upon this theme. He
strongly urged that all questions of the slight
est political import be kept out of the Post
rooms. He said there was no halfway ground
in this matter. One great cause of the success
of the Indiana Department during the past
year was the fact that it was seen that although
there was a strong political contest the greater
portion of the year, the q. A. r., like others
of the best societies, took no part in the strug-
gle. He congratulated the Department upon
the financial showing made by the Adutant
and Quartermaster Generals, the Department
being no longer in want. In view of the good
financial showing he recommended that the
per capita tax be reduced from ten cents to
eight cents per quarter, and that the per capita
tax be not assessed upon Posts at Aurora, Ris-
ing Sun, Madison, Lawrenceburg, Jefferson
vile, and other Posts in the flooded districts.
He also recommended that members contribute
for the relief of their suffering comrades along
the Ohio. AS to the proposed monument to
the soldiers and sailors of the State, he said the
desired sum of $4,000 or $4,000 necessary to
build such monument would never be raised
unless the survivors of the war took hold of the
work He said it was shame and disgrace to
Indiana that her dead soldiers and sailors had
no monument, and he eloquently urged the
prosecution of the work. He said, relative to
Post work, that there was not enough atten-
ton paid to the study and exemplification of
the unwrtten work of the Order. He made
some exceptions, including George III. Thomas
that the Posts exchange visits, and urged a
large representation from Indiana at the Ma
tional Encampment in Denver next August
/ He paid a feeling tribute to those who had died
during the year, especially mentioning Simp-
son, Cruit, and Chapman, and closed with com
pliments to Gen Van Dervoort, Ben. d. House
and others. The report of Ben d. House, Asst
Adjt.-Gen., showed there had been slxty-two
deaths during the year. The total receipts for
the year were $660i.H expenditures $49l1 90
cash balance, $l,663.12. The aggregate assets
including cash on hand and property, amounted
TO about $1,000. During the year ITO Posts had
been mustered in. There had been an Increase
of about 1900 in membership, the aggregate
membership at the present time being 6,O3S
At the afternoon session lengthy memorial
was presented by George III. Thomas Post, OF
Indianapolis, upon the action of the Legislature
relative to the Soldiers Orphans Home. A
detailed statement was given as to how
the funds were raised for founding the
| Home, and the legislation at different
sessions of the General Assembly which has
| finally converted it practically into an asylum
| for Predetermined children" The action of tho
last Legislature in changing the law was
strongly condemned, and committee of fvt
| lawyers, including Senator Harrison and Gen
| eral John Cobnrn, was appointed to examine