Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1885-06-25

comrades. TO here state that all autheuti,
records confer on him that very great honor
During the past eleven months there hav,
been issued 81 900 badges. which has yirl,iet
to the National Encampment profit of Se6S0
Commander-in-Chief Beath reported to tht
last encampment as having contracted with
the Ordinance Department for the twelv.
bronze pieces of rebel canton, which have
been delivered to US, weighing in all l0,2
pounds, for which we have paid 3l.947.O7
The pieces are all of Confederate manafac.
ture and give evidence of hard usage
In accordance with the opinions rendered
by the Judge Advocate General, l have made
the following decisions A comrade who ha:
been dropped from the roRs of a Post on &C.
count of non payment of dues for a year oil
more, Is no longer a member of the Grand
Army of the Republic and the Post of which
he was member has no Jurisdiction over
him for any purpose except to receive his
application for reinstatement. An officer,
who was BY order of the president dishonor.
bly, dismissed from the army in 1864. and
whose disability to reenter the army attach.
ing to this order was removed by another
order in 1879, is not eligible to member.hir
in the Grand Army of the Republic
l heartily endorse the organization known
as the Veterans Rights Union. which has
already accomplished much in securing from
those In authority some recognition of the
claims of those, who, when duty called, ,risked
their lives for the preservation of the Repub-
lie. The aims and objects of the organiza.
tlon are to secure to our comrades their
rights and privileges under the Revised Stat
utes of the United States. In other words,
the Union urges, as it rigbtfully may and
ought, that when other qualifications are
equal, the soldier should be preferred because
he was soldier.
"The purposes of the Sons of Veterans
are patriotic and in full fruition may do q
great work yet. The conviction strengthens
with years that it should be entirely indepen.
dent of the Grand Army of the Republic
| am opposed to the perpetustion of the
Grand Army, believing the mission of our
great comradeship will have been fulfilled
when the last comrade has Joined the final
muster out.
Knowing that there is nothing in the Grand
Army of the Republic inconsistent with the
most exacting personal duty or the strictest
religion deemed it for the interest of the
order to appoint special committee to lay
its nature and workings before the proper
Catholics Ecclesiastical authorities of the
United States that they might know that our
organization has nothing to conceal and that
our purposes are commended by all who un.
derstand them: appointed as such COM
mittee Comrades w. Rosecrans, of Cali
fornia, NJ. T. McMahon, If New York, and
J. c. Linehan, of New Hampshire Tha,
committee reported, having fulfilled its mis-.
sion, that assurances had been given by Arch.
bishops Ryan and Gibbons that nothing
could be found in the aims of the Grand
Army to prevent any good Catholic from be-
coming member. Assurances were given
Nv the committee that the Grand Army was
in no sense a secret organization.
During the reading of the report General
Logan entered the hall and was greeted by
enthusiastic cheers. An allusion to General
Grant was heartily cheered.
Department Commander Brown, of Ohio,
called for resolution touching the illness
of General Grant. A committee was appoint.
to draft resolution, which was subsequent
ly adopted unanimously by rising vote.
1t was voted that copy be sent to General
Grant by telegraph.
All persons not members of the Grand
Army were then requested to retire from the
hall.
The reading of the staff reports were dis
pensed with and they were referred to the
proper committees.
Resolutions of regard were sent by tele.
graph to Past Department Commander Lloyd
of Ohio, and Comrade Earnshaw who are
now ill.
A resolution in regard to Incorporating
the engineer corps badge into the national
badge was referred.
COmrade Wagner introduced resolution
from the soldiers and sailors of Maine which
was referred to the committee on pensions.
Comrade Loring of Massachusetts, offered
resolution on pensions.
Comrade Bruner of Ohio, offered a resolu
ton with regard to granting l60 acres OF
land to sailors which was referred.
Comrade Wagner announced that the com.
mittee of Sons of Veterans will meet at the
Falmouth Hotel this evening.
Comrade Harding of Pennsylvania, read
the report of the National Council of Admin.
ITERATION.
General Logan was loudly called for and
appeared. He made stirring speech, giving
a glowing description of the Grand Army.
its working and benefits. He called atten.
ton to the fact that the members are growing
old and are on the downward road to eternity.
All should so live that posterity will speak
well of the order. He emphasized the state.
ment that the present meeting had been very
pleasant to him every way
The encampment then adjourned until
o'clock.
After the session had been reopened at
o'clock. Comrades Ransom and Pond of Mich.
igan presented Commander-in- Chief Kountz
with gavel made from wood taken from the
stockade of Andersonville prison.
Department Commander Hall of Maine, on
behalf of Comrade Eldrdge, also presented a
gavel to the commander-in-chief. This one
was made up of wood from every State and
Territory in the United States, enclosed in a
box which was also made of woods from
every State in the Union, none of the pieces
of which, however. being of the same kind
used in making the gavel. Gen. Hall re.
quested that these gavels be held BY the
Grand Army organization as long as it exist
ed, and then to be turned over to the sons OF
veterans, to be held By them forever.
Comrade j. P Reardon, vice commander.
in-chef, suitably acknowledged these pres
ents.
After several committees had presented
reports, it was voted to proceed to the selee.
ton of place for holding the next annual
encampment.
Comrade Holmes of California took the
platform and extended an invitation in be.
half of the comrades of the Golden State tf