River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1885-07-02
VETERANS Ar PORTLAND.
Meeting of the Grand Army of the Repub-
Ho--An Immense Crowd-Prooession
and Other Proceedings.

I
Meeting of the Grand Army of the Repub-
Ho--An Immense Crowd-Prooession
and Other Proceedings.
Portland, Me, had its largest crowd a few
days ago. The Grand Army came in unex-
| pectedly large numbers. On the first day all
/ day long the measured tramp OBJECT through
/ the streets and strains of martial music, as
hosts Of the Grand Army OF the Republic
marchedfrom the depot to the camp, mark
| ed the inauguration OF tho nineteenth en-
/ campment. Delegations from various parts
/ OF the Union formed a steady and almost
uninterrupted procession from morning till
night
On second day the grand procession was
the main feature. II had been calculated
that II would require two hours for the pro-
cession to pass, but it took more that
three hours. The most careful esti-
mates Of the number of men IN
line place the figures at $4,000,
Of which ruribcr 10000 wore the
un'foiin oi the Grand Army. Commander
in-Chiei kountZ was greeted with generous
applause from all sides, and Gen. Logan,
who rode in carriage with Congressman
Reid, received continuous ovation.
In the evening q reception wis tend
cred to Commander-in-ChieI kountz, as
representative Of the body at the
city hall. Addresses of welcome were
delivered by Gen. Hall, department
commander of Maine; by Gov. Robbie, who
also paid a tribute to Gen. Grant, and by
Mayor Deering Commander kounts replied
on behalf OF himself and Comrades. ADJ
dresses were also lnade BY Gov. Alger OF
Michigan ex-0oy, Fairchild al Wisconsin,
Gen Henry ". Slocum of New York and
Gen Logan. Senator Logan prefaced his
remarks with iervent eulogy OF Gen. Grant.
Hesaid; 'lnny judgment time has not gven
/ toany people n gtander commander ofmen,
a greater organizer offorces a more magniii-
cent campaigner lapplausel, man
with more ability to execute than T..
S. Grant. For this country he has
done as much as any man that ever lived
has ever done for any country
On the third day the Commander deliver
ed his annual address He said:
That four years ago there was a menu
bership of 10000 On March 81, 1885,
thirty weight departments reported 5,O26
posts and 269, GSI members, while the re-
! port OF the adiutant general shows the
membership to be 2S7 ,637 The large
number OF 81, 292 reported by the adiu-
/ tant general as suspended during the year
/ is due in a great measure to negligence and
! inetlicieuey OF post officers Our finances
are IN excellent condition. We have
on hand a cash balance of SO, 224.
/ The question having been raised as to
/ whether the late Comrade DR. b. +. Ste
/ vonsou Of Springfield, ILL.,. woe really the
1 first mover in the organization ufthe Grand
/ Army OF the Republic, it is deemed but sim
| pie Justice ia his memory as well TO his
! Family and comrades to state that all au-
/ thentic records confer upon him that very
4 just honor During the past eleven months
/ there have been issued iifty-one Thousand
/ badges, at profit OF $6,63O. | heartily
! endorse the organization known as the Vet
/ erau's Rights Union, the object of whichis TO
! secure TO ourtomrades then rights and priv
| ileges thererised statutes ofthe United
/ States. The union urges, as it rightfully may
/ and ought, that when the other qualilica-
| tions are equal, the soldier should be pre-
! fcrrcd because he was soldier. | am OPP
| posed to the perpetuation of the Grand
/ Army, believing the mission OF great
/ comradCship will have been fulfilled when
/ the last comradc has joined the last muster
| out. knowing that there is nothing in the
/ Grand Army Of the Republic Inconsistent
! with more eXacting duty or strictest religion,
/ deemed it for the interest of the order to APP
| point a special committee to lay its nature
/ and workings before the proper Catholic au-
/ thoritics OF the United States that they
/ may know our organization has nothing t0
! conceal, and that our purposes are com
mended by all who understand them The
/ committee reported having fulfilled its mis-
/ sion report that assurances had been given
/ by Archbishop Ryan and Gibbons that
/ nothing could be found in the aims of the
! Grand Army to prevent any good Catholic
/ from becoming member The com
maudcr-in-chief deprecated participa7
/ ton in politics as an organization, and
urgently advocated the Mexican pension bill
| and a bill to grant disabled soldiers a pen
| sion from the date OF disability. He also
urged that Decoration day be not desecrat-
/ ed by recreation and pleasure. The Wom-
/ ans Relief corps now has twenty-five per-
/ mauent and three provisional departments,
/ with subordinate corps in nearly all the
states where the Grand army exists.
t Resolutions OF sympathy with Gen. Grant
were adopted by unanimous rising vote,
amid great cheering.
| The members OF the q. A. II. spent the day
| in sight seeing attending clam bakes, etc,
! some in the city and some going out by
/ rail.
! AT the afternoon session the question OF
/ a place for holding the neXtannual encamp-
/ ment came up. San Francisco received 269
+ votes to IL for Louisville. representa-
! tive OF the former city guaranteed that
/ S100,00 would be subscribed for the en-
i tertainment OF the veterans.
On the fourth day, at the morning execu-
/ tive session OF the national encampment a
| resolution was offered providing for the
/ suitable recognition OF of DIR. Benjamin
! Stephenson, as founder OF the Republic, and
! recommending that subscription from the
national encampment be requested Tor the
purpose. A Resolution adverse to the
| consolidation OF the Sons Of Veterans with
! the Grand Army was adopted
1t was voted that the next annual en-
/ campment be held some time between
/ October and May, and recommendation
/ that memorial day be observed on the
/ Sabbath was adopted. The committee to
j ,.I 1
/ ton in favor OF the IS per month pension
! bill reported adversely and the report was
/ adopted after a protracted debate. The
Commander-inuhief was authorized to
appoint a committee TO present reso-
/ buttons to the heads Of departments
at Washington in behalf Of pension
| claimants recommendation that all
/ petitions to congress from posts or pen
/ sion claimants besent through the national
/ headquarters OF the G. A. X. was adopted.
Resolutions OF thanks to congress for hav-
! ing placed Gen. Grant on the retired list OF
/ the army were also adopted.
A roll Ofstates was called denominations
! for commandments and the following
4 candidates were presented:
/ John w Burst of Illinois, Gen. John A.
| Reynolds Of New York, Hon Samuel 5. Bur
dett OF Washington and Gen. Lucius Fair
/ child OF Wisconsin.
| Comrade Fairchild withdrew his name,
| and the balloting proceeded. On the sec
/ ond ballot Burdette received 239 Reynolds
/ 1856 Burst 10, and Mr.. Burdette's election
! asmadeunanimous. For senior vice com
! mander-in-chief, ex-Gov Selden Common OF
1 Maine was chosen by reclamation. TO the
! position of junior vice commander-in-chief,
! Comrade Lewis OF Atlanta was chosen on the
/ second ballot. The usual resolutions of
/ thanks to the various parties, organiZa-
! tons and corporations were adopted, af-
/ ter which the executive session OF the ma
/ tional encampment closed.
The foregoing contains, in substance, the
! official proceedings. 1t would take pages
| to give all the details appertaining to the
| social side of the affair, and how the yeter-
: ans amused themselves. Those who have
/ attended these encampments may easily
/ imagine the whole.
Daring Exploit of Cowboys.
| A traveller on the Northern Pacific reports
i the following thrilling incident When the
| train stopped at Medora, Montana, the
headquarters OF the Marquis de Mores and