The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1888-09-28


ommanier-in-chief Avote will be taken
tomorrow morning. It was IL O'Clock
when Chief Rea called the
encampment to order in the Metropolitan
opera house. Judge Rea delivered his an-
nual address, saying:
A Accntury ago little band Of heroic men,
fresh from the struggle Of Independence In
| which tho political rghtA and moral grand
eur Of American manhood were vindicated,
cfoesed the mountain range, which, there
tcfore, had marked tho western boundary
Element which stretched along tho winding
dope of the sea, Penetrated the solitude
OF the wilderness of the Miesisslppi vul-
10y and founded tro western bank Of the
beautiful river" settlenent. which. in tho
order ot Providence, became tho germ from
which develop cd the imperial commonwealth
In whose cap. tai city We meet to-day IN this
twenty-kec cond national encamp,ncnt Of the
Grand Army of the Republic. They
were home -fostering, God-fcaring. liberty
lsE%ying' s%ang selfsaSritietng chivallic men
step they took aud took every eSs step 81 that % wa.
right. regardless Of cost Poor tn material
resOurces. but rich In mental and moral en-
dowment, they founded deep down on the
granite ledge Of individual independ. nee md
eternal right this great community which
Furnished for the defense Of the republic
they had helped TO create. when the time Of
its peril came, an army Of $4,000 men.
aud gave that republic nnd the world
Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, MacPherson,
Kosecrans, Buell., Garfield, Hteadman, Nc.
kingly, deathless. matchles. fame, all born,
reared and inspired amid this quiot Of
'ts forest homes and under the influence Of
Its bold progressive thought. TO be the peer
leSs commanders of the armies of
freedom in her final conflict on this
Ep,lI
tho workings Of our or anization and Of Its
6nancO for Tho offic al yenr will be found in
the reports submitted by tho several staff
officers. all Of which arc commended to the
careful perusal and candid confederation Of
the encanpmcnt
The committee on pensions will submit q
eeport Of its labors. desire TO bear testi-
mOlly to the untirIng zeal of ita members,
and their unseltish devotion to tho duty i'm
posed upon them. ALI that could be done
they have ,nanfully done. They have failed,
The bill Re orted by the committee to tho
twenty-first national encamptnent. and BY
1t recommended. while not NO fur reaching In
its provisions as to meet the demand of q
large minority Of the comrades, was yet 90
eminentiy just, 80 absolutely free from
all objection resting upon reason, that
there seemed no possibility Of its failing to
receive prompt and favorable action from
the national congress. No man or set OF men
cap be found anywhere who will say that the
relief 1t was framed to give should not be
xtven. 1t exceeds in NO particular the ma
lions promises in the past or the wishes Of
tho nation In the present Notwithstanding
The ccaseless, earnest efforts Of our most et-
hcient pension committee In its behalf, 1t
bas failed to pass congress, and by this fail
ure, wholly tnexpllcablo and indcfensible,
thousunrs of our helplefs comrades. helpless
because Of their devotion to their country in
It's extremity. are subsisting upon the char
lty Of their comrades, or are paupers in the
mighty, wealthyrepubltc their unselfish va!or
saved cannot fitiy comment upon this
cannot he that the people Of America will
voluntarily continue longer to withhold
from these heroic men that scanty support
needed to preserve them from the
pauper's fate and enable them to end
Their lives. go replete with past glory, so
in selt-respected manlinesa I have no de.
sire to utter word to influence your action
upon the several propositions for pension
Legislation that will probably be presented
Tor your consideration: only, comrades. let
our action be Of manly, di9nificd character,
! and justly excmplifying that comrndeship
which is the tie that binds us together. No
measure receiving the endorsement of this
encampraent followed by the earnest, hearty
suppo; Of our entire membership, will fall
to receive favorable consideration from the
national congress- Through this body, and
thiS alone, our order must speak, or speak In
d,Rcordant tones.
During tho year ending March 81, 1888.
4,433 comrades died, an increase Of 1927
over the previous year. . death rate exceed
ing twelve per day.
GEN. sHERDAN
One of the sad events OF the year was the
death of Comrade Philip II. Sheridan, gen.
eral Of the United States army. a member Of
Port No. 6, department of Illinois. He died
In the prime Of his perfect manhood, ending
. career that can suffer no disparagement by
compalison with that Of any other in human
history. All gentlenesstn his nature, he was
yet tOe dashing. heroic master OF modern
warfare An educated soldier. he was new
erheless the trusted. confederate and nppre.
ciating commander Of volunteers He never
erred in judgment; never fattered in pur-
n.hness was only equsled by his greatness
of character. Living, he placed true esti-
mate upon the men he commanded, and in
death he sought tho companionship Of those
who had followed and loved him. He sleeps
to-day amid that army corps OF immortal
Arlington, and will como forth with
them, and surrounded BY them, when
the reveille Of eternity Ia sounded
Conscious of the fact that have not given
to the duties of chief tho
time that their importance demanded, as
sure you that nothing remains undone from
indisposition to do it. have visited twenty
four departments. some of them several
times. have travelled 10000 miles. slept
So nights on the cars, and made 122 pub
lie addresses. and TO the utmost tension OF
my physical strength and mental ability
have siriven to discharge the duties Of the
high Office with which you honored me, in
such manner that no stain would come upon
:he FURNISHED fame Of the Grand Army of
the kepublic. Wherever have gone, north
or south. caator west, have rccived a kindly
greeting and . cordial welcome, most grat-
flying, because 1t came spont aneously as an
evidence Of the high record Of the people OF
this republic for the survivors 0f the army
and navy which conquered treason, cemented
the Union and established upon the basis of
earth. In all sections Of the country have
found the comrades Of the Grand Army of
the Republic, in community aud in state, oc-
cupying the highest positions, enjoying the
full confidence OF their fellow citizens, ami
living manly lives worthy the earnest they
conflict through which they passed In their
youth
The report Of the committee on pensions
gnve rise to q prolonged and animated de-
Late. It cited their action In Eegurd to
national pension legislation. and spoke in
exceedingly bitter terms of the failure of the
disability bill The report of the committee
reindorsng the sin1igent" bill was
finally adopted There was an exciting
scene during the afternoon session Of the
encsmmnent While tho pension question
was under discussion number Of papers
were handed up to the chairman to he read
Among them was dispatch from President
Cleveland acknowledging the receipt Of an
invitst;on to attend the encampment, and
explaining that 1t had been mislaid bv his
secretary and forgotten in the press Of bust.
ncsa For this and hia inability to be present
he expressed his regrctA The r. aiding Of the
Dispatch. according to some Of the delegates
was followed by
Kisses. 0ROANs AND CnEEns.
HaIt dozen motions We're made to lay the
dispatch on tho table and to refer It to the
committee OH pensions Several delegates
demanded vociferously the name Of the of.
ficer or comEade who had taken 1t upon
himself 70 extend the invit alton, and Gen.
Keffer In an excited manner asked Com
mander Rea II he was responsible for tho &C.
ton. The commander responded promptly In
the negative, sddipg that he had NO author
ity TO invite the president. Some of the del
egates took advantage Of the circumstance
to make . general onslaught upon the presi-
dents pension policy and his vctoeA Finally
all the motions were declared out of order
And the regular hudness was proceeded