The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-09-05
COMMANDER ALGER,
Comprehensive and Patriotic Ad.
dresses by COmmander-in-Chief
Warner.

Gen. Sherman Talks to the Old Vet
Grams in the National Soldiers
Home.
MILWAUKEE, Aug. 2S.-Very unexpectedly
the Grand Army delegates proceeded to an
election OF officers tonight. Gen. Russell A.
Alger OF Detroit had it all his own way
twenty men nominated him, Col. James Sex
ton OF Chicago first presenting his name All
the other candidates were then withdrawn,
and Cen Ager was elected by acclamatlon.
Col A q. Weissert of Milwaukee was elected
senior vice commander and John +. Lovett
of New Jersey junior vice. 1t was then
after | O'clock, and the election of other
officers was postponed till tomorrow.
1t is estimated that there were 100, 600
strangers on the streets to-day, and that
nOtwi .hstanding many are leaving for their
homes Milwaukee's guests will number from
100000 to 100000 by the time the naval
battle begins tomorrow night. The session
is being held at the West Side Turner hall,
the interior of which is appropriately deco
rated. Ger. Sherman is in attendance and OC-
cupies a seat among the Missouri delegation.
The hall is well filled the delegates aggre-
eating about seven hundred and fifty pei
sOps, or about two hundred and fifty short OF
the total number entitled to seats in the en-
campment The twenty-third national
encampment was called to order by Com
mander-in Chief Warner. After prayer oy
Chaplain Wharton, of the Wisconsin depart
ment Commander Warner began to read his
address:
Comrades and Shipmates: am here to give an
account Of my Stewardship The greatest honor
ever conferred upon my election COM
mandcr- chief of the Grand Army of the Re-
public In taking the obligation OF the office
fully realized the Importance Of the trust YOU
had confded to me, and then highly resolved
neither by word nor act to do anything that
should drive a deserving COmrade from our
ranks, and to do all that in Inc lay to
strengthen the silver chords Of cOmradeship
that trust shall ever bind the surviving SOL
oilers AMI sailors of the Union army aud navy,
one to another, as brothers tried. II at the cid
of my term l am enabled to place in the hands
OF my successor the banner Of our order illum-
mated with the three great virtues fraternity,
charity and loyalty, my highest ambition will
have been gratlted.
After euIogzing the G. A R. at length, the
commander continued:
The growth of our organization has been
steady and healthy. Strong 1t is, it has never
been, md trust never will be used for partisan
purposes or to crafty the personal ambitions
OF any man or SET OF men. ne greatest gain
during The year has been in the department of
Missouri Eight departments show gain in
membership in good standing OF 10 S24 dis
tributcd follows: Illinois, 1888; Iowa,
1,413; Nebraska, 100: Pennsylvania, l,746;
New York, 1895; Ohio, 2.UO3; Wisconsin,
1923; Missouri. 1862. The net gain in menu
bership during the year Tin good standing) was
2l,431.
Commander Warner referred briefly to the
reports Of his staff officers, the decisions of
the Judge advocate general, the completion
of a history of the G. A. r., the census of
soldiers and Sailors and then took up the
subject of the flag and the public schools
He said:
commend to each department the patriotic
PRACTICE Of the posts in the department
Of February, the birthday of the Father
Of His Country, the American flag to such
pnblc schools as are not in possession
of one. Let the children receive the stars and
stripes from the men who placed their bodies
as living wall between it and those who would
tear 1t down.
THE MATTER OF PENSIONS
was reserved by the commander for the con-
cluson of his address. Preceding this, he
alluded gracefully in turn to topics con-
nected with the Grant college at Mount Nc
GregNr, Memorial day observance, deaths in
the organization, charity, Woman's Relief
corps Sons of Veterans and military teleg-
raphcrs. The conclusion of the address
was as follows:
The committee on pensions have been unable
to make any progress in securing favorable con-
sideration by congress of the pension bill rec
commended by the Columbus enCampmeut. The
reason for this failure will be given by the COM
mittee, and know that its members are in no.
way to blame. The question of pension leGisla-
ton Will come before YOU again for discussion
and recommendation. The number OF comrades
entitled to seats III this encampment reaches
1000, the largest representation ever accredited
to an enCampment- Il deliberative body so large,
its members coming from all parts of the Union,
representing all shades of opinion, 1t Is but nat
ural that all will not agree in the discussion, but
when the discussion has closed and the encamp-
ment has acted, it's action should receive the
earnest support OF every comrade. without
mutual concessions there would be no legisla-
ton. The voice of the encampment represents
the best thought and Judgment of the majority,
and should become law unto the minority.
The Grand Army OF the Republic has never ex-
erctsed it's full influence in pension legislation.
because Oe division in its ranks.
THE MEASURES RECOMMENDED
by the national encampment should not be an
tagonized by conflicting measures urged by de-
partments or posts. Unity of action will secure
tribute to defeat. Our demands should be
reasonable and consistent. The last encamp-
ment, after much discussion, by prac-
tically unanimous vote recommended to
congress a service pension bill and
what Is known as the disability pension
bill: the latter having received the repeated ap-
proval of previous encampments. This action
was the result of compromise, and in my Judg-
ment was as wise it was just and COnserva-
tive. My experience IN congress leads me to be-
lieve that you will greatly strengthen the hands
of our friends in that body by demanding at
Milwaukee the pension legislation asked tor at
Columbus. Let the committee pensions
take YOUR recommendations to congress, backed
by united Grand Army of the Republic and
there will be no failure. If we are true to our
selves before the next enCampment every COM
rade disabled by age, sickness or accident, and
tho widows and orphans of veterans will be
borne the pension rolls. We should neither
give sleep to our eyes nor slumber to our eyeltds
till Justice is done our comrades. The serv-
ice pension will come. The day Is not far dis
tant when an honorable discharge from
the Union army navy shall be all the
> evidence required to secure a pension to its
holder. Let the bondhOlders Of the country re-
member that the men who rendered their secur-
tiles valuable-the men who have Insisted thai
they be paid to the uttermost farth1ng, pr1nc1
pal and interest of the money advanced by then
to the state-et them remember that these men
have claims upon the state equal at least to thai
of the bOndhOlder. Let those who lnvelgt
against pensions remember that it was
THE BOYS IN BLUE
who by their trials. suffering and death be-
Queathed TO them the legacy of liberty anC
> union insuring to them and their children the
blessings of free institutions under which they
enjoy greater prosperity larger liberty, hlghe
civilization and purer Christianity than eve
before enjoyed by people, Let the people
remember that to preserve to them these
blessings
-Four hundred thousand of the barve
Made this, our ransOmed soil, their gravel
We the survivors of these men, we, who gavt
} the best years of lives to our country, viii
present our claims to congress, and. In dong so
e will not approach those in authority witt
bated breath and whispering humheness, but
as free men We will demand. asking only that
r which is just. We would rather the nation hell
our comrades living than erect monuments tC
= them dead MY countrymen," said an illus
4 triOus comrade, this is no time tc
| use the apothecarys scale to measure the
rewards of the men who saved the country.
. The spirit OF these noble words should govern
the legislative and executive branches of the
government that the performance Of the nation
! may be equal to her promise. Comrades, the
i Roman youth gloried in singing how wei
. "HOratius kept the bridge in the brave days o.
! old" SO through the ages shall the children Of
1 the republic sing of how we'll you maintained
the constitution,
- PRESERVED THE UNION
= of the states established by the fathers, KEEP
the flag unsullied. giving to the nation a new
birth of freedom" Your deeds shall go down II
song and story which shall be sung and told By
. grateful people to the glad coming time