The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-09-05
COMMANDER ALGER.
Comprehensive and Patriotic Ad-
dresses by COMMANDMENTS 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the other candidates were then withdrawn,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 Gen. Alger was elected by acclamation.
Col. A. G. Weissert of Milwaukee was elected
senior vice commander, and John f. Lovett
of New Jersey junior vice. 1t was then
after IL o'clock, and the election OF other
officers was postponed till tomorrow.
1t ia estimated that there were 100000
strangers on the streets to-day, and that,
Notwithstanding many are leaving for their
homes, Milwaukees 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. GeE 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: 1 am here to give an
account of my stewardship. The greatest honor
ever conferred upon me was my election as COM
mander-in-ch of the Grand Army of the Re-
public. In taking the obligation of the Office
fully realized the Importance of the trust you
had confided to me, and then highly resolv ed
neither by word nor act to do anything that
should drive a deserving comrade from our
ranks, and to do all that in me lay to
strengthen the silver chords Of comradeship
that I trust shall ever bind the surviving SOL
dIers and sailors of the Union army aud navy,
one to another as brothers tried IT at the end
of my term 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 grat1tied.
After eulogizing the G. A. R. at length, the
commander continued:
The growth of our organization has been
steady and healthy. Strong as 1t is, it has never
been. and 1 trust never will be used for partisan
purposes or to crafty the personal ambitions
of any man or set of men. The greatest gain
during the year has been in the department Of
Missouri. Eight departments show a gain in
membership in good standing of 1924. dis
tributed as follows Illinois, 1898; Iowa,
lab: Nebraska, l,709: Pennsylvania, 1.746;
New York, 1895; Ohio, 2.OO3; Wisconsin
bership during the year lin good standng) was
q, 431.
Commander Warner referred briefly to the
reports of his staff officers, the decisions of
the Judge advocate general, the completion
of 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 New York of presenting on the 22d
of February, the birthday of the Father
of His Country, the American flag to such
pnblic schools as are not in possession
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-
clusion of his address Preceding this, he
alluded gracefully in turn to topics con-
nected with the Grant college at Mount Nc
Gregor, Memorial day observance, deaths in
the organization, charity, Woman's Relief
corps Sons of Veterans and military teleg-
raphers. 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
!
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 leg1sla-
tion will come before You again for discussion
and recommendation The number of comrades
entitled to seats in this encampment reaches
1000, the largest representation ever accredited
to an encampment- q 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
tion. 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-
ercised its 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
satisfactory results; divided council will con
tribute to defeat Our demands should bt
reasonable and consistent. The last encamp
tically unanimous vote recommended tc
congress a service pension bill anC
what Is known as the disability pension
bill: the latter having received the repeated ap
proval of previous encampments. This actor
was the result OF compromise, and In my Judg'
ment was as wise as 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 al
Milwaukee the pension legislation asked for al
Columbus. Let the committee on pension!
by united Grand Army of the Republic ant
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, anC
the widows and orphans of veterans will bt
borne on the pension rolls. We should neithe
give sleep to our eyes nor slumber to our eyelid
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 or navy shall be all tn
evidence required to secure a pension to 1T
holder Let the bondholders OF the country re
member that the men who rendered their secur
tiles valuable-the men who have insisted tina
they be paid to the uttermost farthing, prtnc1
pal and interest of the money advanced by then
to the state-let them remember that these mel
have claims upon the state equal at least to tina
of the bondholder. Let those who 1nVe1g
against pensions remember that it was
THE BOYS IN BLUE
who by their trials, suffering and death be
uueathed TO them the legacy of liberty an
union, insuring to them and their children tn
blessings Of free institutions under which the
enjoy greater prosperity, larger liberty, highe
civilization and purer Christianity than eve
before enjoyed by people, Let the peopl
remember that to preserve to them thes
blessings
-Four hundred thousand OF the barve
Made this, our ransomed soil, their gravel
We, the survivors of these men, we, who CAV
the best years of our lives to our country. viii
will not approach those in authority wit
bated breath and whispering humbleness, bu
as FREQ men we will demand. asking only tha
which is just, We would rather the nation hell
our comrades living than erect monuments y
them dead. my countrymen," said an illus
trious comrade, this 10 no time Z
use the apothecary's scale to measure tn
rewards of the men who saved the country.
The spirit OF these noble words should goverl
the legislative and executive branches OF tn
government that the performance of the nattol
may be equal TO her promise Comrades, tn
Roman youth gloried in singing how wei
"Horatius kept the bridge in the brave days Q
old" So through the ages shall the children o
the republic sing OF how we'll you maintaine'
the constitution,
PRESERVED THE UNION
of the states established by the fathers. KEEP
the flag unsullied. giving to the nation neN
birth of freedom" Your deeds shall go down 4
song and story which shall be sung and told b
. grateful people to the glad coming time
when the war drum throbs no longer.
And the battle flags are furled,
In the parliament OF man,
The federation of the world"
About two hundred regimental reunion
were held this afternoon. About twentY-hv
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