Helena weekly herald., 1889-09-05
THE ENCAMPMENT.
Report of the Pension Committee
Gen. AIger Elected Commander.

Report of the Pension Committee
Gen, AIger Elected Commander.
MILWAUKEE, August 28.--The report OF
the pension committee reviews, in detail, the
work of the past eight years. Following
the expression of opinion by the last Nation
al Encampment the committee prepared
two pension bills, the disability bill and
bill granting pensions to each honorably
discharged veteran at monthly rate OF
one cent for each days service with mini
mum Limitation of So per month. Bills
containing all the provisions of these meas
ures were then, in various forms, before
committees of Congress, but it was found,
on consultation with members of the last
session, entirely impossible, IN the then
state of public affairs, to secure any favor
able action thereon Should the Encamp-
ment reaffirm it's opinion of year ago
these bills are ready for an early preaenta-
ton to both branches of Congress at the
opening of the session.
From interviews with leading members
of both houses of Congress, and the cor
daily friendly attitude of the admlnistra-
ton and liberal views of the s. cretary OF
the Interior and the Commissioner OF Pen
sions, the latter being appointed after eight
years service on this committee, leglsla-
ton may be had which shall 90 far toward
the completion of full measure of the
the nations Indebtedness to the men who
defended her flag.
Very Unexpectedly the delegates pro-
ceeded to the election of officers to night.
General Russell A. Alger, of Michigan, had
it all his own way and was elected Com
mander-in-C Chief by acclamation. Colonel
A. G. Weissertof of Milwaukee, was elect
ed Senior Vice Commander, and j. r.
Leavett, of New Jersey, Junior Vice Com
mander. The election of the others was
postponed until tomorrow.
Boston was chosen for the next place OF
meeting
MILWAUKEE, August 29.-The chief
event of the day in the Grand Army meet
ing was the resolution indOrsing Pension
Commissioner Tanner Perkins, of Kansas,
introduced resolution thanking the ad
ministration of President Harrison for the
honor it has conferred on the Grand Army
in appointing Corporal Tanner as Pension
Commissioner, and heartily indorsing the
nouncing the bitter and malignant criti-
cisms of the press upon his official conduct
General Barnum, of New York, offered q
substitute to the effect that notwithstand-
ing the assaults of an unfriendly press, the
Encampment declared its belief in the in
tegrity of Tanner and its approval of his
| efforts to do all for the soldiers and sailors
that the laws will allow.
Campbell, of Kansas, agreed with Barn
um, and said: "For fifteen years we have
been declaring, and others have been utter
ing the sentiment, that the country car
never pay it's debt due to the old soldiers
but Corporal Tanner is the first officer thai
has made that sentiment q practical reality
l believe it the duty of this Encampmen
to sustain him in working out that senti
ment. We should make our endorsement
strong enough; if Tanner is dishonest o.
has done any criminal act we will find i
out when the investigation committee nov
at work makes it's report"
A delegate from Minnesota urged the En-
campment to stand up to the rack and SAY
that the G. A. r. will stand by Tanner til
something is clearly proved against him
Another delegate said Tanner was WORTHY
of confidence, and the substitute shoult
provoke no opposition, but when it is mad
a matter ofjudgment it becomes club il
the hands of Tanners enemies. 1t is no
his enemies, but his friends that are inves
tigating him. We should not try and fore
the administration to suspend the investi
cation. This Encampment knows nothin,
of the details of Tanners work, and canno
pass judgment upon it. If we pass tn
original resolution and the committee o
investigation should exonerate him, the op
position press would say the administra
tion did not dare oppose the G. A. R., AM
would have good reasons for it. A reces
was here taken until 3 p. m.
In the afternoon Barnum's substitut
was redrafted to read as follows: "Tha
we thank President Harrison for the ap
pointment of our comrade, James Tanner
as commissioner of pensions, and notwith
standing the assaults made upon him W
declare our complete confidence in his in
tegrity and our approval of his endeavo
to do all that he can under the laws 70
veterans of the war, and in connection wit
him we ask full investigation of the ad
ministration of affairs of the pension bu
reau." This was adopted unanimously IN
der a suspension of the rules.
This has been q great day for the En-