The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1889-08-29
EHE LAsF PENsIoN lILL.

THE LAST PENSION BILL,
1.-THE last Encampment, after muet
discussion, by a practically upanlmoul
vote, recommendedto to Congressa serylC'
pension bill and what ia known as q dis
ability bill, the latter having received
the repeated approval Of previous En-
campments. This action was the result
OF q compromise and In my judgment
was as wise as II was Just and conserve
tive. My experience In Congress leadl
me 10 believe that you will greatly
strengthen the hands Of our friends IL
that body by demanding at Milwaukee
the pension legislation asked for at COL
umbus, Let the Committee on Pensions
take your recommendation to Congress
backed by a united Grand Army Of The
Republic, and there will be no failure,
vi we are true 10 ourselves, before the
next Encampment every Comrade dis.
abled by age, sickness or accident and
the widows and orphans Of veterans will
be borne on the pension roll, WeBhould
neither give sleep 10 our eyes nor slpm,
ber to our eyelids until justice is done
our comrades. The service pension will
come. The day Is not far distant when
an honorable discharge the Union
Army or Navy shall be all the eyidepcs
required TO secure pension 70 It's holder,
"'A pension given as q reward for ser
vices to the State Is surely as good a
ground OF property as any security for
money advanced TO the State, said tue
great English statesman Burke.
A STRING POINT. ~
Let the bond holders Of the country
remember that the men who rendered
their securities valuable, the men who
have ever insisted that they be paid TO
the uttermost farthing, principal and In
terest, Of the money advanced by them
to the State-let them remember that
these men have claims upon the State
equal, at least, to tha. OF the bond.
holder,
"Let those who inveigh against pen.
sions remember that 1t was tue boys,in
blue who, by the trials, sutierings and
death bequeathed 10 them the legacy Of
liberty and Union, insuring them and
their children the blessings OF free in,
under which they enjoy a
greater prosperity, larger liberty, a
higher civilization and q purer Chris.
tianity than ever before enjoyed by a
people. Let tue people remember that
TO preserve to them these blessings.
Eouthundtcd thousands oibraycs,
Made this our ransomed SoilIHelr grave.
BEAUTIFUL CLOSING.
1--WE, the survivors Of these men; we
who gave the best hours Of our lives to
our country will present our claims to
Congress, and in doing so will not ap-
proaOh those In authority with
bated breath and whispering humhle-
ness, but as free men. We will demand
only that which is Just, We would
rather have the nation keep our com.
rades living than erect monuments to
them dead. My countrymen, said On
Illinois comrade, this Is no time TO use
apothecary scales 10 measure the re.
wards OF the men who saved the coun.
try The spirit OF these noble words
should govern the Legislature and ex.
eCutiYe branches Of the government that
the performance OF the nation may be
equal to her promise.
"Comrades, the Roman youth glorled
in singing how well Horatio kept the
bridge III the brave days Of old. So
throuh the ages shall the children OF the
Republic sing Of how well you main.
tanned The Constitution, preserved the
Union OF the States established by the
fathers, kept tho flag uusullied, giving
the Nation a new birth Of freedom,
Your deeds shall 20 down in song and
and story, WHICH shall be sung and told
by a grateful people 10 the glad coming
timo
nWh0n tho war drum thFohs no longer,
And the battle flags are iurled
In the parliament oI man,
The Federation Of the world"
The address was received with great
and the routine business was
begun.
ADJUTANT GENERALS REPORT.
The following points are taken from
the annual report Of Adjutant General
Eugene F. Wigel.
At the time Commander Warner as.
sumed command, in 1888, there were
forty departments, comprising $500
posts, with total membership in good
standing Of $6l, ,149, and now, after the
lapse oi aVyear, iorty.tEo permanent
departments, with GILL posts aud a
membership in good standing Of 302, $50,
being net gain OF two departments, 35l
posts and p, ,43l comradesin good stand.
Ing. The two new departments are
those Of Alabama, and Georgia, whose
posts were formerly included in the
Department OF Tennessee. Gained by
muster A, 4,249; gained by transfer S,2l8i
gained by Reinstatement 226Qa; gained
from delinquent reports 1850. Total
gain Oh, 40. Lost by death 4,G98; lost by
honorable discharge 2,l4Sj lost by trans
fer l0,lsii lost by suspension al,S9a
lost by diShonorable discharge 1871 lost
by delinquent reports 20,0l2, Total loss
72,0l8.
Adding the numberlo lost by delinquent
reports and the number suspended (who
are still members Of the order) to the
membership In good standing, gives a
total membership, as borne on the rolls
June 30th, 1889, Of 4l0,9s8, 10 which
should also be added nearly 5000 com.
radeB out on transfer cards.
For charity and relief the order spent
during the year S28iRa7, making the
total from July lSt, 1871 Sl,oS5,g99, ' as
THE PENSION COMMITTEE "a
The Pension Committee made It's re.
port as follows:
Down 10 the time Of this committee In
1881, little or nothing bad been done by
the veterans % class toward Systematic
work In relation 10 the liberalization Of
pension laws. Immediately afterward
II was found that the work of the Pen.
sion Department was seriously hindered
and the adjudication Of hundreds
OF thousands Of cases delayed, from the
lack ol sufficient clerical force In that
Department, as well a. In the Offices Of
the AdIutant General aud Of tue Sur.
geon General, from which latter much
necessary Information In regard 10 pen.
sion cases must be secured. Upon con.
sultation with the Commissioner Of Pen.
Bions the committee asked Of Congress
an increase In the force attached to the
various Offices, for the purpose Of expe.
dltlng the business. by the then session