The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1889-09-05


the ORDER to the membership in good standing.
gives total membership as borne on the rolls
June 80, 1889, Of 41O, ,6S6 TO which should also
be added nearly $4,000 comrades out on trans
fer cards. For charity and relief the order spent
during the year 1927, 637, making the total
from July l, 1871, $1,935, ,935.
THE woMAN's RELIEF CORPS
Those who were fortunate enough to at
tend the convention Of the national depart
men. OF the Womsn's Relief corps at I'm
manuel Presbyterian church to day, have
a higher appreciation of the work done
by that organization than ever before
The auditorium of the church was comfort
ably filled when the session was opened by
the president, Mrs Charity Rusk Craig. Oa
the rostrum with her were Miss Clara Bar
ton, of the Red Cross association; Mrs Anna
Wittenmeyer, Mrs. Russell A. Alger and the
honored guest OF the convention, Mrs. Mary A.
Logan. The speakers were Gov. Hoard, Mayor
Brown, Rev. Myron Reed of Denver, Colo,
Miss Clara Barton and Mra Logan. After
Mrs. Logan had spoken Mrs Robbins of
Michigan begged the privilege of introduc-
ing to the convention three gentlemen, Gen
erals Consigny, Erwin and Longstaff. who
presented the association with gavel made
Grant worked in a tannery when q boy.
The presidents report shows that the depart
ments and detached corps had expended in
the work OF relief the sum of $54 .479 81,
making total of "a ,271.60 expended in re-
lief and turned over to posts in the entire Or
ganizatlon. The work of the afternoon ses-
eion was routine in character, consisting Of
reports from the various national officers.
OFFICERS ELECTED
MILWAUKEE, Aug. 29.-At the morning ses-
sion of the national encampment the cleo
ton OF officers for the ensuing year was
completed. DR.. Horace p Porter of Ken
lucky was chosen surgeon general; W. a.
Childers of Kentucky, chaplain, and T. ].
Love of New Jersey. junior vice commander.
Gen. Alger, president of the Logan monu-
ment fund, reported that the collections to
date aggregated S11,1196O A committee
was authorized to place before congress
proposition to set apart a portion of the
$4,000 appropriated for the site to be
added to the fund for the monument Gen.
Warner left the chair and made strong ap-
peal for the monument scheme. He sug-
gested that the committee be en-
larged to include one representative
from each department with in
structions to push the work until the
monument was finally erected at Washing
ton. Comrade Perkins of Kansas introduced
resolutions by which the epcampment heart
lily thanked the administration of President
Harrison for the honor it had conferred
upon the Grand Army in appointing Corporal
Tanner as commissioner of pensions, endors-
ing his management Of the bureau that had
been created for the benefit of the soldiers
ana sailors of the war, and denouncing the
litter and malignant criticisms of portion
of the press upon his official conduct Ap-
plause greeted the resolution, but Gen. Bar
mum of New York was quickly upon his feet
with q substitute, declaring that notwith-
standing the assaults of an unfriendly press
the encampment declared its belief In the
integrity of the commissioner and
EXPRESSED IT'S APPROVAL
of his efforts to do all for the soldiers and
sailors of the country that the laws allowed;
it suggested, however. that committee
should be appointed to investigate the work
ings OF the pension Office. An animated dis
cussion of three hours duration ensued.
Comrade Campbell of Kansas voiced the gen.
eral sentiment as expressed by score Of
delegates in the following language:
For fifteen years we have been declaring, and
others have been uttering a sentiment that the
country can never pay the debt due to the old
soldiers. but Corporal Tanner Is the first officer
that has made that sentiment upon q practical
reality. believe it is the high duty Of this en-
campment to sustain him in working Uut that
sentiment. II the Grand Army of the Republic
ever had a duty to perform, looking neither to
the right nor to the left, to the committee that
is inves tigating the workings OF the pension
bureau or to the commissioner himself, 1t Is now,
and we ought to pass this resolution. The sub
stitute differs with it in only one particular. 1t
expresses belief in the integrity of Comrade
Tanner, and would not influence the action of
the committee charged with the Investigation.
1t may be better than an endorsement like that
offered in the original resolution. but we should
make our endorsement strong enough. The
original resolution expresses our sentiments eX-
actly. IfTanner is dishonest or has done any
rinNip nj not Icil find Yphn nm
mlttee makes its report The presumption Of
law is that every man is innocent until he Is
proved guilty: and as far as l am concerned
tent in this case.
In the debate that followed one delegate
declared that he would not dare to go back
to the soldiers of Minnesota after harming a
hair of Tanners head any more than to ride
through band of Sioux Indians with their
war paint on. The encampment, he urged,
should stand by Tanner until something
wrong had been proven against him. Gen.
Wagner of Philadelphia took the ground that
both resolution and substitute was O club in
the hands of Tanners enemies The en-
campment ought not to force the admlnis-
tration to suspend necessary investigation.
Another delegate. in the course of = lengthy
speech, said:
was in Washington last week. and heard it
charged upon the streets and everywhere else
that men employed in the bureau were ali get
ting their cases made special and taken up i'm
mediately and rerated much higher, while the
Door devils of the rank and file have to stand
back and wait / told them that it was a lie,
but il he has done that and we pass the original
| resolution we endorse such action on his part.
The substitute is broad enough. This encamp-
ment knew nothing of the details of Taunel 8
work and cannot pass Judgment upon it. We
may believe it is all right, but we do not know
it. five pass the original resolution and the
inf nf inofi
him, the opposition press would say that the ad-
ministrstion dare not oppose the g. A. R., and
they would have good reason to say 1t.
Corporal Tanner himself took the floor at
this point, and in an impassioned speech de-
clared that he not only oourted, but de-
manded, an investigation Of his admtnistra-
tion OF the pension department. Ultimately
the substitute of Gen. Barnum was amended
| to read as follows:
States for the appointment of our comrade
James Tanner, as commissioner of pensions,
| and that Notwithstanding the assaults upon
him we declare our complete confidence In his
integrity and our approval Of his avowed pur-
pose to do all that ls possible to be done under
the laws Of the land for the veterans of the war,
| and with him we ask for the fullest investiga-
tion of the management of his office.
THE NAVAL BATTLE.
This has been the great day of the en-
| campment as regards crowds. The day
trains brought in 5000 additional visitors,
mostly from Wisconsin and Illinois, the
| great attraction being the night naval battle
in Milwaukee bay. Fully a quarter Of q
million of people occupied the beach, and
| the vast amphitheater on the hillside of the
Lake Shore Park was packed with Grand
| Army men and their wives, those seats be-
| ing reserved for them. The battle was n
splendid spectacle, being participated in by
about sixty vessels, besides stationary
mortar feet, and by about 5000 infantry
men and artillerymen, including seven CON-
panies of the Fourth battalion of Wiscon-
sin, the Chicago Zouaves, Battery D OF
Chicago, Milwaukee First Light Battery and
/ several hundred Sons OF Veterans
| MILWAUKEE, Aug. 30.--The national en-.
/ campment adjourned sine die at 1880
The pension question was again taken up al
the opening of the session and debated al
length. Finally the following resolution