Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-08-29
Warner Pensions.
The Retiring Commander Does
Not Mince Matters.
pITH OF HIS ANNUAL ADDRESS.

Tor Next NeAr-fspsttu "" 's'o
Eucampment Prize-Bussey's Ruling ON
Di-honorabIy Discharged soldiers OPP
posed.
MILWAUKEE. Aug. The G.. A. X encamp-
ment got TO business yesterday at iO;l5a m,
when Commander in Chief Warner called
the delegates TO order in their twenty-third
session. the place of meeting being the West
Side Turner ball Nearly loo persons are
entitled to seals in the encampment, and of
those 55o were in their seats. Among those
present WIS Gen. sherman, who sat with the
Missouri delegation As soon rs the prelim-
mary excrcises-the G. A r. opening ritual
and prayer by Chaplain Wh-rton, OF Wis
consin-were completed Mai Warner arose
and delivered his annual address.
what the Commander said.
Mai. Warner began with eulogy of the or
ganizatiun. which he characterized as the
grandsst civil organization the wor d has ever
seen. containing on its membership rolls the
names o, the most illustr.ous In history. Its
list OF members was the national roll of
honor" Il contributes, lac said. the great con
sentative element OF the nation.
The champions of civil and religious lib
erty, recognizing the dignity of labor but hav-
ing no sympathy with anarchy or commun-
ism, recognizing no flag but the stars and
stripes believing that loyalty Is n virtue and
that treason Is "a crime"
Nearly 400, 900 In the Order.
Passing to figures Mai. Warner said that In
1879 there were a6,sil old soldiers in the organ
Ration, while to-day there are 3S-,5gS. One of
the pressing wants of the Grand Army, he
went on to say, was u reliable and complete
| history thereof The question had been asked
II some comrade possessing the required in
| formation and literary skill would not supply
that want. IL was happy 10 say that the
man had been found in Comrade Beath, whose
work was complete, and who was entitled 10
the gratitude Of thc veterans for the same.
Passed tn the Other shore.
Proceeding. the speaker said he favored the
passage of appropriate resolutions thanking
the DreXel heirs for carry ing out Mr.. Drexel's
wish regarding the cottage In which Gen.
Grant died. referring to the odd Com
mander's" death the speaker said: Never
was man more willing to live or ready To die;
his life was without blemish, his death
without fear. Ii was in the cottage at Mt
GregOr that Gods finger touched him and he
| slept Then HIS enraptured soul, olsen
| thralled, heard the welcome plau iit, Well
| done good aud faithful servant Regarding
| deaths of the members, Mai. Warner said:
Death ~ steadily recruiting from our ranks.
In the year ending June last, brigade of old
| soldiers and sailors numbering 4.695 marched
across the invisible and shadowy line separat-
ing time from eternity and pit rhed their tents
valley and sha low of death fearing no evil,
| looking back upon life with the proud con-
sciousness Of duty well performed"
The Question of Pension.
The work Of the Woman's Relief Corps was
| warmly eulogizsd and the establishment of
closer relations with the Sons of Veterans
| recommended. and then the speaker got to
work ON the point which is of most interest to
| the memb of the Grand Army-pensions.
On this subject he spoke with no uncertain
| sound, and his remarks were evidently the
| expression of the views Of his hearers, as was
shown by the frequent applause, The speaker
| said: The Grand Army of the Republic has
| never exercised Its full influence in pension
| legislation, because of division in its ranks.
The measures recommended by the national
| encampment should not be antagonized by
conflicting measures urged by departments
or posts. Unity of action will secure salts
factory results divided council will con-
| tribute To defeat. Our demands should be
| reasonable and consistent.
The Two Bills Endorsed.
THE last encampmsut. after much discus
sion. by a practically unaDimous vote recon-
mended to congress service pension bill and
what IL known ~ the disability pension bill:
| the latter having received the approval OF
previous encampments. This action was the
rJsult of compromise. and in my Judgment
was wise IL just and conservative.
My experience in congress leads me To believe
that you Will greatly strengthen the hands OF
| our friends in that body by demanding at
Milwaukee the pension legislation asked at
Columbus. Let the committee on pensions
take your recommendations to congress
backed by united Grand Army of the Re
public and there will be no failure II we are
true 10 ourselves before the next encampment
every comrade disabled by age, sickness or &C
oident and the widows and orphans of yeter-
ans will he borne on the pension roll. We
should neither give sleep to our eyes nor
slumber To our e. elids until justice is done
our comrades.
Service Pensions Must Come.
The service pension will come. The day il
not far distant when an honorable discharge
from the Union army and navy shall be all the
evidence required to secure pension to its
holder.
Aid it's dawning tongue and pen,
Aid 1t hopes OF honest men,
A pension given rs a reward for services
10 the state is surely "a good ground OF prop
erty n any security for money advanced to
the state said the great English statesman
Burke
= Word to the BondhoIder-
Let the bondholders OF the country remem-
| her that thc men Who rendered their securities
/ valuablo-thD men who have ever insisted that
| they be paid to the uttermost fart hing
| principal and interest, of the money
| advanced by them u the state
| let them remember that these men
have claims upon the state, equal at least to
| that of tn bondholder. Let those who in
| weigh against pensions remember that il was
| the boy- Ia blue who by their trials sufferings
| aud death bequeHthed To them the legacy Of
| liberty and union. in-uTing to them and their
| children the blessings of free institutions un.
der which they enjoy a greater prosperity. a
| larger liberty. higher civilization and a
| purer Christianity than ever enjoy by a peo-
| pie. Let the people remember that tn pre-
| serve To them these blessings
| -Four hundrel thousand of the brave
4 Made tI.a ...I =..fI fI..f,
| Present help Better Than Monuments
| We, the survivors of these men, WHO gave
| th' best years uf our lives to Our country will
present our claims To congress, and in doing
81 viii n Z ~ prOach those In authority with
| bat'd breath aud whispering humbleness, but
| free men We will demand. asking only that
| which is just. We would rather have the ma
ton help our comrades living than erect mon
uments To them dead. My country men, said
an illustrious oomrado 4this il no time to use
| the apothccary's scales to measure the
| rewards of the men who saved the
country. The spirit of these noble
" rds should govern the IT, .islative and ex-
ecutive branches of the government that the
performance of the nation may b. equal to her
promise. Comrades, the Roman youth glored
in singing how well 'Horatius kept the bridge
IN the brave DAYS Of old. 30 through the ages
shall the children OF the Republic sing OF how
well you maintained the constitution pre-
served the union Of the states established by
the fathers, kept the flag unsulled. giving to
the nation new birth of freedom"
Doesn't Agree with Bussey.
Before the close Of the morning session
something Of IA sensation was created when
Gen. Mcmahon, Of New York, sroso and Of
fered resolution which had been unani-
mously adopted by the delegates from that
state IL declared that the Grand Army was
composed Of men who, after honorable serv-
ice IN the cause of the country, had been hon.
orahlY DISCHARGED from fnrt her s.rvico in the