Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-12-07

the Republic is above politics.
BOND OF STRONG CHARACTER.
I'VE are bound together for mutal protection
and for social purposes, and also bound to-
gether by a tie that was cemented in the field,
and is so strong that it can never be severed.
| We who know what this flag cost are bound to-
| gether and swear BY the Eternal that as long
| as we live it shall never again be insulted.
[Great applause.l
81 have recently made some statements
about law we are having framed and hope to
have passed by this Congress concerning the
| procuring of a history of the rank and file
| every man who served in the army, in connec-
ton with the present census. nnd that my
statements have been criticised somewhat
This was shown me in paper today:
.'CLEvELAND; O.. December 5; = The latest
this city on wednesday. is in brief as follows:
That Congress be asked to pass law this winter
Of the living soldiers and put down their history,
wounds service etc. Each one shall make a
sha be sken en as Evidence By the Pension Bureau
'lt would be fine thing historically, and while it
great thing for the soldiers ana save much trouble
and suffering, said General Alger. 1t would be
valuable thing on which TO found legislation on
the pension question:
DID NOT EXPRESS HIS VIEWS.
THAT is about as fair statement of what
said as would expect any person to make who
felt that it was his duty to oppose everything
l.
will tell you what did say. and do say now.
I'VE are asking Congress to pass law direct
ing the Census Department to circulate sheet
upon which shall be written history of every
living soldier who served in the War of the Re-
bellion in the Union army. We ask that this
sheet have substantially this upon it. 1t shall
tell the name, age, company and regiment OF
course, that is matter of record and could be
found now, but we are going to have blank
on which we ask that this shall be given, and
on which shall be given the full history, as far
as practicable, of every man The official
record of the private soldier shows only when
he was mustered in. when he was mustered for
paw and when he was mustered out. The tally
sheets made have often been lost. They
do not show the battles the wounds, the prison
service. The reason said the history could
not be accurate was because many of us cannot
remember things exactly. But we can remem-
Der the battles and skirmishes in which we
took part. These records are to be compared
with the official records as far as they appear,
and as they are to make up history to be
handed down to all time, every old soldier will
use his best endeavors to get that history cor
rect. We are also going to ask the present
physical condition OF the man, his financial
condition, the number of his family and the
ages of his children.
TO KNOW HIS CONDITION.
"With that record we can tell very accurately
the condition of that old soldier / said that,
should any law pass Congress which will give to
this man and his class pension, instead of re-
quiring him to get the evidence of a comrade
who is distant or dead. or the affidavit of his
commanding officer, the best record that could
be obtained will be found in these records and
with them all a man would have to do would be
to prove his identity. We would then get along
without pension agents and without waiting
till man had served out his naturaIllfe before
his papers are examined. (Applause.1
I'VE are trying to help the men in Washing
ton who are so anxious TO help us. tApplause.I
We are all on the down-grade of life, brakes
of. We know that we saved to these people
forever the best and greatest Government that
God, in His infinite wisdom, ever framed for
man. The man who served in the ranks seldom
appears IN history, but in this country, where
each man is a sovereign, his record should be
kept.
as though stand under funnel into which are
poured the walls of thousands of old soldiers
and their widows, asking for help. Some of
the letters receive, verified by official records,
would melt hearts Of steel. We must help
each other.
NO FAITH IN SOLDIERS HOMES.
General Alger said that he had recently
lost faith in soldiers homes. The occu-
pants, he learned, would be much happier if
given the money spent fol their care and
allowed to care for themselves, among rela-
tives, in place which they could really call
their own home. Re closed by urging the
members of the G. A. r. to endeavor to get
into the membership every living soldier of
the Union.
A short, humorous and congratulatory
speech was made by Vice Commander
Lovett, of New Jersey, and John A. Logan,
Jr., was then presented by Captain McClel- |
land as the son of the ideal volunteer soldier. |
Mr.. Logan was crested with great applause. |
He is handsome, erect young man, with |
very black hair, eyes and mustache. He |
said:
THE SON OF BLACK JACK,
can hardly find words to thank you for this
kind reception, appreciating, as do, that 1t is
not for anything have done or might do. It |
Is in recognition of the gallant services of my |
dead father cannot speak to you as 1 would |
like to. That was on of his gifts which l did |
not inherit. cannot speak to you as a com
was born.
There is one thing may speak about. The
Grand Army of the Republic, while gaining |
bers. Year by year it will lose more and more,
and the order will gradually die out. The /
younger generation, to which belong. remem-
times from 1851 to 1856. You would be sur
prised to know the great numbers who seem to
care little about informing themselves as to the
great events of those days. think one of the
public at present is to educate my generation
TO revere the memories and the gallant deeds of |
The men who wore the blue, to teach the young
to respect the old soldier.
a SENSIBLE STATEMENT.
There are many men of your day who did no
lighting in the last war, and the younger men
are increasing year by year. Somebody in the
future must take care of the old soldier. II the
Toung men do not appreciate that they owe the
salvation of this country to the men who COM
pose the Grand Army of the Republic, who is
going to take care of the soldiers after the ma
ority of you have passed away2 L ask you to
consider this. We will have the old soldier |
with us only once. We must honor him now,
'evere his memory always, and in his old age
protect and care for him."
Brief, and in the main humorous, speeches
we're made by Assistant Adjutant General
Assistant Quartermaster Gen
,ral Williams, Colonel Chill W. Hazard
md Department Commander Stewart. The
after two kept the audience in almost con-
inuous laughter while they were mp.
The speech making ended at 9:45 o'clock,
md General Alger then held a reception.
de stood in front of the platform, on the
loor, and shook hands with every man and
woman in the hall. The process occupied
bout halt an hour, and, after it was over,
General Alger proceeded in a carriage to
he Hotel Duquesne.
LAST NIGHTS BANQUET.
The banquet at the Hotel Duquesne was a
itting finale to the day. A wealth of
lowers, bright lights and touching senti-
nent, all added their particular charms to
he occasion. Caterer Menjou surpassed
himself, and to quote John A. Logan, Jr.,
was the finest banquet ever set before the
company.
After the good things had been disposed
+, the speech-making commenced. A. P.
3urchfeld, as toast master, responded to
Our Guests
This last toast and its response was greeted
With long and continued applause, but the