The National tribune., 1890-09-11
TILE SONS or VETERANS.


The ninth National Encampment of the
Sons of Veterans is q source ofgenuine graf
ulation to MI friends of the Order
No organization in the country has been
more solidly prosperous than it has in the
last few years. Is has demonstrated that il
ia founded on correct principles, that there
is strong need Of it in the country, that the
people generally look upon it with favor,
and that it is in the hands of men who will
develop to the utterm0st it numbers,
strength and usefulness. These are the
essential requirements and having proved
to have these the future of the Order is
brilliant All that is necessary is to perseyere
in the course so far followed with the same
sieadiastness and wisdom, and the result
will be of immense value to the country
and advantage to each invidual member.
The Order has been particularly fortunate
in the COMMANDMENTS Chief who has just
handed over the gavel to his successor. Gen.
Chas. +. Griffin, of Indiana, is q young man
of unusual ability, with talents for organ
ization and administration which are rarely
found. He has shown this not only In his
term as Commander-in-C Chief, but also as
Secretary of Stale for Indiana for two terms.
He has devoted himself to building up and
Ioff ha n,,1o l.,
have been well taken and successful. In this
work he has had the able assistance of
Lieut.-Gen H. B. Bsguley, of West Vir-
ginia, and Maj. Gen. George w. Pollitt, OF
New Jersey, both men of decided ability
and unlimited devotion to the Order.
Gen. Griffin WAS earnestly pressed TO stand
for reelection, but he declined with great
positiveness.
During the year GIL new Camps were
organized, and the membership of tho Order
increased 10,9ia Altogether 10000 new
members were mustered in.
The new Commander-in-C Chief, LELAND J.
Webb of Topeka, Kan, will be q worthy
successor TO Gen. Griffin, and under his adj
ministration the Order will augment its
prosperity. lie is not only son of vet
eran, but veteran himself having Mt the
mature age of Is entered upon the response
BILE duties Of driver Of the lead-team Of one
OF Warehouses; guns. He served through
the war, and was severely wounded at Gun
town. After his discharge he studied law
was admitted to the bar in 1869, and remov-
ing TO Columbia, Kan, became the first
Mayor of the town. He subsequently served
n term in the Kansas Legislature, and 10
years ago took up his residence in Topeka,
of which city he is now one of the leading
lawyers. Ho il an active GAR. man, and
is now Judge Advocate of the Department
Of Kansas. lie was the frat Captain of Old
Abe Camp, No 10 s. ofV., Topeka, and was
afterward Commander of the Third Grand
Division, at that time composed Of the States
~ A'4s'"iAA AAA'4Stst AAitAikhii 1lthHSSuth
Iowa, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, Dakota
and Kentucky. He found the Grand Di-
vision in bad shape bat undertook its reor-
ganization with energy, aud at the end of
his year had the satisfaction Of turning over
10 his successor double the number of Camps
all in fine working order, with more than
double the membership. The same measure
Of success attended his administration of the
Division of Kansas, TO the Colonelcy of
which he was elected in March, 1856, and
year later turned the Division over to his
successor with three times as many Camps,
and three times as many members as it had
when he took hold. lie worked hard to se-
cure the recognition of the Order by the
GAR, and was at last successful in his ef-
forts at the 23d National Encampment, at
Milwaukee This record shows the stun
that is in the new Chief and the hopes that
the Order may justly place in his admins
tration.