Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-11-28
THE woMAN's RELIEF CORPS.
The Attitude Of the Department OrgnniIa
tion-A Talk with Mrs. Peck.


tion-A Talk With Mrs. Peck.
Mrs. Anna A. Peck. president Of John A.
Logan Relief Corps, No. Z. institutIng and in
stalling officer of the Department of the
Potomac, W. r. C., and who was delegate at
large from the department to the national con-
vention at Detroit when asked by q STAR re-
porter regarding the revocation of Potomac
Corps charter by the national president. said
that publications concerning the matter placed
the Department OF the Potomac in . false
light II recognize" said Mrs Peck, 1.-THE
good Potomac Corps has done and sympathize
with 1t in its unpleasant position. Ii Is
not true. stated. that at the Detroit conven-
ton the ladies of the Department of the Poto-
mac made strong efforts TO accomplish the re-
vocation of Potomac Corps charter. The de-
partment officers appealed to the convention
Tor a settlement Of tins vexed question. This
was referred TO the committee on appeals and
reported back favorably Mrs. Charity Rusk
Craig, past national president motioued that
the convention instruct the incoming national
president, Mrs. Size A. Sanders, TO exert her
prerogstive and place Potomac Corps in the
Department of the Potomac. This motion
was carried well nigh unanimously. Two
months elapsed and the detached corps
failed to obey the convention. Mrs. Sanders
then issued her order revoking Potomac Corps
record books and all money and property be-
longing to the Nexional w. X. c., offering at
the same time to grant transfer cards that the
ladies OF that corps might become members OF
other corps or charter members of some new
corps auxiliary TO post. IL Was thought that
a new corps would be organized in accord with
the law of the order and thereby retain its men,
bership, moneys and property. There Is no
disposition on the part OF the Department Of
the Potomac TO lay hands on the property of
bAH. hon
be under the jurisdiction of the department,
and this arrangement would in no wise cripple
Potomac Corps in Its charitable work. The
statement in the last issue Of The STAR that
Potomac Corps was organized prior TO the De-
partment Of the Potomac is true in fact, but
throws out the inference that that organization
is the pioneer corpsof the District. and that by
reason of its age Is deserving of some lenity.
There is no record of any special legislation IN
its BEHALF. o. L. Morton Corps No. !, was or
gained April 3, 1885; Potomac Corps No: z in
1856; Charles Sumner Corps. No. 3, April 4,
1856: Burnside Corps, No 4. February q, lsss;
Farragut No. 5, July 22. 1889, Lin
coin, No. 6, August G. 1898; John A.
Logan, No. 4, February IA, 1880; L. S. Grant,
No. &, 1880, and John a. Logan, No. IL, Of
Hampden, Va. recently attached to thu de-
partnent. Having two more than the requi-
site five corps a department was organized by
National President Mrs. Annie WIttenmeyer,
with Mrs. Johanna Turner as department pres
lutnt- In refusing 10 come into the depart
ment or attach itself TO a post it violated the
fundamep tal law of the order, which Is that
each corps must be auxiliary to some post and
assume the name of the post to which Is auxili-
airy. In reference to the charges that We under
the domination of colored corps and want fo-
tomac Corps TO help out will say that they
are without foundation. The colorea corps DO
not seek to dominate anybody. They have only
two department officers, and the idea that the
two colored corps could rule the Others is
absurd. We recognize the fact that coiored
posts are organized in the q. A. L., and no post
IN the department, SO far as i know, has any
desire to eliminate them. These posts are
under the same laws govern the white posts,
and as justly entitled to auxiiaries as
their white comrades. The statement that Po-
tomac Corps position is Endorsed by the
leading Grand Army men is untrue. Previous
to the last convention at Detroit numerous
petitions were formulated AMI forwarded TO
the convention by a large number of post COM
manders, past post commanders and other act
i've and influential Grand Army men, setting
forth that the position of the department.
should be sustained. No one deplores the
situation more than L. would gladly welcome
the Potomac Corps into our ranks, and in view
of the approaching encampment it must be to
the interest Of the G. A. Il. and w. X. C. to
have harmony.