The rustler., 1891-08-14
COMMANDERS ADDRESS.


A. T. began yesterday In the NAM
moth Bucher's hall At the head Of the
hall. over the platform. was \ large q.
/ A. T. badge. hanked on either side by
American flags. aud In the rear the
/ grand seal of the United States. also
set between hagS From the ceiling
hung clusters Of the flags Of all the re-
/ publics In the world
A few minutes before the hour OF
/ opening Gen. Neazey and his staff en-
tered the hall and were escorted 10 the
/ grand stand p~
Rapping the assemblage 10 order. the
commander-in-chief announced the for
NAL opening Of the encampment and
directed the adjutant-gcneral TO call the
roll of departments Every state and
I territory In the union, not even except
ing far-off Alaska. was represented,
and the roll call showed the fullest at
tendance of delegates In the history OF
the organization. The opening address
Of the commandments was listened
TO with rapt attention by the asse m bled
veterans.
Comrades said Gen Veazey. 'this
is the silver anniversary OF a birth. not
wedding. The wedding occurred
when the bridegrooms, the youth OF
the land, enlisted IN its defense. Abra-
ham Lincoln celebrated the marriage
nuptials. Columbia was the bride.
I Her vesture was the nations flag The
/ pledge To re-cstablish that flag over
! the domain OF secession was the price
[ OF her hand. When the pledge was
| grandly redeemed. through bloody
strife, through suffering and death. and
after the victors had placed on the brow
OF the bride a new diadem whose gems
were honor, valor fame, liberty. untaint-
/ ed with slavery. n country reunited and
free, the fruit OF that marriage was the
| Grand Army OF the Republic, an Off
I spring worthy OF It's royal patronage
/ The date Of the birth was April g. / s66
/ The observance OF this silver anniver-
sary began on the 9th day OF April of
I this year. In every town and city In
all this broad country where posts ex-
listed the comrades assembled in open
meetings, which the public attended in
throngs beyond the capacity OF
the largest halls, and all at the same
hour united in praise and Thanksgiving
to Almighty God for the great blessings
which He had vouchsafed 10 our coun-
try and to the men who had fought its
battles and had since labored faithfully
/ on the lines of good citizenship and had
cultivated the Christian and patriotic
principles OF fraternity, charity and
/ loyalty"
After alluding 10 the recent deaths of
Gen. sherman. eX-Vice- President Ham
lin and others prominent in the Grand
| Army, Gen. Neazcy continued:
"The present administration encoun-
tered the same disturbances In the de-
partment of Louisiana and Mississippi
that had troubled my predecessors. The
difficulties there had existed ever since
posts Q TO II inclusive of that depart
ment were chartered and organized
This was in 1889 The charge has al
ways been, from different sources. that
the organization of those posts was so
tainted with irregularities as TO be
utterly destructive of their legal exist
cnce. Our rules and regulations provide
a plain procedure for department to
| pursue in order 10 test the validity OF
such charges. AS the department OF
Louisiana and Mississippi has never so
far as | am informed resorted TO that
! procedure, / have held, in connection
with those posts that they must be re-
! garded rs having a legal existence un-
til otherwise regularly adjudicated.
/ Ffsr 20 E.l
! rades Burst and Austin made a most
careful Investigation of all matters in
/ that department. Their recommenda-
| tion Is, in brief, that this encampment
authorize the creation of separate de-
! partment in the south. This is sup
! ported by memorials addressed to the
commandcr-in-chief by posts 0, IL, ls
H. 10 and Il, being six of the posts in
the department whose mem mbership is
composed of colored comrades. Pro-
tests against such action have come
from comrades of several posts, and
these are on file"
Gen Neazey recommends that such
separate department be created.
During the year now closing" con-
tinued Gen. NeaZey, 1.-THE q. A. X. paid
out from its relief fund 1888, GOO ST.
During the same period the Women's
Relief corps paid to distressed comrades
si59, 7iO.s0. These figures show large
increase over the amount of any pre-
vious year. The total amount of relief
paid out by the G. A. r., not including
auxiliary bodies, since 1870, is 81, 5O0,-
00c."
Referring TO the Mount McGregor
cottage, where Gen. Grant died, Gen.
Veazey recommended that this encamp-
ment take action to secure from the
government an appropriation for the
mainten anee of the property.
The members of the G. A. II. pension
committee were also reviewed. The
commanderin-chief urged the encamp-
ment to renew the effort to procure an
amendment To the revised statutes