Morning journal and courier., 1891-08-07
VETERANS GOING HOME.

DeLfO1t-A New fOrk Man Elected
 Commander-iR-Chi - The Vexed
 Race Question Settled.
 DETROIT, Mich, Aug. 6.-The closing day of the twent-fifth annual encampment of the G. A. R. opened as bright and balmy as the previous days of the reunion. To-day closes the business sessions of the order, but even now the veterans are fast leaving the city.
 Among the reports of committees was one embodying a bill to be presented at the next session of Congress in behalf of the soldiers who were in prison for pe- riod of not less than sixty days or more, providing that they shall receive two dol lars for every day of their confinement from the government.
 John G. Palmer of Albany, N. Y., was elected commander-in chief of the G. A. R. He led from the first ballot.
 N. M. Dufield of Michigan was elected senior vice commander-in-chief; T. S. Clarkson of Nebraska, junior vice com Chaplain; Benjamin T. Stephenson of Con necticut, surgeon general. Past Command CT Warner, chairman of the committee on address of the commander chief, re- ported resolutions which were adopted petitioning congress for legislation provid- ing for the custody and care of Mount Mac Gregor cottage and for amendments to the revised statutes providing more explicitly that preference be given old soldiers in government appointments and employ ment.
 The vexed trace problem" was effective ly settled for all time. William Warner of Missouri, as chairman on the committee on the commander-in-chief's recommends tions, presented report. It says: Your committee has carefully considered the clear and frank statements of the com mander-in-chief regarding difficulties ex- isting between posts in the departments of Louisiana and Missouri. The committee has also considered all the documents sub mitted to and arguments made before it as to the cases leading to the existing trouble in those department. The old posts in the departments of Louisiana and Mississippi are composed of white comrades. The new posts are composed of colored comrades. The contention is that the latter posts are tainted with fraud in their organization. Here the report quotes freely from the commander -in-chief's statement of the contentious of the two sides and con cludes: '"The remedy suggested of a sep arate department of concurrent jurisdic- tion for colored voters involves an amend ment to our rules and regulations. The committee is informed that the requisite notice of the presentation of this notice has been given, and, therefore, it is prop erly before the encampment for its action. This organization, the G. A. R. from it's birth at Decatur, H., in 1866, to this, it's silver encampment, has never turned from | it's post doors any deserving comrade, | however humble, on account of his ma | tionality, creed or color. The only quail | ficat:on for membership is an honorable | discharge from the United States army, navy or marine corps of 61- | 65, as the evidence that "he aided in maintaining the honor, integrity and supremacy of the national government during the late rebellion, providing, al ways, that the African has done nothing in civil life to cast stain on his honor able record in liberty's cause. During the fierce struggle for the life of the nation we tried. It is too late to divide now on the color line. A man who is good enough te | stand as soldier when the fate of the na ton was trembling is good enough to bs a comrade in any department. No differ ent rule has been or ever shall be recog nized by the survivors of the union army and navy. No department should b, established for any color or nationality Last year, in national encampment as sembled under the shades of Bunker Hil monument the accredited delegates of the Grand Army unanimously endorsed the following words:
 'It has been my determination to recog nize as comrade the equal rights of ever, man, no matter what his color or national ity, provided he has two qualifications service and an honorable discharge. II this struggle the strong should aid tn weak; it ennobles the former and helps t elevate the latter.
 ''The platform of principles of the G A R. is so broad that all honorably dis charged soldiers and sailors can stand up on it. In the opinion of your committe the fact that the department of Louisian and Mississippi consists of posts, part o
 which are composed of white comrades
 the others of colored comrades, is no sufi cients reason for making this radios
 Our fraternity, charity and loyalt
 should be witnessed by our deed
 as well as our: words. The recon
 mendations of the commander-in-chief
 based upon the fact that seven of the col
 ored posts of Louisiana and MississipI
 petitioned for a separate department
 Comrades representing part of their pos
 appeared before the committee and elaine
 in argument that it was their understand . ing and that of many other of their colore comrades that they were only petitionin for department to be created in Louis jana, the same as in other states, in whic
 department all comrades, white or blacl
 should be equally entitled to membership 1 and, further, that they and those repr' 5 sented by them are opposed to the creatio , of separate department. In view of tt ) facts submitted to your committee it is (
 the opinion that it would be inexpedieI to place the authority with the commando in-chief to organize new or provisional d 1 partments Tn states in which there are O 2 ganized departments.
 A minority report signed by one memb'
 was also presented. A discussion aros i but finally, by viva voce vote, the majo ? ity vote was overwhelmingly adopted. 1 The sixteenth annual reunion of u 3 United States Veteran Signal corps shove 6 membership of 512. At the business SC
 sion new officers and committees we
 elected as follows: President, L. D. Flo
 tesque of Philadelpeia; secretary and Urea