The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1891-08-04
THE VETERANS CAPTURE DETROIT.
They Will Turn Out and Parade
$4,000 Strong Today.
A Western Man Likely To Be the
Next commander-in-Ch Chief.
The Southern Delegates Anxious to
Draw a Color Line.

DETROIT, August 3.-The twenty-fifth an
Republic will formally open In the city at
10 80 a. m. tomorrow, when Commander-in-
Chief Veazy will head the line of march
and after an hours parade will review the
10000 or $4,000 veterans. Today has been
the reception day Of the Encampment. IL
estimated there are $4,000 visitors in the city
tonight, but the great crowd is not expected
until tomorrow, when the multitude OF
strangers will probably aggregate 100000 or
more. IL so. 1t will characterize the twenty
fifth encampment as the most successful In
the history Of the organization.
There is strong rivalry in the race for
the position Of National Commander-in-
Chief of the G. A. r. but thus far il has
been in the nature Of friendly competition
and Is unmarked by strife or acrim0ny. The
most prominent candidates are Col. VIM. r.
Smedburge OF San Francisco, A. g. WeisseIt
Of Milwaukee, Brevet Brigadier General
Samuel FL. Hurst OF Chillicothe, Ohio, and
Col. O. p. Lincoln of Washington. There Is
a strong belief that the next commander-in-
chief will be western man. The leading
candidate in the field is acknowledged to be
Col. Weissert of Milwaukee.
The fight for the location Of the next en-
campment Is a peculiar one Rivalry Is
sharp between Washington, d. c., and Lin
coin, Nebraska, and from pres
ent indications Washington leads.
Three special trains brought the Old
Guard Of Washington and the Department
Commander and his staff. The Old Guard,
noted organization, is commanded by j,
M. Edgar. 1t has color guard of II men,
six OF whom lost their right arms In the war
The Old Guards membership is largely made
up OF past companders and we'll known men.
Ex-President Rutherford B. Hayes, Com
mander-in- Chief of the Military Order of the
Loyal Legion, arrived from Ohio today. He
was met by the local delegation Of the Loyal
j. Hecker. Commander Hayes was ten
dered reception at Col. Hecker's residence
this evening and all the members Of the 10y
al Legion paid him their respects. About 20
ladies'. belonging to the Potomac Relief
Corps, arrived on the train which brought
the Washington party. The ladies, or many
OF them, are well-known throughout the
country. They include Mrs. Nelly Prentice,
president of the corps.
The department Of Louisiana and Missis-
sippi will revive the s'color" fight In the en-
campment Charles K. Fink, assistant quar-
termaster general OF this department., said
today: I'VE have come up TO this epcamp-
ment to make light on the color line. We
object to colored members Of the G. A. r.
and want them formed into separate colo
nlzation. 1t is all right here in the North
where you have only few colored Vets, but
do you know that in the South there Is any
quantity Of colored members of the G. A. r.
who are not thirty years old? They swarm
In our posts and a white man has no show
We will not associate with them, and IL the
present convention does not do something to
relieve southern posts of this growing
trouble then the white G. A. K. Vets will
withdraw"
Commander-in-Chief veazey tonight de-
clined TO discuss the "color" dispute and
was disposed to minimize the Importance Of
the question.