Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-11-26
GRAND ARMY POLITICS.

The Contest for the Department Com
mander's Place Begun.
The politicians in the Grand Army are al
ready laying their pipes in anticipation Of tho
annual encampment Of the Department Of
the Potomac. At that time officers for the
ensuing year will be elected, and while
there is no value Of permanent character st.
tached to these places yet the honor Is of so fl
cient magnitude to appeal to the ambition Of .
large number Of the members Each year the
contest lie more or less prolonged and this year
the Held OF candidates Is regarded as larger than
ever before. The last election assumed some
thing OF fractional character and the right Of
the present commander, Capt. Dinsmore, to
hold bis position was contested up to the
court Of last appeal 1t Ii not Antici-
Pated that the approaching contest will
be OF this character. For one thing there are
too many candidates in the field. In the course
OF week or SO the various posts will elect del
egates to the next eneampment and men
who are ambitious for honor are conducting
canvass in order to secure the election Of men
favorable TO their interests. As q rule the COM
rades cast their vote for the man to hold the
first place, whom in their opinion will be of the
most service to them. What the average Grand
Army man wants in department commander
is some one that will hustle about the depart
ments and look after comrades and the widows
OF comrades and see that they are not dis
missed.
DEMOCRAT SUGGESTED.
This year, however, the result of the recent
election is likely to bring in another considera-
ton, which may largely influence votes The
question that is now being discussed ia
whether it would not Be the wis
est policy to place at the head
is known to be democrat. While the Grand
Army is not political organization yet the
fact is recognized that in all probability a DEM
ocrat will have more influence with the incoming
administration thana republican and in this view
it is conceded that democrat ought to be
elected commander. Those who take this view
have suggested the names of men who might
be available. For EXAMPLE, two democrats
mentioned are Gen. Albert Ordway, the COM
handing officer Of the District National Guard,
and II. II. Mohler, who holds a position at the
House.
Maj. Burke, tie warden Of the Jail, is also
mentioned. He, however, once held the Office.
Independent of this there are other candidates
in the field. - The friends Of Mr..
John McElroy. the present senior wee
commander, consider him an available
candidate. The fact that he is now next in rank
Is said to carry no weight, it has not been the
custom to promote along the line. Then Mr..
Faunce, who has been candidate before, is
being pushed for the place, while the names of
John Joy Edison, Gen. Ellis Spear. Dan Gros-
venor, L. S. Emery and others are mentioned.
TIE GROWTH OF THE DEPARTMENT..
The encampment does not meet until the
early part Of January. but long before that
time the delegates are elected, and it is, there
fore, necessary that the canvass should
be begun rather early. 1t is stated
that the past year has been a
prosperous one with the Grand Army organi-
cations in this city. No doubt the meeting
here Of the national encampment served to
stimulate and arouse an interest. At the
close of last year the total membership in the
Department OF the Potomac was between 8. 400
and 3, 500. The number has increased to over
$500, and it is expected that before the end of
the year the total membership will reach 1000.
Four new posts have been organized during the
year. making total Of twenty posts
The medical director of the department, DR..
Hays. has made a rather curious computation
based on the death rate in the department
during the year. He estimates that by the
close of the year the number of
deaths viii reach 100, a percentage on
membership OF 1900 Of about two and half
The same death rate holds good for the entire
organization. With its membership of over
400, 900, then during the past year there were
between ten and eleven thousand members
Of the Grand Army who passed away.
He estimates that there are some
500. 600 survivors Of the late war who are not
members Of the Grand Army and applying the
same death rate to the entire number he finds
that the old soldiers are dying off at the rate Of
80, 900 per year.
With these figures "a a basis, DR.. Hays thinks
that any one can readily calculate how many
years it will be before all the old soldiers have
passed away.