The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-09-22
VETERANS AT WORK.
Condition Of tls Grand Army as
Reported by Its Generals.
RESOLUTIONS OF SYMPATHY FOR
COMRADE HARRISON.


The Address of Commander-in- Chief
Palmer-IndianapolisS Secures the Hon
or of Entertaining the Veterans Next
Year-Omaha Withdrew and So There
Was No Contest-keports of the Adju-
tant General and Surgeon General.
| WASHINGTON, September %. - The
Grand Army has settled down to bust
ness. The Commander-in-C Chief has de-
| livered his address and many of the re-
ports have been received.
|. Surgeon General Stevenson reports
that, according to Commissioner Raum,
at the close of the fiscal year, June 30,
1892. there were S76,O7S pensioners on
the rolls and the appropriation aggre-
gated $130, 1872, 1857. In addition to these
| vast expenditures, the annual appropria-
| ton for numerous government homes
/. was So, ,634, $40, and there are also 173 gov
ernment cemeteries, kept up by govern
ment appropriations.
The telegram from President Harrison
already published, sending regrets at his
j inability to be present, was read and APP
plauded. Tile Junior Vice Commander
in-Chief, E. S. Clarkson of Omaha, un-
der suspension of the rules, submitted
the following:
Resolved, By the members of the 26th Ma
| tional Encampment OF the G. A. r., and
through it by 100000 members, that their most
sincere AM heartfelt sympathy y is hereby t sx-
deep affiiction which has kept him from our
midst, and we earnestly hope and pray that his
noble wife. that true American woman may
| be spared to him and us for even greater OPP
| FORTUNES for good.
Mr.. Clarkson moved the adoption of
the resolution by rising vote. Cheers. |
4 Ex-President Hayes seconded the resolu-
! ton, and the encampment cheered him
/ and applauded for several minutes. The
resolution was unanimously adopted.
The Report of Adjutant General Phisterer
begins with statement that when Com
mander-in-C Chief Palmer assumed Office
there were practically no funds on hand
to carry on the business of theadjutant's
office except $4,000 in United States
bonds which it was not deemed wise to
/ sell. No income was expected until
after December 31st last The most
| rigid economy was necessary. The total
expenditures of his office during the
| fiscal year aggregated $11,S00, the adj
| j,itant general says the tax is plainly in
/ sufficient and should be at least three
cents a member per annum. He
| says that semi-annual returns from
posts and departments are unnecessary.
| Annual reports will suffice. He calls the
present inspection system unsatisfactory
and cumbersome, and thinks the install-
ing officer of a post could also act as it's
inspector. A revision of the present
rules and regulations is recommended.
The number of persons entitled to seats
at the present encampment is 114S, Of
whom 462 are representatives at large
and apportioned according to member
ship December 81 last
During the last calender year as shown
by the report, there was gain of 229 in
the number of posts, making the total
number 1868. During the calender year
the gain in membership was GA ,401;
losses. 6610o; leaving the number of
members in good standing December
81, last. 40,761 an appearent loss
of 1880 This loss is said to be apparent,
because in one department it was found
authority, and the returns previously
made were incorrect. So there is actu-
ally gain of about 1900 in the total
strength OF the organization. During
the year the deaths numbered 6404; the
honorable discharges 1929; transfers,
9,460; suspensions, 34,367; dishonorable
discharges, 467; delinquents, 1882.
When the question Of where
The Next Encampment
should be held came up, Lincoln, Neb.,
announced that it would not make com
t9st, and after Gov Chase of Indiana,
made an address extolling the advantag-
es of indianapolis, that place was select
ed by acclamation. The date of the en-
campment will be fixed later by the
council of administration. The
committee on resolutions in
cludes H. H. Burbank of Maine,
The Commanders Address.
The following is the address of Com
mander Palmer, delivered at the fore
noon session:
CoMRADEs-The national encampment OF the
Grand Army OF the Republic. brings together
land. There is scarcely a battlefield of that
great civil contest but has its representative
here today. Within its ranks are men of all po-
Itical parties and religious creeds. The differ
ences in rank which the army reflected are lost
in the eq,lalites of a free and common citizen
ship. The dominating thought is patriotism.
Its principles appeal to patriots of every name
and party.
of the Union armies should gather again in the
capital of the nation, which through four long /!
wears of bloody strife they defended at the peril
of their lives; and it brings to our minds wildly
the name Of that great man who, under the |
province of God, successfully guided the affairs |
of the nation through the crisis of its fate. |
While the peans of Victory were still sounding |
in his ears he died, u martyr for his country. |
ieaying behind him a fame which will brighten |
with the lapse of time, and coupled with the |
name OF Washington, will be the name OF Lin |
coin. so long as America shall be known among |
the nations Of the earth. Almost within the !
sound of nv voice there repose in that beautiful
spot on Arlington Heights, where the green sod |
lies gently upon the breasts Of the silent Sleep |
ers. Ib. OCO patriotic dead. 1t recalls to our |
minds the enormous price paid by the American |
people for the preservation OF the nation. -Four
Ihousand graves are marked with the saddest |
of all observation-disclosures.
We meet today with the consolation that the |
nation was saved and preserved by the Valor OF |
these men. and we feel exalted by their achieve |
ments and regenerated by their life's blood.
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