The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1892-09-23

Senior Vice Commander-Comma
Palmer's Action on the Race Question
and His Famous Rebel Flag Orde,
Approved-The Twenty Sixth Encamp
ment Now Thing of the Past.
WASHINGTON, September pat the
morning session of the National Encamp-
ment, G.. A. r., the first business was
the report Of the committee to determine
the question of seniority of departments.
The controversy affects only Illinois and
Wisconsin, neither of which is in posses
sion of charter. Wisconsin claims that
seniority should be determined by the
| date of the first department encamp-
ment and Illinois asserts that the state
ment of r. F. Stephenson, the founder
of the order, should decide. The com
mittee recommended the appointment OF
a new committee and the matter was
left open after considerable discussion.
The report of the committee to which
was referred the Adjutant Generals re.
port was presented. It recommended
the adoption to the recommendation that
the installing officer of a post should
| make an annual inspection, and that the
per capita tax for grand encampment
purposes be limited to 21 cents.
The committee on rules and regula-
tions reported adversely upon the sug-
gestion to; change the regulation defining
the right to wear the emblem of the G.
A. r., and endorsed Che request of sever
al departments that mo person be en-
titled to wear the button of the G.. A. r.
unless a member in good standing
The committee favorably recommended
the suggestion that appeals from decis-
ions of post commanders and posts be
made within four months from the time
rendered and that appeals in all other
cases be made within six months. The
committee reported adversely upon the
recommendation of the adjutant general
that the rules and regulations be revised.
All these recommendations were adopt
ed.
In connection with this report, the
question
OF Abolishing Life Membership
in the national encampment came up.
The department of Ohio recommended
that past national and state commanders
be given seats as honorary members
without votes. The majority of the
committee reported adversely upon this
proposition. The report of the commit
tee was adopted by an overwhelming
majority.
Junior Vice Commander T. S. Clark
son of Omaha, on behalf of the entire
membership of the G.. A. R., presented
Past Commander-in-C Chief Wheelock V Vea-
zie an oil portrait of himself, encased in
handsome gilt frame. The response
from Comrade Veazie was very touching
and appreciative.
Past COMMANDMENT Chief John E. Rea
from the committee on commander-in-
chiefs address, reported that the COM
mittee heartily commended the patriotic
sentiments and spirit of devotion so elo-
quently expressed in the address. 1t
would be well, in the Judgment of the
committee, to have it read in every post
of the land. While it regretted certain
complications, alluding to the race ques-
ton in Louisiana and Mississippi, the
committee was unable to see how the
commander-in-chief, having regard to
the honor of the G. A. R., could have
taken any other action, and his heroic
measures were approved. The commit
tee approved the recommendation that
a receptacle be provided in the Grant
tomb in New York for the roster of the
G.. A. r. 1t suggested that the encamp-
ment cause to be prepared a suitable tes-
timonial to the retiring commander-in-
chief, General Palmer. All the findings
and recommendations of the committee
were accepted by the encampment. The
race issue is thus settled by the approval
of General Palmer's action.
], The committee on teaching patriotism
in the public schools recommended that
the Commander-in-C Chief issue circular
requesting teachers in all schools to set
apart the first day of each school year
for intoxicating lessons of patriotism.
After some discussion, the report was
approved with an amendment leaving
the teachers free to select the date.
Past Commander-in-Chief r. B. Beach,
reported from the committee on Grant
memorial that contract had been made
with Franklin Simmons, the American
sculptor in Rome, for a marble statue of
Gen. Grant, to be erected in the city of
Washington, at a cost of $4,000.
The Election of Officers
being in order, Col. c. P. Lincoln of the
Department of the Potomac, who was
prominently named as candidate for
Commander-in-C Chief made a speech,
withdrawing in favor of Gen. Weissert,
and asking that the election of Gen.
Weissert be made unanimous. Post
Commander Kimball of Massachusetts,,
moved that Gen. Weissert be declared
elected by acclamation. That was held
to be out of order and Gen. Weissert was
formally placed in nomination. Gen. S.
H. Hurst of Ohio, was also named. The
roll call began, but before it had pro-
ceeded far the name of Gen. Hurst was
withdrawn. whereupon Gen. Weisserts
election was effected by acclamation.
The election of Senior Vice Command
er brought into prominent view the fac
tional fight that has ragged within the
ranks Of the Department of the Poto-
mac for the past year. In this contro-
versy was involved incidentally the ex-
istence of the custom by which the Office
of Senior Vice Commander was given to
the department entertaining the national
encampment Colonel Linceln's friends
favored the abolition of the custom, and
the friends of Captain J. M. Pipes, who
secured an instruction to the delegates
from the department to support him for
senior vice commander, desired its con-
tinuance. The controversy waxed so