The evening herald. [volume] (Shenandoah, Pa.) 1891-1966, 1892-09-22
FAST NEARING AN END
Reunions Mark the Closing of
the Big Encampment.
THE CONTEST FOR COMMANDER.

ing-Business Session Yesterday.
WASHINGTON, Sept. 22.-The great re-
union of the Grand Army is rapidly draw
ing to close, and but little remains to
do except selecting officers for next year.
For the commandership Col. q. f. Lin
coin of Washington is making a strong
fight. Thes trength Of the West is di
vided between Captain Weissert of Mil
waukee, Colonel Sexton of Chicago and
Colonel Warfield of San Francisco. Gen.
Hurst of Ohio is spoken of as a strong
compromise candidate.
The management of the organization,
however, and its place of meeting are
things that the mass of veterans do not
care white army bean for.
For every comrade of the Grand Arm y
of the Republic yesterday was, save for
the day of his return to his home after
the war and perhaps his wedding day, if
he has had one, the most joyful day in
the 27 years since the great muster out 1t
was so because it was the greatest reunion
day that the Grand Army has ever
known. As Gen. Palmer said in his
speech at the dedication of Grand Army
Place, the veterans have in the encamp-
union that they have ever had.
So all day long, the Second, the Third,
the Sixth, the Seventh, the Eighth, the
Fourteenth and Eighteenth corps-under
the leadership of Miles and SIckles and
Wright and franklin, and Howard and
Stanley and Rosecrans, and last, but not
least, Col. Dick Hinton, the only surviv-
ing member of the Cabinet which John
Brown had appointed preparatory to his
expected conquest of the slave States
fought over again every battle of the war
from Manassas ON the East TO Pear Ridge
on the West.
On the deck of the Kearsarge the re-
union went so far as to join Gunner Ar
thur Quinby of Salem, Mass, who fired
not only the first three shots at the Ala
bama but the last, with Seaman Arthur
Sinclair of Baltimore, who was one of the
crew set ahoat in the channel waters
by the last snoU.
The business feature of the day was the
official meeting of the national encamp-
ment which took place at Albaugh's
Opera House.
Commander-in-C Chief Palmer was escort
ed to the place of meeting in the drZZling
rain by the Union Veteran corps, and
the ''old guard" of Washington.
The Committee on Halls, at the sug-
gestion Of Gen. Palmer, had provided for
him, as presiding officer, a desk in the
shape of an immense drum, the head Of
which was perfect sounding board, and
which, when struck by the gavel, would
drown out any other noise.
At 1890 Adjutant- General Phisterer
called the encampmenU to order, when
there were less than 800 delegates in the
house and presented Mr.. b. J. Warner Of
the Citizens Executive Committee, who
introduced Hon. j. W. Douglass, Presi-
dent of the District Board of Commission
ers, who welcomed the encampment to
Washington
Gen. Palmer, rising to respond, gave a
lesson in military punctuality. He said:
zone year ago this encampment was
called to meet at 10 O'clock. 1t is now
10:30, and do not propose to have those
comrades in the hall disturbed by late ar
rivals. Close the doors until after the
response to Commissioner Douglass's
welcome has been made, and l will not
talk until every comrade has taken his
seat" When this was done Gen. Palmer
delivered his address.
He said in part:
at is peculiarly appropriate that the
survivors of the Union armies should
gather again in the capital of the nation,
which, through four long years Of bloody
strife they defended at the peril of their
lives, and bring to our minds vividly the
name of that great man who, under the
providence of God, successfully guided
the affairs of the nation through the crisis
of its fate
''AlmOst within sound of my voice there
reposes in that beautiful spot on Airing
ton Heights, where the green sod lies
gently upon the breasts of the silent
sleepers, 10000 patriotic dead; it recalls
TO our minds the enormous price paid by
the American people for the preservation
of the nation. Four thousand graves are
marked with the saddest of all inscrip-
tions-unknown. We meet to-day with
the consolation that the nation was saved
and preserved by the valor of these men,
and we feel exalted by their achievements
and regenerated by their life's blood.
statement was made by Commander
Palmer, in regard to the differences eX-
isting in the departments of Louisiana
and Mississippi between the white and
colored posts, and his action in the mat
ter, which WIS taken, he said, without
either feeling, fear or prejudice. The
department has been reorganized, and
was represented to-day in the National
Encampment by full delegation.
In speaking of pensions, he declared
that the Disability bill of June 27, 1890,
was so munifcent in its scope that no ad-
ditional legislation was sought by the last
encampment.
The Pension Committee has endeavored
TO have corrected certain inequalities in
the ratings, which We're not commeasur-
ate with existing disabilities from which
many comrades are suffering
Commander Palmer stated that during
his official term he had visited twenty
five departments, attended numerous re-
unions and public gatherings, requiring
months Of time and labor, and had travelled
nearly 40, 900 miles in attending TO the
duties of his Office. Everywhere he had
found the greatest interest and enthusi-
Asm for the order.
1t was urged that the committee TO
protect the rights of war veterans to
Government employment in preference to
others be continued and that the q. A.
R. cordially support the project to have
the national school demonstration under
the direct patronage of the order at the
World Fair.