Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-19
SECRETARY HOKE SMITH SCORED.

4soSOAosOno NSuosuCh Gu ny Ine F0nn8yIvon1o
@. A. Il. Encampmeut.
At yesterdays business meeting Of the De-
partment Of Pennsylvania, G. A r., at Gettys-
burg, the administration Of the Interior De-
partment was warmly criticised.
Department Commander Thomas NJ. Sample
said that from personal visits to various points
throughout the state he was able to assure the
comrades that the Department Of Pennsylvania
WAS still marching forward in such . manner as
to win words Of commentator for the old
soldiers. In regard to the pension question the
commander said:
Efforts are being made to slur the remnant
Of the Union armies by applying to them OPP
probrious epithets, claiming that the pension
rolls Of the government are filed with men who
are not legally entitled TO be there. Daily we
hear Of decrepid comrades being suspended
from the roll by commission unauth orized by
law and without even according to the PEN
sioners the privilege that is granted the worst
convict In the land Of being heard in his own de-
Tense. The Grand Army, as I understand 1t,
does not desire that men not entitled 70 pen
sions shall receive them, but we certainly must
denounce ~ unpatriotic and unamerican this
Wholesale denunciation Of those who by the
laws Of the country have been granted pensions.
III those who have nothing but adverse
criticism for the soldiers and sailors know OF
illegal pensions being drawn they should be
men enough to make affidavit TO that fact and
forward the same to the department at WASH
ington, and not ask Grand Army men to de-
grade themselves by becoming spies and in
formers. This Is question that can and
should be discussed by comrades in their post
meetings. It is not question Of par tisan poll
tics, but II one in which all are interested, for
it concerns not only the living comrades, bu,
the families of those left to our care and pro-
fArtion puhlish raaoueiooa of rbav
ter, but let 1t all he done In a legal way and
have the result Of your action for the meeting
Of International enoampment in September.
A set Of resolutions was then presented. In
accordance with the rec concentrations Of the
department commander they were not adopted
but were ordered referred to the delegates from
Pennsylvania to the next national encampment
at indianapolis.
The resolutions declare that, as dispatches
from the Department Of the Interior and pen.
sion bureau are sent out stating the number oil
pensioners suspended, leaving the impression
that the members 80 suspended are frauds; al
the G. A. r. realizing the disadvantage they
labor under in being placed at the mercy Of q
man who as Secretary Of the Interior can strike
in detail the soldier he was too young 10 fight
IN the days Of war, and knowing the comrades
whose pensions have been suspended are honor
able comrades to whom honorable discharges
have been granted:
1--WE demand that halt be called upon tn,
infamous and cowardly onslaught that is beine
made upon the surviving Union soldiers, ar
onslaught that 10 infamous in that it condemns
a soldier as guilty and compeis him for the sec
ond time to prove his innocence and standing
rs q soldier, an onslaught that 10 cowardly il
that the strong arm Of the government is uset
to strike the soldier down in detail. Standing
here amid the monuments Of Gettysburg. wher,
the nation was saved, where money has beer
poured out with lavish hands to commemorat,
the deeds Of our heroic dead, we demand tha
the calumny that is urged against our living
comrades shall cease, and we require our de
partment commander and our comrades every
where to take such action as will vindicate the
soldier, even il 1t should bring the Secretary o
the Interior. the Hon. Hoke Smith, to shame
and that Pension Commissioner Lochren, gal
liant Union soldier, should realize the position
in which he is placed and tender his resignation
rather than take further orders from one who's
sole desire seems to be to strike the Unto,
soldier down"
Tho Trolley Lines.
Resolutions were adopted expressing the con
| viction that the government should acquir
possession Of the battlefield and establish
national park. Any change Of the salient topo
graphical features Of the field by speculativ
operations (the trolley lines) was deprecated.