The Portland daily press., 1893-09-07

Entirely Devoted to Hoke Smiths
Arbitrary Performances.
Indianapolis, Ind, September 6.-The
officers and delegates of the National
Grand Army Encampment were COM
PEELED this morning to allow pleasure to
give way to business. The delegates were
slow in getting together, and it was not
until IL, an hour after the appointed
time, that they had appeared in sufficient
numbers to warrant Commander-in Chief
Weissert in declaring that the 27th an
nual encampment was formally opened.
Owing to the delay of several of the de-
partments in submitting their reports,
the commander-in-chief had been unable
to complete his annual address until
within an hour Of the opening OF the
proceedings, and it was therefore sub
mitted to the encampment in manuscript
instead of in the usual pamphlet form. =
Chief Weissert's adj
dress was devoted almost entirely pen
sions. The commander said that recently
scores of veterans, many suffering from
wounds or disease incurred while in the
service, had been cut off from the PEN
sion roll without first having proper
investigation. More recently, thousands
of worthy soldiers who, at large ex-
pense, have proved their cases to the
satisfaction to the pension bureau, have
had their pensions stopped upon one
pretext or another. The Grand Army
does not favor giving pensions to
those who deserted their country in it's
hour of need. Neither does it favor PEN
sions for bounty jumpers or shirks. But
neither does it favor any system that
permits those whose loyalty was ever
justly questioned to pass upon the merits
of veterans who served honorably in the
Union army, or which cancels the pay
ment of pension lawfully granted with
out first Investigating the case and per-
mitting the pensioner to be heard, which
should be done at the expense of the
government. No pension should be can
celled until the government has proved
it fraudulent or undeserving. Action
should at once be taken to secure the
reinstatement of all worthy veterans
who have been dropped or suspended
from the pension rolls.
This afternoon the following officers
were elected practically without opposi-
tion:
Commander-in-C -Chief-John j. Adams
of Massachusetts,.
Senior Vice Commander Colin Walker
of Indiana.
Junior Vice Commander. G.. G.
Bigger of Texas.
The new commander-in-chiefi is one of
the most popular veterans in New Eng
land He has been identified with the
Grand Army as one of the most active
and influential members of the depart
ment of Massachusetts. In 1861, before
he was twenty years of age, he enlistd
as a private in battalion which became
the nucleus of the Ninth Massachusetts,
Regiment He served through the war,
rising to the rank of captain. When not
disabled by wounds, he participated in
every march and every battle of the
Army of the Potomac, in which his regi-
ment took part. He is member of
Lander Post of Lynn, Mass. the second in
mem bership in the country. He has
been postmaster at Lynn and deputy
superintendent of the Concord refor--
matory. He is now sergeant-at-arms OF
the Commonwealth of Massachusetts,
Last year his friends presented his name
to the Republican convention for the
candidacy of lieutenant governor, and he
received a large vote. He will be 81 years
old in October
The report of Adjutant General Gray
showed that the order had gained Of, 368
during the year and lost by death, dis
charge and suspension, 59,025:. The
total membership in good standing is
367, 1923. During the year the order has
disbursed S$397, 600 in charity. The
Grant monument fund has balance on
hand of $4,000.
Gen, Harrison today was elected presi-
dent of his old regiment and made a
brief speech. Gov. Mckinley this after
noon addressed $500 Grand Army men
and their families at Armstrong Park.
The next encampment goes to Pitts