Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-07-04

tR IL, 1S94-TEN PAGE
| been deprived Of the whole or part Of what
| they are justly entitled to receive. by act
| of Congress-" he said. 1.-THE pension is now
made a vested right. have been doing my
best to find out what that does for the pen
| sioner. AS he is examined, re-exanined, re-
duced and dropped the same as before, l am
Unable to say what advantage the act is"
Commander Adams then urged the estab-
lishment of a permanent headquarters for
the Grand Army for the preservation of its
records.
He then called attention to the fact that
| the Grand Army is always Oh the side Of
| law and order and its members are still
| young enough to protect property and sup
port the constituted authorities In enforc-
| ing obedience to law.
| He concluded as follows: CAS- our numbers
| grow less may our love increase Be true
! to the principles of the order. Keep sacred
| the memory of our dead, stand Loyalty for
| the interests of the living, and above and
| beyond all see to 1t that the flag we love SO
well and followed 90 long is not tralled In
the dust Place it higher and higher until
| its stars mingle with those In the heavens
| and its stripes can be seen by all the world,
| telling that 1t Is the emblem of equal rights
and brighter by the loyalty and devotion Of
its defenders
Report of Officers.
The address was accompanied by detailed
| reports from all the national officers of the
organization.
| The report of James F. Mech, adjutant
| general, shows a decrease of AGO posts dur
| ing the past year. or at least the lack OF
| reports from that number of posts. The
| report then goes on to deal with the num-
| Der of deaths, after which it treats of the
| money expended In charity. According 10
| the figures given out there was expended
/ In this way for the six months ending De-
1 ,hor fhsa nf
| for the six months ending June 80, 1884.
s1O3, 294.9, a total for the year of $685.
1910.
The adjutant general points out that the
rules of the order should be lived up to. and
| says that il this were done there would be
| TO delinquent comrades. posts or depart
| ments.
| Following the usual custom the adjutant
| ings of the national council of administra-
| ton and the meeting Of the executive COM
| mittee of the council
| The inspector general says Of the posts
of the Grand Army organized in Honolulu
| that every member is In the army
of the republic of Hawaii. and that the
posts OF the order now own property valued
at sl,6lS, 797.5s. besides which they have
general funds aggregating s153. Col. 10. and
relief funds asgregating $449.0i5.5S
Unmarked Graves.
The chaplain -in-chief says in his report
that his experience of the year reveals
some very encouraging as well as some
very sad facts. That the general public are
taking NOR. and more interest in Memorial
day is very gratifying. but the fact that
| many Of our comrades sleep in unmarked
| graves, while not few are buried in pot
| ter's feld,.is indeed saddening. The twenty
| seven departments reporting give the fol-
| lowing statistics: Number of soldiers and
| sailors graves decorated by posts, 32,36S
| number of soldiers and sailors buried dur
| ing the year ending last Memorial day,
| 4,622; cemetery lots owned by posts ssS2
! number of soldiers and sailors buried In
potters field. 752; unmarked by proper
| head stones. 10.232; number of posts hold
| ing memorial. service, 2225; number OF
posts holding Memorial day exercises. 2,l32
| number of comrades who took part in the
| exercises, 1S2, l0j
| Reports Submitted.
The report of the committee on legislation
| after reciting that the G. A. r. endeavored
| to urge upon the Fffty-third Congress, at Its
| long session, the duty incumbent on this
| great nation to give preference in every
! p, bic employment to the survivors CT TIE
war for the Union by the enactment of a
law which would, though tardily. carry out
| the promises made these men in sections
1874 and 1855. Revised Statutes United
States, passed March 0, 1865. says:
But, alas. as the war days recede furtEer
| from the remembrance of the people Of the
| the sacrifices nd suffering Of those days
| are unknown except by tradition. to those
| who have since been bern, the greatest in
| dinererce seems to be shown on the part OF
| our national lawmakers toward those who
| fought the battles of the Union ami still
| survive. In consequence, but scant atten-
| don Is paid TO any appeals made for justice
to these men. And this will continue TO be
| so-and until toe late for our comrades TO
| profit thereby-unless we. as memb ars of the
| Grand Army of the Republic, become more
| closely united in a fraternity which means
something as - cardinal principle, and the
| motto of our order Is regarded as more than
| hGare OF speech among ourselves.
BESIDES this. there is great need that
| those charged with the lawmaking power I'm
| the national Congress snail attain a higher
| and broader patriotism than they now
| seem possessed OF. This can hardly be Won
| dered at when we reflect that men WHO
fought to destroy the Union now DONNA tie
| and control in both legislative branches of
| the national government"
Discriminating Against Veterans.
The committee further reports that there
is no law through which preference is given
the veteran, and every change in govern
mental administration has affected him in
public service TO his detriment
The committee recommends that the ma
tional encampnent direct the commander
in-chief elect to- promulgate either in gen.
eral orders or by circular, to the order the
text OF n. r., No. 82i. and urge upon the
| comrades to interview or write the Seua-
| tors from their several states and Repre-
scntativeS In Congress from their home dis
| trcts, urging favorable action upon the bill
at the second session of the Ftfty-third Con-
gress to meet December next.
i. Senior vice commander 1. NJ Walker in
| his report said
| Il have visited many of the encampments
| during the past year, and IL was especially
gratifying TO note the heartiness of wei
| come ana the fuiiness of hospitality with
! which the citizens OF the cities and towns
III which the encampments were held re-
ceived the veterans proving thus by word
and deed that the lamps of memory and
grtitude are still brightly burning among a
| loyal people
| Warm Welcome Everywhere
| Junior Vive Commander j. c. Bigger said
Il have visited the encampment of Texas.
New Mexico. Louisiana and Mississippi.
Alabama, Oklahoma, Indian territory and
Kansas and found everywhere that the boys
in blue are enthusiastic, wide awake and
| Jealous in the good cause
Judge Advocate General Leo Rassiur. in
| ms report, recommended some change in the
| form OF court-nlartial proceedings.
| surgeon General George r. Graham re-