The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1894-09-19
MARCH OF 10000 MEN.
Probably the Lest of the Great Grand
Army Parades.
WITNESSED BY A MULTITUDE.

Forty thousand men who fought to save
the Union marched through the cities of
Piitsburg and Allegheny on Tuesday.
The old familiar war tunes to which they
and their comrades rushed TO victory or
TO death filed the air and re-echoed back
from the surrounding hills.
This is probably the last time the veter-
ans will turn out IN such form. as it is
seriously contemplated by the q. 4. II.
officials, in view Of the advancing age and
infirmitics of the members, to abandon
this most attractive feature of the Nation
al Encampment. Therefore they propos-
ed to make the last parade a success and
tramped over the two miles of route with
the same determination that characterized
them when they marched against the
Southern armies.
A sensational incident occurred at the
reception given General ID. +. Siekles, by
the Third corps. The general spoke
sharply upon the pension policy of the
present Administration. He shielded
Congress and said that the responsibility
rested on the President and the head of
the department of the interior. He made
sarcastic comments on the treatment ac-
corded the veterans by Secretary Hoke
Smith. The latter he referred to as
Hokey.-
A portrait of President Cleveland was
Missed and then torn from an arch, at
Braddock, which had been erected by the
citizens in honor of the q. 4. X. There
was great deal of indignation showed at
the action of the councilmen in placing
the portrait among those of Washington,
Lincoln; Grant, Sherman, Sheridan and
Meade. Members of Major Harper's
post soon learned the cause of the trouble
and held a council on the sidewalk. II
was decided, unanimously, that Prcsi-
dent Cleveland's picture must be re-
moved. Some of the citizens took the
matter i'm hand and tore down the por-
trait.
The address of John G. Ii. Adams, the
commander-in-chief i'm the Grand Army
of the Republic, and the report of the
acknowledgement show, as was expected,
that the order has suffered loss in mem
bership during the past year, and that. ~
Commander Adams said, ii has reached
the beginning of the end.
a year ago there were 1929 members
in good standing of the Grand Army of
the Republic. on June 30, 1894, the total
membership had fallen to 3t9,0S3. OF the
"a. S05 suspensions and 1901 reported de-
linquents some may be regained, but not
many of the old soldiers nj this time of
life are likely to get on their financial feet
again. But if all of the suspended ones
did so they would not equal in number
the total loss of o., ,s0l recorded at the end
of the year. During the year death
claimed 7,2sI, I,756 were honorably dis
charged, 7,l32 were transferred and l5i
were dishonorably discharged. The com
mander-in-chief sadly declares that from
now on each successive year will show
gradual decrease and that il will he inn
possible to recruit the ranks hereafter as
rapidly as they will be reduced by death.
Nevertheless during the past year the
number of new members is surprisingly
large considering the long time which has
elapsed since the war. Sixteen thousand
seven hundred and fifty-two new recruits
were mustered in, 6.:s5I were added TO the
Grand Army 10y transfer, 1895 were re-
instated and 2.5l9 were restored from de
linquent reports. making a total gain for
the year of 39,65l against the total loss of
67,sOl.
After one Of the most heated contests in
the history of the order, Colonel Thomas
q. Lawler, OF Rockford, Illinois, was, on
Thursday afternoon, elected commander
in-chief of the Grand Army of the Re
public, defeating his only opponent, Col
onel Ivan y. Walker, of indianapolis, by
the narrow majority of ii in total vote
of 6I9
4 year from Monday the boys in blue,
crossing the Mason and Dixon's line for
the first time in the history of the order,
will fraternize with their opponents of the
sixties. 10y holding their national en-
campment at Louisville. Ky.
A resolution expressing sympathy To
the family of the late Comte de Paris was
unanimously adopted by a rising vote,
and letter of sympathy was also ordered
sent to Andrew g. Curtin, the venerable
war governor Of the State, and who W: $
unable 10 attend the eencampment, owing
To his serious illness.
The pension policy of the present adj
ministration was severely condemned.
The report of the committee on pensions
which was unanimously adopted, il a
scathing Indictment of tine disloyal and
yindictive course adopted by the Cleve-
land administration and the majority in
Congress toward the veterans. Among
other things il says:
ave feel compelled to say that there is
evidently, on the part of both the admin
istrative and legislative departments, a
feeling of hostility To our worthy and
suffering comrades, the wards of the ma
ton, who bore the heat and the burden of
the battle-a feeling which certainly
should not exist in a country saved by
their devotion.
We ale confident that the loyal senti-
ment of the country will condemn a poll
cy that attempts to recuperate the public
treasury at the expense largely of the
slender purses of our disabled heroes,
widows and orphans