The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-03-23
AROUND THE CAMP FIRE.
Sixteenth Encampment Michigan
Veterans Most Successful
in its History.
FOURTEEN HUNDRED VISITORS
HEAR THE FINEST SPEECHES
OF A LIFETIME.

| LOchren cIassed with
Traitors--TerribIe Denunciati0n
of Cleveland and his Cabinet.
Woman's Relief Corps Becoming Powerfu
Ally for dood-Four Hundred Visiting
Ladies-Their Most Harmonious
and Satisfactory Meeting.
The sixteenth annual encampment of the
Grand Army of the Republic, Department
of Michigan, opened at the armory at IL
o'clock Tuesday forenoon with the usual
ritualstic ceremonies and prayer by Dept.
Chaplain Charles w. Gardner, of Newaygo.
Over 600 delegates were present at this
session aud the visitors and resident mem
the city to about 1850. Past Dept. Com
mander Dean, of Ann Arbor, on behalf of
Quackenbush Post presented gavel to Com
mander Kidd, which was made from an oak
tree taken from the battlefield of Chicka-
mauga, which contained rebel bullet.
At roll call the following officers respond
ed to their names: Department Command
er James H. Kidd, of Ionia; Senior Vice
Commander l.. M. Ward, of Benton Harbor;
Medical Director w. f. Best, of North
Branch; j. Y. Dept. Com. E. G. Anthony,
of Negaunee; Dept Chaplain c. w. Gard
ner, of Newaygo; Assistant Adj. Gen. j. j.
Phelps, of Ionia; Assistant Q. M. Gen. C.
A. Cornell, of Ionia Inspector, Z. M. Allen,
of Portland; Chief of Staff, II. w. Jacklin,
of Detroit; Judge Advocate, S. B. Daboll,
of st. Johns; Chief Mastering Officer. E. L..
Negus, of Chelsea; Senior Alde-de- Camp,
j. G. Smith, of Grand Rapids.
Senior Vice-Commander Ward, of Benton
Harbor, took the chair and the commander
read his report from which we take the fol-
lowing: 'Our pension roll is roll of hon
or. If any unworthy names have been
placed thereon it has not been done with
the conRivance of the Grand Army of the
Republic. 1t is the wish and the duty of this
order to assist in the wedding out of frauds
our duty as an organization to resist the inn
putation from whatever source it may come
that frauds in pension claims are the rule
and not the rare exception, and it is our
duty to see that the rights of pensioners un-
der our laws are defended whenever assail-
ed. That a pension is a vested right is now
a pretty well established legal proposition,
and the firm attitude of the last national en-
campment has had much to do with bring
ing about speedy recognition of that fact.
A debt of gratitude is due by the comrades
of Michigan, and in deed of the entire
country, to our own beloved comrade, Past
Department Commander Charles ID. Long
for consenting to become vicarioLs sacri-
flee in order that principal may be estab-
lished In which every pensioner is person
ally interested (Applause) The men who
put down the rebellion are nothing if they
are not loyal To their loyalty is the SUI
preme duty of citizen, and citizenship is
the highest privilege of the soldier. Their
patriotism is broader than party and Is
bounded by no sectional lines, They would
respond as promptly to the call of Grover
Cleveland should treason again jeopardize
the existence of the nation, as they did to
that of Abraham Lincoln In 1861. ZAP
plause.) The Grand Army of the Republic
is made up of the organized representatives
of those patriots, and when these patriots
became pensioners the grand army appears
as their attorney in fact to demand that they
be protected In their rights as American
citizens. They are parties of the second
part, and all we ask is that the party of the
first part in the contract carry out in good
faith and without quibbing, its stipulations.
That, at least, IL it cannot continue to bless
them as patriots, it shall not brand them as
frauds. Great applause.)
1.-THE recent ruling Of the pension depart
ment renstating suspended pensioners to
the rolls is extremely gratifying to every
friend of justice to the soldier. It is good
thing for the pensioner to feel that public
sentiment has come to acquit him of being a
fraud and that the pension roll is rather
more roll OF honor than it was at this time
last year."
Referring to the w. r. c., Colonel Kidd
said; This valuable auxiliary of the Grand
Army in this state is in most fiourishng
condition both as to membership and effec-
tive usefulness. l cannot commend 1t too
highly to the favorable and grateful consid-
Grafton Of the comrades throughout the de-
partment'
II believe the time will soon come," he
said, 'if It has not already arrived, when
steps should be taken to bring the Sons Of
Veterans into closer touch with their veteran