Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1894-09-13
G.. A. R. IN COUNCIL.
Col. Ainsworth at Washington
Not Well Liked.
TWO RESOLUTIONS AIMED AT HIN.


Sod Fact-The Grand Army IL Slowly
Passing Aw.y-Legtsiative Committes's
Report-Louisville Selected for the Next
Encampment - The Struggle for the
Commander-in-Chiers Gavel.
PITTsBURG. Sept. la-Among the reso-
buttons prepared for general action of the
encampment which is now in session ara
two that are exciting considerable inter-
est. The frs; Of these has been drawn by
Cap tain Thomas Mckee, secretary of the
national Republican congressional CON-
mittee Of Washington, who is not himself
present, but entrusts the resolution to
Comrade I. L Burke. Of Washington.
This resolution is about twenty lines in
length and demands An investigation in
the system of reporting upon applications
OF pensions as pursued in the record and
pension bureau under the management of
Colonel Ainsworth, its official head. An
other paragraph in the resolution de-
mands that Colonel Ainsworth be him
self Investigated on allegations that he
caused the dismissal of ex-Union workers
for cause other than provided for in the
statutes defining the rights of veterans to
SAhP~oy Nhc
Gives Names of the SoldierA
The other resolution covers the whole
system OF reporting upon aud granting
pensions, and charges that graves NAL.
practices exist in connection with the con-
duct of the record and pension bureau of
Colonel +. {. Ainswor:h is the official
head. This resolution has attached to il
the names OF three members of the Wash
ington post. Appended to it is a list of
names of thirty-two ex-Union soldiers, all
Of whom, the resolution charges, were dis
missed from the service of the bureau,
some of them to make way for ex-rebel
soldiers and others; all of these men be-
ing at the same time perfectly abb e to do
| the duty they were relieved from.
Roll of Veterans Decreasing,
One thing marked the commander
in-chief's address-which was the first
thing in order when the delegates to the
| national encampment met-atter the usual
welcomes and responses and a diversion
! in the way of q gavel presentation to Com
mander-in-Chief Adams 1t is historical
gift, being made of wood from Fort sum.
ter, Appomattox, Gettysburg and Libby
prison and bound with metal from historic
cannous- That one thing was the fact
| that the Grand Army was diminishing.
That from this time the death rate will be
larger than the new admission roll. The
reports of all the other Off GERS found the
order in good shape and no trouble in the
| ranks.
Losses, Gains, and Aggregate.
A year ago, the oommander-in-chief told
the delegates there were 391, 2223 in the
order; now there are but 800, OS3. The
ht,1 of a a
due to the hard times, but the great total
OF ,2sS deaths tells Of the inevitable, and
| the commanderin-ehief recognized it, say
| ing that the figures showed that the begin
ming of the end had been reached. He said
OF the pension questions: by n vote Of the
last enoampment test case was ordered
to be made in the United States courts.
and as that one already begun by Judge
Long covered all the points it was settled
that no other should be instituted. In
reply to the message of the president,
which stated that thousands of neighbor-
hoods had their pension frauds the pen
sion department of the order has hunted
down AL reported cases. Very few frauds
were discovered, and when found were hot
| cases where soldiers had defrauded the
government, but where some dishonest
| agent had worked poor ignorant widow
and put the money thus obtained in his
pocket"
Permanent Headquarters.
Commander Adams recommends the es-
! Enlistment of permanent headquarters,
and concluded as follows: "As our mem
bers grow less may our love increase. Be
true 10 the principles Of the order. Keep
sacred the memory of our dead, stand 10y
ally for the interests of the living, and
| above and beyond all see to it that the flag
we love SO well and followed SO long is not
trailed 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 it is the en-
blem of equal rights and national unity,
saved and made purer and brighter by the
loyalty and devotion of its defenders