The record-union., 1894-09-13
Opening of the Business Session
of the G. A. R. Encampment.
LOUISVILLE SELECTED AS THE NEXT
MEETING PLACE.
The Report of the Chief
Shows a Decided Falling Off In
Membership. Due to Death, Since
the Preceding Encampment - The
To-Day.
Special to the REcoRD-UN1oN.

Special to the RECORD UNION.
PITTsBURG, Sept. II. - While 200, 600
persons have left the city since yesterday,
there are still 100000 strangers in town.
The National Encampment of the G..
A. r. opened this morning in the new
Grand Opera-house. The delegates were
welcomed on behalf of the Citizens Ex-
ecutive Board by Chairman Daniel c..
Ripley and w. c. Quincy. Governor
Pattison welcomed them on behalf of the
State. Mayor McKenna of Pittsburg and
Mayor Kennedy of Allegheny on behalf
OF the citizens.
The election of Commander-in-C Chief
will not be held until tomorrow. Since
the withdrawal of Judge Charles D. Long
of Michigan the opinion is rapidly grow
ing that Colonel l. n. Walker of Indiana
will secure the coveted honor.
The Woman's Relief Corps, Ladies of
the G. A. Il. and Daughters of Veterans
are also holding conventions.
The staff OF Captain Jack Adams, the
retiring Commander-in-C Chief. presented
him and his wife last night with diamond
souvenirs, and Mrs. Adams was honored
the staff. She is the second woman to re-
ceive such compliment, the wife of
General Alger being the tirst.
The annual reports of the national Off.
GERS were read. Commander-in-Ch Chief
Adams reported the total membership to
be 369, ,034, against 397, ,223 one year ago.
Eacn succeeding year, he said, Will show
decrease. The interest in the order,
however, has grown stronger. When the
last comrade Is mustered out the Grand
Army OF the Republic should cease to
exist, but the Sons of Veterans should
carry on its work. The pension depart
ment of the order had investigated all the
| cases of alleged pension frauds. Very few
frauds were discovered, and they were
| the work of dishonest agents. Adams
complained that the Pension Office, in
violation of the intended liberality of the
Act of June u, 1890, rejected every claim
about which there was the slightest
doubt.
The Committee on Legislation reported
that 1.-The greatest indifference seems TO
be shown on the part of our national law
makers" toward the veterans and urged
the Grand Army of the Republic MEM
berS to use their influence with their
Senators and Representatives to give
preference in every public employment
| TO survivors of the war.
Major A. p. Burchtield on behalf of
lu6 ClIlZ6DS, pICSSnlSu II16
in-Chief with a gavel made from woods
from Fort Sumter, Appomatox, Gettys-
burg and Libby Prison, and bound with
metal from historic cannon.
A reception was given to General Dam
iel e. Sickels by the members of his old
corps-the Third.
General Charles II. L. Collins of New
York, in a brief speech, said it was
the duty of old soldiers and sailors to
conserve the safety of the nation, and
they should train their sons to carry on
the work. Then he referred to the al
legged armor-plate frauds and insisted
that the investigation should not be al
lowed TO drop, and if the authorities failed
to act the veterans should take such ac-
ton at the next election as would remove
the delinquent officials and put more
jealous and patriotic men in their places.
General Collins presented the matter in
the form of a resolution, but it was de-
clared out of order.
The last parade of the encampment oc-
Cured this afternoon, when the Union
eX-prisoners Of war turned out 10000
strong, every State in the Union having
one or more representatives in the ranks.
j ohm III. Hancock was Marshal
When the question OF the selection of
the next meeting-place of the national
encampment was brought up, Henry
Watterson was introduced to the dele
2dJ6S duu, III tu6 ClalInS OF
! Louisville, he said: Il have come with a
message from your countrymen who
| dwell in what was once on the other side
of the line, but whose hearts beat in
ready response to your hearts, and who
| bid me tell you that they want to see
| you. Candor compels me to say that
there was time when they did not want
| to see you. There was time when with
| out any invitation whatever, either writ
| ten or verbal, without SO much as an in
| timation of hospitality, you insisted
upon giving US the honor Of your COM
! pany, and, as it turned out when we
we were but ill-prepared to receive you.
| Now that we are prepared now that the
| LID is off the pot, and that the latch string
hangs outside the door, you should not
refuse us the happiness of entertaining
| you, not with bloody hands to hospitable
| graves, but as friends and brothers fell
| low-citiZens who have learned to value
| one another amid scenes that left no time
for equivocation and transactions apply
ing to human virtues the very highest
test.'
Louisville was unanimously selected as
the place for the meeting of the next
| encampment.
Mrs. General Custer sent to the ma
tional encampment for use during the
present session the table upon which
General Lee signed the articles of capitu-
ldllODs uG kdUt6 WAS OElgludLlY Tile
property of General Sheridan, bnt he
| gave it to General Custer.F
POLITICAL SITUATION MIXED.
The political situation of the G. A. r.
| is very much mixed. The friends OF
each of the candidates for Commander
in-Chief claim to have enough votes
| pledged TO elect their man, and have
| organized campaign committees which
are hard at work. No point is left un-
| covered. AS there are but two candi-
dates, the canvass is all the more yigdr-
Gus. This evening the Walker men re-
vised their returns, and claimed that they
| had a majority OF l2S. They say they
| have Maine, Montana, Indiana, Pennsyl-
vania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Della
ware. Ohio, all but three, half OF Michi-
gan, all OF Nebraska, kentucky, WASH
ington, Alaska, California, the Depart
ment of the Potomac. Mississippi, Louis
ana, Texas and the majority of Wiscon-
sin. IL their claims are true, Walkers
election is certain, but the Lawler peo-
pie claim to be able to beat him out with
New York solid, New Jersey all but
two or three. Maryland practically solid
New Hampshire, Illinois, Iowa, Minne-
sofa, North and South Dakota, Washing
ton, Oregon and Montana. Wisconsin
voted Is to II in favor of Lawlor, but
unit vote may be forced, given it to him.
Lawlor claims the majority OF Michigan
all of Connecticut, Vermont, Rhode Is
land, District of Columbia, little less
than half of Ohio, all of Kansas, Florida
and probably half of California.
In the Pennsylvania caucus Walker
got II to Al for Lawlor. The Lawlorites
think they can force the unit rule.
On account of these conflicting claims
the final vote will be required to settle
the matter.