Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1894-02-20
u MON VETERANS
Encampment of the Department Of
the Potomac, G.. A. R.
COMMANDER FAUNCE'S ANNUAL REPORT
Enthusiastic Reception of Com
mander-in-chief J. G. B. Adams.
BANQUET AT THE WORMLEY

The Department of the Potomac G. A. r..
held its twenty-sixth annual encampment
at Grand Army Hall last evening. There
was good attendance all the local posts
being we'll represented Col 8. E. Faunce.
| department commander presided. The ses-
sion lasted from to 0 o'clock and was de-
voted principally to the nomination of off,
GERS for the ensuing year. The nomina-
| tons were as follows:
| Department commander-N. H. Bickford
of Post No. g.
| Senior vice department commander-Abra-
ham Hart of Post No. 2 and NJ. T. Ander-
son Of Post No. g.
| Junior vice department commander-E. ].
Sweet Of Post No. 20. J. H. Hewlett of Post
No. II. and Theophilus Fitzgerald of Post
| No. Is.
Medical director-Robert Reyburn of Post
NO. l, J. +. r. Appleby of Post No 49, and
"A. 4. johnson OF Post No. 3.
Chaplain-H. s. Stevens of Post No. 8, j.
d. smith of Post No. ii. and w. H. Got
valid of Post No. 8.
civil administration Galloway, G. H.
F'urch, c. L. Bundick. B. F. Chase and
| John w. Freeman.
Representatives to the national encamp-
ment Qour TO be elected)-J. NJ. Keogh. NJ.
middleton, {. f. Garrett, Arthur Coins, L.
n senior Green Clay Smith, Joseph w.
kirkley and J. Madison Cults
| Consideration TO Veterans.
| During the course of the discussion over
the nominations the chair incidentally re-
marked that ali but one of the twenty
! post commanders had signed a petition to
President Cleveland asking that considera-
ton be shown to veterans of the war in the
making of official changes incident TO the
political change in the adminstra ton. This
remark brought MIR. ii. Ii. Moler to his feet
| with the statement that he was the one
who had refused TO sign the paper in ques-
| ton, and he added that he was prepared
TO JUSTIFY his action whenever called upon
/ TO do SO. He was not called on to explain
| himself. however, and the matter was al
lowed to drop.
| Commander Faunce's Report.
Department Commander Faunce submit
ted his annual report to the encampment,
in which he reviewed at length the opera
| tons of the past year. In regard to the
condition of the department he said: Com
mencing the year with a membership in
good standing of 1881 and 152 remaining
suspended or a total of 4,iu6, it closes with
a membership in good standing of j. $50 and
23t remaining suspended, or a total of $685.:
In other words, there has been net loss
! of 2O4, or about 2-l0 per cent Post Ne.
| has had the greatest loss in membership
| (iS), but Post No. has had the greatest
| loss per cent CD. Post No. has made
| the greatest gain in membership (3O, but
| Post No. ~ has had the greatest gain per
| cent G3).
| Effect of the National Encampment.
During the year 1892 our department had
an abnormal growth. when it made a gain
| of AGA in membership, or 10 L. per cent
| caused by vigorous recruiting, owing prin-
/ cipaiiy to the meeting of the national en-
campment in this city There is no doubt
! that our department, indeed the organiza-
! reached hA irh do # ft
numerical prosperity in 1872. Since then
! there mas been a falling off in member
/ ship. OF the forty-five departments twenty
! two met with losses as shown by the June
/ 80 returns. So far as our department is
concerned the causes are quite apparent.
/ First, the resources for recruiting are
diminishing; second. posts have very prop
| erly cleared their rolls of members who,
while able to pay their dues, would not do
! 50; third, the death rate is increasing each
/ year. and, fourth. the encouragement aris-
| ing from the discharge OF many of our
| comrades from the government service, to-
| gether with the unwise rulings relative to
| pensions. The feeling is quite prevalent
among the comrades that the old soldier
has not been in ii to n very great extent
this year. 1t has been and is quite appar-
ent that the trials and sacrifices of the boys
| in blue are not alarmingly recommendatory
either for appointment or retention.
As to Federal Appointments.
I'VE are getting old, it is true. but thou
sands are hale and hearty yet, and can do
a full days work with as much energy and
devotion as younger men. and as long as
they can the policy of all administrations
should be to keep them in if they are in
and appoint them to vacancies as they oc-
cur. If the law for appoin tment to and re-
tention in office of ex-Union soldiers now
/ in force in New York was adopted by the
general government there would be no more
! discharging of them on each recurring ad-
ministraton. My political sentiments are
well known to all of you. but ] believe II
matters not what political party may be
| on top the old soldier, whatever he his po-
lticai affiliations, should be preferred for
| these positions"
| Reception of Gen. j. G. II. Adams.
| The event of the evening, however, was
the reception of Gen. ]. c. B. Adams. COM
mander-in-chief of the Grand Army of
the Republic now on a brief visit to this
city. He visited the encampment about 5
| O'Clock and got an enthusiastic welcome
from his old comrades at arms. The Old
| Guard under Capt Edgar headed by the
| Mt Pleasant Drum Corps. escorted him
| from his hotel to Grand Army Hall, and
the staff of the department commander
| escorted him to the stage amid the cheer
| ing of the old soldiers. He recognized the
| compliment in a few feltcitous remarks
He said he did not propose to make
speech to them, and desired only to assure
them of his appreciation OF their Jealous
/
enlisted. He could see that they were all
orators. and he felt sure that they COM
| nared fayorably in intelligence and ability
with the men at the other end of the avenue
| He was confident at any rate, he said, that
| they did their work well. he thought
| that If some of the members sat in the
Capitol they would legislate more promptly
for the old soldier and more to the satisflc-
ton of the people. These remarks We're re-
| ceived with much applause.
r,,,., I'm ssrfriOttsm
He dwelt also upon the lesson in patriot
ism that 1t was incumbent upon the
! Grand Army to teach, of which the chief
was loyalty to the flag. The veterans
would soon fall out and the sons would
| take their places. They should teach the
doctrine that no flag but the flag of the
| Union could be allowed to float from any
staff within our borders. A lesson must
be taught to the emigrants, and he wished
to be on record as saying it, that there
| should be no Irish party, no Scandina-
Wan party no German party and no British
/ party, No green, no black and white.
no tri-color should be permitted at all to
! take the place of the national emblem.
On all occasions ana everywhere there
should be no banner bat the red, white and
| blue.
The Banquet ut The WOrmley.
The meeting was followed by a most
| ha Low LOTT