The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-09-14
SOUNDS OF REvELRY BY NIGHT.
.GRAND FAREWELL FUNCTION OF
THE LOUISVILLE ENCAMPMENT.


Form in the Grand March, the q.
A. Il. Encampmeht of '05 Passed
Into History-DistinEuis GEN
erals of the blue and Gray with
Ladies' Give a Reception to officials
and characterization of the En-
campment on Pensions and other
Matters.
Louisville, Ky, Sept. 1S.-At 10 o'clock
tonight. when the bugle was sounded
for the grand march of one of the most
brilliant balls ever given in the south,
the Grand Army encampment of '95 passed
into history.
Eight thousand of the leading citizens
of Louisville and visitors from abroad
participated in the function, and the ar
ray of beautiful faces and gorgeous toilets
combined to create an enhancing scene.
Col. Lawler and Mrs. John A. Logan ana
ex-Gov. Simon Buckner and Mrs. Wallace
Of Chicago gave reception to the en-
campment officials and delegates while
the festivities We're in progress.
The exodus of visitors was on in earn
est all day, but tens of thousands whose
faces are turned toward Chattanooga
and Chickamauga win remain over until
Saturday and Sunday,
In every respect the encampment has
been an overwhelming success. When
the delegates reassembled to-day several
hundred failed to respond to the roll can
and the absentees were roundly scored
by Col. Lawler, who objected TO the drudg-
cry of the work being left for a few
The report of the committee on pen
sions. composed of one representative
from each state and territory, was lis
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it was as follows:
The Grand Army of the Republic, in
national encampment convened, speaking
not Of its own behalf nor in anywise for
its own interests, but for its worthy
need and suffering comrades, who. in the
days of their youth, gave to their dis
tressed country all that they had and all
that they held dear. in order that the un-
ion might be preserved intact, and that
the sunlight of liberty might shine un-
dimmed throughout the whole land they
loved. in all its parts, appealing to the
whole people for justice, solemnly protests
against a policy which would deprive, di-
minish or impair the liberal provision
made during the past thirty years for the
man who had borne the battle, and for
his widow and orphans.
I'm recognition Of the sacred trust inn
posed upon them by the immortal Lin
coin and the unselfsh service rendered,
a
of a century to meastrabiy relieve the
suffering Of its distressed veterans, and
make recompense for the trials they had
endured and the services they had rem
dered
wise and liberal construction had pre-
vailed, in accordance with recognized
legal principles, applicable to remedial
legislation, so that the remedy sought to
be provided should be furnished, and the
trust so imposed and recognized fully and
faithfully carried out, but as the years
have passed, and the smoke of battle has
blown way and the war itself become
memory and passed into history. a genera
and in some quarters the old soldier has
come to be looked upon somewhat in the
thelight of a burden instead of a great and
patriotic privilege, as he should still ap>
pear when viewed in his true character.
Referring to this view-a view wholly
unworthy of a great and patriotic people
constructions have been given to laws
wise and just in themselves-by and under
which burdens and res trictions have been
imposed upon those i'll able TO stand up
under them and the just provisions au-
thorized have been grudgingly doled out
as though laws passed in the interests
of the pioneer as just recognition of the
obligations of the country where criminal
laws to be strictly construed and the
beneficiaries therof were public enemies
or parasites, seeking unjust admission to
the treasury of the United States.
THE representatives of the people in
congress assembled, recognizing the deep
sentiment of gratitude which justly per-
vades the entire community when re-
moved from the insolence of office, sol
emnly declared by legislation that a pen
sion once granted upon acceptable and
accepted evidence, constituted a vested
right of which the possessor could not be
4.
and we insist that this salutary and pa
triotic provision shall be carried out
with the utmost good faith, to correspnd
with the high character of the obligation
recognized as owing
"Receding from no position heretofore
taken. reafhrming all our previous declar-
ations on the subject, we especially de-
mand a liberal and just construction of
the laws passed for the benefit of the
pensioner, to the end that his declining
years may not be harassed with doubts
born of distrust, or the difficulties thrown
around him by a rigorous and restricted
construction of laws passed in the ef-
fort to relieve his necessities.
Comrade Semple. of Pennsylvania, de-
clared that the report did not go far
enough. The encampment should demand
the restoration of every veteran dropped
from the rolls with the payment to him of
every dollar of which he had been unlaw-
Iully deprived InlS sentiment was cneer-
ed. but the report was unanimously
adopted.
There was a spirited debate over a res
olution submitted by the department of
the Potomac, praying congress to pass a
law imposing a penalty for violation of
the veterans pension law. The committee
reported against the resolution.
A ballot was demanded and the commit
tee was defeated, the resolution being
adopted by a large majority. A batch of
resolutions went through with little dis
cussion. One declared against civil service
determinations against veterans on ac-
count of age, another favored an increase
of the present pensions allowed to the
widows Of ex-soldiers ad sailors to the
uniform figure of $12 dollars, stilI another
condemned the violation of Section l. .754.
Revised Statutes. by the removal of vet
Grams in government employ
The proposal TO establish a military
park at Vicksburg was approved and also
a resolution declaring that the stars and
stripes should float from every school
house.
The encampment voted in favor of
celebration Of the organization Of the
Grand Army. A resolution demanding an
amendment to the interstate commerce
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