The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1895-09-13
rErnRANS Ar LouIsVILLE.
Business Sessions of the EncamPmen
Begin Amidst Very Hot Weather.

ment of the G. A, r, assembled this
morning in Music hall, which had been
handsomely decorated with the national
colors and the official flags of the organ
izat!ons.
Promptly at 10 o'clock Commander
in-Chief Lawler called the encampment
to order and Mayor Tyler and State
Commander Kelly were presented to ex-
tend greetings to the delegates on behalt
of the city and the Kentucky Grand
Army department.
Then, amid a scene Of wild enthu-
slasm, the delegates rising en- masse
and cheering and waving hats, Henry
Watterson, whose Grafton at Pittsbure
last year brought the encampment TO
Louisville, was escorted to the foot
lights and addressed the grand en-
campment in a speech full OF patriotism
and good taste.
The annual convention of the ladies'
of the G.. A. r. was called to order at
the board of trade at 1880 by the ma
tional president, Nettie Ganlock of Chi
cago. The morning session was occu-
pied with routine business.
The heat to-day equals that of yes
terday, when street thermometers rang
ed from 95 to 105 in the shade. This
mornings record was so at a. m.
THE COMMANDERS ADDRESS.
The commandment chief in his adj
dress said that during the year he had
travelled $4,000 miles in the interest OF
the organization, that he had attended
thirty-eight out of forty-five annual de
partment encampments and had at
tended meetings in every state and ter
ritory in the United States save two
Florida and Arizona. Veneration and
esteem for the comrades and love for
the "old flag" was manifested every
where, and especially through the beau
| tiful southland from nearly every
| schoolhouse and public building in the
cities where the department encamp-
ment were held "Old Glory" was fly
ing.
On the subject of pensions, the COM
mander- in-chief said:
1--WE all know that all the legisla-
ton enacted by congress in the inter-
est of the old soldier has been brought
about by or through the influence of
this great, powerful organization-the
Grand Army of the Republic-and those
of us who are more fortunate physi-
cally than others propose to keep it up
just as long as we live. And while we
are not asking for any new pension
legislation, we do ask and insist that
when a law is passed by congress that
it's provisions as intended by them
shall be carried out and not miscon-
strued and misapplied by any man or
set of men of any party who may
be in power am not a lawyer, but
/ know the verdict Of any court of loyal
men would be that after man has
furnished the proofs and has been
granted pension, that pension cannot
be takenNaway from him without due
process of law. / know that thing is
being. done, however, all over the land
for I have seen the evidence of it in
every department in which have been
l-pensions reduced from $12 to So, and
from So to Sc, and many cut off en-
tirely. Then again, man who ap-
piled for a pension two or three years
ago will receive a notice that his claim
is rejected then notified that his notice
is reopened and allowed, but only from
the time of reopening, thus cheating a
worthy man out Of $500 or so. Many
of our comrades thus dealt with are
not able to bring suit to test the con-
stitutionality of this sort of ruling OF
a pension commissioner. / would
therefore, recommend that the incorfl-
ing council of administration be en-
powered to select the case and prose
cute the same.
1t has been the custom of encamp-
ments to appoint committee to pre-.
pare some testimonial for the retiring
ommander-in-chief. | recommend
that no such committee be appointed
this year, but that this money be used
in making a test case as to the con.
stitutionality of the act of June 81
1890
The speaker next touched upon Mem
orial day and recommended that the in
coming commander-in-chief appoint
committee of three to urge congress t.
include in the appropriation for the carr
of national cemeteries a sum sufficien
, to defray the expenses of holding Mem
orial day services at each of the south
ern cemeteries. He said the day SHOULD
not be made one of pleasure and recraa
tion.
, Praise was bestowed by the com
mander-in-chief upon the Women's Re
lief corps.
He urged all posts to appoint
special committee on reinstatement
to call on every suspended conrad
, and settle with him in some way an,
get him back into our ranks. In man,
departments he heard, he said, the del
egates talking about establishing pick
ct posts and believing that consolida
tion of many of the smaller posts mus
soon take place, recommended that tn
! committee on rules and regulations b
instructed to prepare plan of organ
ization and report the same to the mex
t Irrational encanpment, by which thi
! question of consolidation and the estab
lishment of picket posts may be uniform
< and in accordance with rules and regu
= lations.
There is one other subject" said tn
speaker, that deserves a reference. O
my first visit to- Washington, D. G
. (when I did not see the presidenD m
/, ear was panied as 1 listened to the re
cital of the sufferings of our comrades
/ and widows and orphans of our lat
e comrades, caused by their dismisss
I from the departments, and their belle
e in the power of our great organizatio