The morning times., 1896-02-25
BEGAN WITH 4 BANQUET
Potomac Department C0nvenes
in Annual Session.
OFFICERS WERE NOMINATED
Com mander;in-Chief Walker Was the
Guest of Honor and Made a Happy
Speech-Much Business Before the
Body-Woman's Relief Corps Also
Meets.

The Department OF the Potomac G.. a.
r., last night had with them, on the occiI-
sion of the annual meeting for the nomina-
tion OF officers, Commander in-Chief /. n
Walker OF indianapolis
The business OF nominating candidates
for the various offices was gone through
with as expeditousy as possible for there
was TO follow banquet 10 the commander
in-chief at the Ebbitt House
The Department. Of he Potomac is the
Capitalization OF the nineteen G A. K.
posts of the District OF Columbia. Each
Of these posts sends delegates TO the de-
partment meeting, as well as fifteen
members, the official staff and I ne nineteen
post commanders having voting privileges.
Any G. A. K. man having the password
can be admitted to the meetings.
Last night there were 300 people present
who had come 10 hear Gen. Walker speak.
They heard him, but not for long. Hesimply
said he was glad to be with hem ana that
further speech making on his part would he
reserved to the postpraBdial effort for
which he was billed
NOMINATIONS MADE.
without much delay the following were
put in nomination for the various offices,
the election O takep pla ce on Wednesday ynight.
But one count will be made, that for com
nlander:
For commander, j. W McElroy and j.
II. Hewlett; for senior vice commander,
II. Hewlett: for senior vice commander,
A j. Huntoon; for Junior vice commander,
j. +. Raub; for medical director. DR..
A. +. Johnson; for chaplain. II. S. Stevens.
no rtc
| and the retiring commander, Marion T.
Anderson, madethe heanDualaddress in which
he reviewed the departments history for
the twenty-eight years of its existence
and spoke flatteringly OF its future pros
| poets. The meeting adjourned. the Off
GERS OF the department forming a compli-
| mentary escort TO Gen. Walker TO the
Ebbitt, where the banquet was to be held.
The banquet-room of that hostelry was
| transformed into an inpromptu g. A. r
| haH, with its national colors, decorations,
and conspicuous large insignia of the So
| ciety OF the Union Veterans.
| At the tables 120 people sat down. To
| the right of Toa stmaster Marion F. Ander-
| son sat Gen. Walker, and al the table with
| him were eeX-COngressman William Warner,
| of Kansas City. Congressman Hull, Col.
| Burst Of Pennsylvania, quartermastcr gen
eral OF the national department; Col. ID. s.
| Gordon, comma ndant at Fort Meyer, and
| Chaplain j. ID. Smith.
THE INVITED GUESTS.
| Among the guests. prominent members of
| the department, present Were: Gen. r. +
| Hawkes., who originated the Department
OF the Potomac and the oldest q. 4. K. man
| in The country; Major Roome, j. H. Eow-
| lett, w. W. Chambers, DR., Adams, Charles
| F. Benjamin, James E. McCabe. w II.
| Doolittle, j. c. s. Burger, q. c. Ross,
| J. b. Carter. $. $. BuT,iett, y. II. q: Rich
| ardson. G. z. DorSon. Harrison Dingman.
| William Gibson. n. NJ. Brooks. j :. Burke.
! c. =. Lincoln. w. :. O'DeiI, 81. E. Urell.
| j. If. Pipes. \. F. Dinsmore, A. E. Faunce,
Nathan Bickford, $. =. Williams, and T. u.
| Yeager.
The menu was a delecta bic product OF
culinary art, and from Blue Points To cigars
was an uninterrupted source of enjoyment,
its finale being reached at 11:30, when
| ToaStmaster Anderson announced that the
| first toast, The Grand Army of the Re
pu bic" would be responded to by Gen.
Walker.
The commander-in-chief was met with q
welcoming volley of applause when hearose
His speech on this occasion, as at the de
partment meeting, was brief.
1t has been said, however, that a char
acteristic of the most exalted figure
in the G A R. is his coming straight tC
the point in true military style. His
address was probably more in the lin,
OF patriotic teaching than in reference
to the q A r. as body.
|
He said that the Washington brethreI
were 10 be congratulated on their geo
graphical location. Our school houses
are now our best army and our homes oul
best protection. We need no standing
army. The influences are rife which ma X
good citizenship, and the country is III M
peril as long as the old flag is so generally
loved and honored as it is today.
We are raising Il coming generation o
lawmakers, whose inbred patriotism vii
see that no ola soldier is needy. They art
the hope of the country, and they Will b
proud to tell of the battles in which thei
fathers took part
He attacked the immigration laws aUC
said ''the man who does not regard ou
laws is a traitor to our country. 1t /
from these that our only fear need come
The other toasts were"0 Our Country Firs
and Last" responded 10 by Judge c. G
Burton, rep resentative from Missouri
Volunteer Soldiers and Sailors" Responded
to by Hon. ]. A. 7. Hull, representatives fron
Iowa; The Loyal Women of the War,
Gen S. S. Burdett.
All of the speeches were heartily enioye
and at their conclusion patriotic song
We're sung until late hour. Everythin
combined to make it one ofthe most notabl
| pleasant occasion in the department