The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1896-06-04
TUE GRAND ARMY.
What is Being Done by The Veterans
for The Good of The Order.
ARE NOT REPRESENTED.
a Texas Commander Complains that Small
Posts Cannot Send Delegates.

Texas Commander Complains that Small
Posts Cannot Send Delegates.
EDITOR NATIONAL TRIBUNE: As Commander
of 4. J. Davis Post, 81, wish to call the atten-
ton of all comrades of the GAR. 10 a matter
existing i'm this Department, and which this
Post has for years sought to have corrected,
hut without success. The matter we complain
of is this: The Department. fails 10 provide
any means BY which all Posts can secure rep
resentation at Encampments. Under the pres
ent laws of the Department, some OF the Posts
are entitled to six delegates each, while many
OF the smaller Posts are entitled to but one
delegate each.
The large Posts are mostly situated in OF
near the large cities close to the great lines oil
railway: while the small Posts are IN many
instances located in the sparsely-settled fiot'
tions of the State, Tar from any of the places
where Department Eucampments are held.
The consequence is. that while the large Posts
arc en- almost every occasion well represented
the small Posts-especially those that are 10
Gated far from the place OF Encampment-sre
entirely unrepresented. 49,
This Post was mustered June ., 1871. we
have every year sent TO The Department
promptly the amount due from as as per capita
tax. We have paid per capita tax amounting
10 over $50 We organized with IL members,
and have never had at any time over % mem
bers. We now have l.. We have never been
able to send delegate until this year, aud theh
only because he had business which took hun
near the place of Encampment
We have, at every annual Encampment, tired
TO secure the passage of an amendment TO the
laws OF the Department that would secure
representative from each and every Post. The
amendment which we offered was TO the eject
that hereafter the Department should pay the
actual travelling expenses Of one delegate from
each Post. provided the delegate or alternate
was actually present at the Encsmpment.
To provide fund for the payment OF these
expenses. we proposed an addition 10 the per
capita tax of 40 cents per annum on each mem
Der in good standing in every Post. Inns
amount would be sufficient for the purpose.
This measure has met with rejection as
often as 1T has been presented TO the Depart
ment. and il has not only been rejected but no
measure Of any kind looking 10 an abatement of
tie trouble of which We complain has been
offered. In consequence OF the inability of tho
small Posts 10 bear the expense OF sending
delegate there are times when less than half
the Posts in the DcpaI lment are represented,
and there has never yet been time when more
than lour-ffths OF the Posts were represon ed.
The members Of this Post are a unit in the
IDEA that this state Of affairs is one that de-
nands remedy. We all think that, in view
OF The fact that so slight an increase IN the
amount OF the per capita tax will provide an
amount sufficient for the purpose, the change
ought 10 be msdc.-E. J. kILMEE. Commander,
E J. Davis Post. 81 Department of Texas,
lorpus Christi, Tex