The San Francisco call., 1896-04-23
-YOUNTV|LLE HOME
AND LYON POST.
Veterans at Santa Cruz
Will Consider the
Charges,
ARRAIGNED BY WILSON.
The Commander Says Grand
Army Laws Were Violated
by the Accusers.
PROMPT ACTION NECESSARY.
Delegates From the Oakland Boiy
Will Demand Seats in the
Convention.

SANTA CRUZ, CAL, April 22.-The
twenty-ninth annual encampment of the
Department of California and Nevada,
Grand Army of the Republic, began its
session at o'clock this afternoon. Dur
ing this encampment the suspension of
Lyon Post of Oakland for the publication
of allegations against the Yountytlle
Home without permission by competent
authority, will be considered. Lyon Post
delegates were not i'll the convention to-
day. If the credential committee falls to
recognize them tomorrow they will ap-
peal to the convention.
Department Commander Wilson. refer
ring to this matter in his report, said that
on January 10, 1896, he visited the Yount-
vile Home and was entertained by Com
modore D. W. c. Thompson.
II privately conversed with many of the
inmates" ne continues, ''and, in short,
think, saw all that could be seen and ac-
quired all the information that could be
obtained as to the conduct and manage
ment of the home and the treatment of
the inmates in the time occupied. l came
away fully satisfied that no Institution of
the kind is or could be better managed in
relation to the comforts supplied to the old
soldiers there domiciled and the care of
the home property. This conclusion was
reached by comparison in my own mind
with soldiers homes in other states which
1 have visited. 1 felt that this encamp-
ment was to be congratulated upon its
wisdom and good fortune in the selection
of representatives to the association.
subsequently charges of a serious nature
against the board of directors were made
by post of this department, which, in
my opinion and the judgment OF the coun-
Gil of administration, made an investiga-
tion by this encampment imperative.
With that view special orders Nos 20 and
21 were issued from department headquar-
ters, constituting a committee, consisting
of Past Department Commanders Buckles
and Walling, Judge Advocate Crawford and
Comrades W. II. Pratt and William Haw-
ley, to investigate the charges. The in
vestigation was held, and the findings of
the committee, embodied in its report,
viii be presented for your information and
consideration. The committee is to be
commended for the faithful and inteIi-
gent manner in which it performed an un-
pleasant duty.
"On the 10Th day of February 1896, my
dllCIib4O1 w do Odllcu W Illc III
the San Francisco CALL of series of reso.
lutions purporting to have been adopted
by Lyon Post No. 8 and embodying charges
of mismanagement, favoritism, misappro-
priation of money, violation of the bylaws
OF the association and drunkenness on the
part of the board of directors of the Veter-
ans Home at Yountville. will not dis
cuss the charges made by Lyon Post
against the board of directors of the Veter-
ans Home except to say that whether the
allegations were true or false their publ
cation Irrespective of printing in the
newspapers) without permission by COM
petent authority was a violation both of
the letter and spirit of Grand Army law,
and in view of the fact that majority of
the men whose reputation for honesty,
integrity and sobriety were assailed are
comrades in good standing, and consider
ing the professions of fraternity, charity
and loyalty which we make to one another
and to the world, it has seemed to me, and
am still of the opinion that, in order to
retain for our organization the respect of
the people and to preserve its usefulness
such infractions of the letter and spirit of
the laws and principles by which we claim
to be governed demand prompt and firm
action
matter that will be discussed by all
three of the bodies with much interest is
the proposed consolidation of the Women's
Rehef Corps and Ladies of the g. A. R.
The former desire the consolidation, while
the latter declare they will never give up
the honors they have gained by being the
wives, mothers, sisters and daughters of
soldiers This matter will he considered
tomorrow.
L. c. Mastellar, present assistant adju-
tant-general, will without doubt be elected
tomorrow the department commander.