The silver lance., 1897-09-03
GOBLIN COMMANDER.
NEXT ENcAMPMENr AT cINcIN-
NATL.
Psnnsylvania and Ohio Both Happy
General Ciarkson says Something
About Observation-Disclosures Of MEMBER
Decreasing.

victory in winning the commander-in-
chief Of the Grand Army were the fea-
lures OF the encampment Both battles
were hard fought. The struggle was
precipitated Immediately after the ex-
ecutive session was called to order. The
selection Of the next place Of meeting
was first taken up, and the rival cities
were given a hearing.
The city committee of Cincinnati was
admitted and NJ. Il. Ingalls,, president of
the Big Four railroad, presented the
claims and attractions Of tine city In
a happy speech.
Delegate Woodruff of California pre-
sented the claims of San Francisco.
On the first ballot Cincinnati received
526 votes and San Francisco PA. The
vote had not been announced when Mr..
Woodruff withdrew San Francisco and
asked that the selection of Cincinnati
be made unanimous. This was agreed to
by reclamation.
Following the selection of Cincinnati
Archbishop Ireland was called to the
stand and made a glowing speech. He
was followed by General Lew Wallace,
who made a short address.
The report of the committee on in
structiop followed this address. 1t criti-
cised the books of history read in the
schools of the South as inaccurate and
suggested some changes.
Nominations for commander-in-chief
were then declared in order and Isaac
F. Mack of Sandusky. Ohio; ]. p. s. Go
bin of Lebanon. Pa: George H. Innes
of Boston. and John G. Linehan of New
Hampshire We're placed in nomination.
Later Mr.. Innes withdrew. The first
ballot resulted: Mack. 253; Lnehan,
1S1; Goblin. 296-no choice.
The vote on the second ballot was
never announced officially. but as cast
It stood: Goblin. 35S: Mack. 249: Line
han. 123. Before the result could be an
nounced the tellers of the 10 Missouri
votes that had been cast for Mack
were withdrawn and ordered changed
to Goblin. who had received the other
II of the % votes belonging to the
state
This gave Goblin 36S votes. and
enough to elect Then Illinois and 9th
er states began to order their votes
changed. but while this was in prog
ress r. B. Brown OF Ohio. who nominat-
ed Mr.. Mack. asked unanimous consent
that the adtutant general he instructed
to cast the vote of the encampment for
Mr.. Goblin. making his election unani-
nous.
General Clarkson in his annual report
made the following recommendations:
'Owing to the steady decrease in the
membership and the very small burden
~ cents. l believe that the best inter-
ests OF the order would be subserved by
an increase Of u cent in the per capita,
making 1t cents per annum.
During 1896 there were cared for in
the national homes % .33S veterans, be-
sides many more in state homes.
The committee on pensions have Civ
en- much attention to this branch of
the work. until quite lately with but
little effect. Within the last few months
the latch strings have been loosened
and many justly entitled pensioners
have had their cases acted upon: others
stopped without cause. have been re-
stored to the rolls, and the machinery
OF the great department Of the govern
ment seems to have been oiled with the
oil Of human kindness and honest Obli-
CATION. and to he running much more
smoothly and with much less friction
than before. ! believe 1t will not be
long until every case properly made up
will be reached and receive attention.
mo subject in which the Grand Ar
my is interested Is more important than
that the truth of history should be
taught to our children. 1t is certainly
pot the object Of the Grand Army Of
the Republic to keep open the wounds
Of the war. but of this we are deter
mined that one side in that great strug-
gle was right and that the other side
was wrong-and we are not the wrong
side. and we do not intend that our
children shall be taught that we were"
After thanking the vice commander
and his Official and personal staff. who
had splendidly sustained him in his
work, and the comrades who had been
30 uniformly kind and indulgent and
courteous. he concluded thus:
'sLet us keep the old flag to the fore.
Let her every gentle wave be to us an
Inspiration for greater devotion to our
own and our country's best interests,
and every star beacon light leading
us on to higher and greater ambition"
Adtutant General Charles F. Burmes-
ter's report contained the following fig-
ures:
''The total membership of the order
In good standing June 80, 1890. was
1902 posts. with 34O.61O members; on
December 81. 1896. 7.27O posts, with
327.412 members:: on June 80. 1897,
100 posts, with 319.456 members. The
gain by muster was 1854: by transfer.
4.3S1; by reinstatement. 11.2O7: from
delinquent report. 6.SO7: total, &c. .929.
The losses were: BY deaths. 7.515; hon.
orable discharge. 1857: transfer. 4,642;
suspension. 3O.I71: dishonorable dis
charge. All; by delinquent reports.
1881: by surrender of charter. COG: to-
tai. "a. .1S3. Includip~ the members re-
naming suspended ne 80, 1897 (43.-
96O. the total bo..-- on the rolls.
3o2. .S13.