The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-08-08
THE GRAND ARMr CONVENTION.
A Special Effort TO ne Made by Brooklyn
Heterana In the Esnrnde nj HunnIo.

In the city OF Buffalo, on Aug. %. tho
Grand Army mon will hold their first national
oncampment within the boundaries OF New
York state since 1879. and very elaborate prep
arations arc being made TO present the Grand
Army men OF New York to tho best advantage.
The membership of the @. A. r. in this state
is larger than in any other State Of the country.
There are $4,000 Grand Army men in New
York. SO. 700 in Pennsylvania. and $4,000 In
Ohio. In Illinois there are %, 900, in Massa.
chusctts %, 900, ind in Indiana 10000, tho
total number Of Grand Army men in al tho
States being 10000,
Though tho membership Of the Grand Army
posts is rather larger in the East than In the
West, tho cncampmcnts, tho first OF which was
at indianapolis, thirty.one years ago. have
almost uniformly been held in the Western
States, and only occasionally have there been
Eastern conventions. For a few years after the
organization OF the Grand Army, e~ncampments
were held in Eastern cities-Buffalo. New Haven,
Philadelphia. Providence. Springfield. and
Albany; but in the last fifteen years there has
been only one Eastern convention. while in 1884
tho cncampment was in Minneapolis. In 1886 in
Tho Grand Army men Of brooklyn intend in
York and The extinction Of BrooIlyn as a distinct
municipality to have their representatives
march in one battalion in the parade. In Buffalo.
In accordance with an order issued by the de.
f"' y. Shh -. o 80
t. tSsR Rssi'SiS f e@' tho POSTS oce OF oh i sis's county unit 'I Sat.
talions. He requested that the county battalions
provide themselves with distinctive banners.
Inc banner for the Kings county battalion. Is
10 by % inches in size II is made OF whito SILK,
frinRed at the bottom and on the sides.
Though, when organized thirty years ago. the
tirand Army of the Republic was distinctively
intended as II patriotic and fratcrnal organiza-
ton and not rs n political ono. it Is curious to
observe how many OF its
have attained political homo s. John A. Logan.
who held the post for throe terms, was United
states Senator and afterward n candidate for
Nice.President John +. Hartranft, who held 1t
for two, was Governor of Pennsylvania; Charles
Devens. who held it for two, was Attorney
General or the tnited States; John c. Robinson.
VINO held IL for two, was Licutenant.Gov-
ernor OF the state of New York: Ambrose +.
burnside, who held the post for two terms, was
United states Senators; Lucius Fairchild was
Governor Of Wisconsin,. and William Warner
was Republican candidate for Governor of
Missouri. and has long been prominent in the
was elected Commandcr.in.Ch Mt the Mil
waukee %cncampment of 1899, is now Secretary of
War i'll the Cabinet OF President Mckinley, and
John. Palmer. who was elected ComInander-in
Chicf at the Detroit encampment of 1891, is
secretary of State in Albany.
Buftalos popularity as a convention city Is
now decidedly on the increase, a fact easily eX-
planned when 1t Is considered how many OF the
trunk lines of railroads converge there, but
Judging from the experience of the Democrats
who nominated J. b.. Thncher for Governor in
Buffalo last year. it will be some time before
another Democratic convention Is held there.