The daily morning journal and courier., 1897-08-27

By reinstatement ............ ii 207
 By, delinquent reinstatement. ..... 6,S07
 1otdl gam ''.''''.... ........'.... 929 Aggregate .....,...................878 .878 68o Loss; By death ................... 7515
 By honorable discharge ........... 1,25T
 By By transler ,''''' '''''''''''''''' d942
 By dishonorable discharge ........ All
 Ky delinquent reports ............ 9Sl
 By surrender Of charter .......... G06
 1otal '...'..'''''..''''' o4'lo3 In good standing June 3O 1897. ... ,319 456 Remaining suspended .............. 43,360
 Total membership .............. .SS2, SIG
 We are far past the meridian indi- vidually, and as an order the stream is running rapidly down the hill. Age and poverty are making great inroads into the ranks. Recruit the ranks until ev- cry honorable discharge is recorded in the descriptive book and every sus- pended comrade is again touching el- bows with his fellows. Stand by your comrades though all the world assail. Owing to the steady decrease in the membership and the very small burden imposed by the national per capita of 21a cents, I believe that the best inter- ests of the order would be subserved by an increase of one-half cent in the per capita making it three cents per annum. The reports upon the Soldiers Homes afford much satisfaction at the thought that the last days of very many thousands of the old veterans have been, are being, and will continue to be, made comfortable and comparatively happy and free from the trials and struggles of the outside world, with which they are, by age and infirmity, unable to contend. During 1896 27,33S veterans were cared for in National Homes, besides many more in State Homes. The good thus accomplished by a magnanimous people is beyond compare
 "The report of Comrade Mark B. Fay Tor, the haplain-in-chief, shows the greatly increased interest manifested everywhere in the observance of Mem orial day. In many of the southern cemeteries we were aided and our duties frightened by the cooperation of the Confederate Veterans, and we thank | them and I would help them in their sacred work.
 Tn number of cases, too, the cere- monies were made more impressive by the presence of regular troops, directed | by Comrade Russell A. Alger the secre- tary of war, to participate I am not one of those who believe that day es- | abolished thirty years ago by our be- loved Commander-in Chief Logan, and since made holy day and holiday by legal enactment in majority of the | states, should be changed simply be- cause lot of hoodlums, or thoughtless men and women, desecrate it by games and races. large majority of our peo- pie are observers of the Sabbath day and they do not consider parades and public demonstrations seemly upon that day, and their wishes should be re- l spected, for we look to them rather than to the thoughtless for the moral support we need. If games and races cannot be suppressed on such a sacred day by moral suasion and the effect of the participation in it's sacred work by vast numbers of our best citizens, then no change of day could effect such a result The Grand Army of the Re- public believes in military instruction in the public schools, because it is good for the boys mentally, morally and physically, and, above all periodically.
 ''The committee on pensions have given much attention to this branch of the work, until quite lately with but little effect Within the last few months the latchstrings 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 that great department of the gov ernment seems to have been oiled with | the oil of human kindness and honest obligation and to be running much more smoothly and with less friction than | before. I believe it will not be long un- til every case properly made up will be reached and receive attention.
 "No subject in which the Grand Army is interested is more important than that the truth of history should be 1 taught to our children. It is certainly not 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 the other side was wrong-and we were not on the wrong side The Grand Army of the Republic is not political organiza ton. The vet eran believes himself entitled to consid- eration, and he is, but he should not use the Grand Army for that purpose l Personally, I will endorse a comrade if capable, every time rather than one who is not comrade, but officially will endorse no one In the case of one department I have been compelled tc require the withdrawal of a circular issued for political purposes and doing evident injury to aspiring and worthy comrades. Parties are using the em- blems of the Grand Army for advertis- ing purposes. They are too sacred fol such use, and we should ask our legis, latures for the enactment of laws mak- ing such use illegal.
 "Who can measure the length or the breadth or the depth of woman's love and devotion, or who can measure the value of the service renderevd to us by our great auxiliary the Woman's Relief Corps? Their work, indeed, has but just commenced and we wish that their number might be increased by the enlistment, in this one body. of every loyal woman of the land whose circum. | stances would permit her cooperation
 T am more than ever impressed witt | the importance of organization amone the sons of veterans. I believe it would be encouragement to these young mer to invite them to hold their annua gathering at the same time and place as we hold our encampment
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