The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1897-08-27

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right and the other side was wrong
and We were not the wrong side, and ~
do not intend that our children shall b.
taught that we were.
1.-The desire for public Office is iauda
ole one, especially to men who have
. braved their lives for their country, are
capable, and unable to properly main
tain themselves in other channels. Tht
veteran believes himself entitled to con
| sideration, and he is, but he should no
use the Grand Army for that purpose. Il
ne asks endorsement Of his post, there
are comrades there Of the other politica
faith who cannot endorse him. or If sue.
cessful he may displace another com
rade. Personally 1 will endorse a COM
rade, If capable, every time, rather than
one who is not comrade, but officially
viii endorse no one. In the case Of one
department., have been compelled 10 re-
quire the withdrawal of a circular for
political purposes and doing evident in
jury 20 aspiring and worthy comrades.
Again, parties are using the emblems
Of the Grand Army for advertising pur-
| poses. They are too sacred for such use
| and we should ask our legislatures for
| the enactment of laws making such use
| Illegal.
"Who can measure the length or the
bredth or the height or the depth Of
| woman's love and devotion, or who can
measure the value of the service rem
dered 70 US by our great auxiliaries the
| Woman's Relief Corps. Many comrade
and post would have lost their member
| ship but for the open hand of this or
ganization. In season and out of sea-
son they minister to our wants, make
our meetings enjoyable, sustain US in
! our work. They have started and matt
! tanned homes for the needy comrades
| their wives or widows; they are constant
and persistent supporters of patriotic
| teaching We shall need their kindly
services more and more as age and in
FIRMLY creep upon US. Every post of the
order should have its Woman's Relief
Corps auxiliary.
81 am more than ever impressed with
the importance of the organization
among the Sons of Veterans, Of encour-
aging them to take high stand on the
side OF good order, good morals and
good government. I believe it would be
encouragement to these young men to
invite them 10 hold their annual gather
ing at the same time and place as We
hold our encampment."
After thanking the vice commanders
and mis- official and personal staff, who
had spiendidly sustained him in his
work, and the comrades who had been
SO uniformly kind, indulgent and court
eous, he concluded thus:
Let 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
Charles w. Buckley, junior vice COM
mander-in-chief. said in his report:
The federal soldiers residing in he
southern department of the Grand Army
Of the Republic profoundly appreciate
the generous nd liberal spirit which has
pervadei the annual session OF the ma
ional encampnents for several years
past, and which has resulted in the cleo
ton OF a eomrade from one Of these de-
partments as general officer OF our or
der" =
The report Of Sergeant General A. E.
Johnson, NJ. D., which covers only thir-
~ OF the departments and was therefore
incomplete, showed that the number OF
deaths FOR the six months ending De-
cemoer 81, 1896. was LIS, Of which los
presumably died from wounds, 519 from
diseases contracted in the service, 4S3
from other causes, no cause being as
signed as to u.s. The report shows
that thirty-two years after the close of
the war, 80 per cent Of the deaths re-
ported were from service origin.
aplain-in-Chief Mark P. Taylor de-
plored that multitudes OF our people
seem totally indifferent to the nature
of Memorial Day and the sacredness of
its claim upon them-as IL the day had
meaning for only those who participated
in the war Of the rebellion"
Adjutant General Charles F. Burmes-
ter's contained the following figures:
"The total membership of the order in
good standing on June 80. 1897. was 7,106
posts. with 319,456 members. The years
losses were: BY death, 7.515; honorable |
discharge .257: trasfer 1872; suspensions
30,771; dishonorable discharges Ali; by |
delinquent reports 1881; by surrender Of |
charter SOC; total 54,iS3. Including the |
members remaining suspended June 80, |
1897. (43(36O the total borne on he rolls |
is 3s2.S16.
cit will be seen from the above that a |
new element Of loss has introduced itself |
which might be said 70 mark the be |
ginning of the end'-the loss by sur
render of charter One by one the boys |
have dropped away, Joined the posts
on the other shore, until there are not /
enough left to keep up the organization,
and the charter is surrendered, and the |
few affiliate with another post
in The neighborhood, or remain afioat
with transfer card. Il appears TO me
that right here is where good work can
be accomplished with the system OF
'ouiposts' provided by the last national
TO keep these orphan
members within the organization.
The report OF Quartsrmaster General
A. j. Burbank showed receipts Of sI6.-
$50; expenses s19,722. The balance on
hand s7.7I.
Judge Advocate General Albert Clark
the following amendment;
10 the rules:
NO person shall be eligible TO member
ship who has a; any time borne arms
against the United States. except such
as belonged 20 the southern militia a,
the outbreak of the war bu; never cook |
the oath OF allegiance 10 the confederate
states. and afterwards rendered faithful |
service as Union soldiers: and except
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