The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-08-27

to a soldiers or sailors tomb. II was be-
coming more evident that the efhciency OF
the Womens Relief Corps had never been
adequately measured nor sufficiently ap-
preciated. Department chaplains were gen.
erous in their praise of the valuable serv-
ice, cheerfully rendered by the sons OF
Veterans Continuing. he said: Their
presence as young men, with the posts, Is
a silent but powerful protest against the
desecraton of Memorial day by multitudes
of men of their own age. Upon the sports
and pleasures INDUCED in on That DAY by
millions of the young men OF the Nation
they resolutely turn their backs, ana are
found marching in line with their fathers
and under their fathers flag. Their aims
are high, their souls are throoDing win
intelligence and intense patriotism, ana
they are consecrated to the interests so
dear to our hearts. AS our legitimate sue
cessors, they may be safely trusted TO car
~ forward our work when our labors shall
have ended.
of our people seem totally Indifferent TO the
nature of Memorial day and the sacredness
of its claim up them-as i the DAY nad
meaning for only those who participated
in the war of the rebellion-it is indeed
gratifyirG to observe the growing esteem
in which our Grand Army Sabbath Is held
by the intelligent thoughtful and apprecia-
tive people of the country at large, The
sympathy exhibited with the spirit and pur-
pose of Memorial day has manifested itself
by fraternal, secular ana social orSaillza-
ton within the departments is inspiring
it is beautiful, it is patriotic. Hundreds
of orders not including the Womens Re-
lief Corps and Sons of Veterans, such as
lodges of Masonic and odd Fellows frater-
nifty, State militia, etc, honored the DAY by
public participation.
1T is especially encouraging TO note the
growing interest manifested by the teach-
ers and pupils of the public schools in all
that pertains to the services which com
memorate patriotic devotion which mark
the lives Of those whose graves we strew
THE department chaplain of Georgia and
South Carolina had reported increased IN
terest and good will on the part of citizens
of q
day was more generally observed that ever
DEATHS OF MEMBERS.
The report of Surgeon General A. E.
Johnson, NJ. D., which covers only thirty
of the departments and therefore was in
complete showed that the number of
deaths for the six months ending Dec 81
1896, was Ito of which 1O5 presumably died
from wounds 519 from diseases contracted
in service 433 from other causes, no cause
being assigned to us There were treated
free of charge GAG, and in addition 619 MEM
bers of families of eX-soldiers sailors or
marines. The money value of medicine.
services, etc, was $l6.36O The number OF
deserving sick or MANNED not receiving
pension was l ,951 The report showed tnat
thirty-tWO years after the close of the war
90 per cent. of the deaths reported were
from service origin. The surgeon general
made a number of recommendations with
the view of securing accurate and complete
reports in the future.
The report Of Inspector General Charles
A. Suydam contained the following: Posts
having a relief fund, 1912; aggregate of
funds, $5l6,021; expenditures by posts for re-
lief, $1S3 1853; total in hand of post quarter
masters, 1868, 1885, value of other posts
property, $l976,526; posts with Women's Re-
lief Corps attached, 1884; posts with Sons
of Veterans attached, 1889.
The report of Quartermaster General A.
J. Burbank showed receipts of $l6S09, of
which So l06 came from the per capita tax,
and expenses of $40 722, the balance on
hand being SILL The credits to the differ
ent funds were as follows: General fund,
1852; Grant monument fund 1913; Sherman
monument fund, $221; Southern memorial
fund, 81, 593. The assets amount to S., 2S9,
Charles w. Buckley, Junior vice COM
mander-in-chief, said in his report: The
federal soldiers residing ia the Southern
Department of the Grand Army of the Re-
public profoundly appreciate the generous
and liberal spirit which has pervaded the
annual session of the National Encamp
ments for several years past, and which has
resulted in the election of a cOmrade from
one of those departments as a general Off
Ger of our order. This action is the more
gratifying because it is known that our
number is small compared with the
great departments Of the loyal States of the
North
PROPOSED CHANGE OF RULES.
Judge Advocate General Albert Clark rec
commended the following amendment to the
rules:
ship who mas at any time borne arms
against the United States except such as
belonged to the Southern militia at the
outbreak of the war, but never took the
oath of allegiance to the Confederate States
and afterward rendered faithful service as
Union soldiers, and except also, those who,
living in the South, entered the Confeder-
ate service under duress but escaped there
from as soon as possible and enlisted in the
Union army and received therefrom an
honorable discharge.
Il think the time has come when such an
amendment can be adopted with entire
safety, and when it will be an honor to our
sion to it those men who eSpOuSed the
Union cause under greater difficulties than
those which environed us and whose fealty
never questioned from the moment
they donned the blue"
He also recommended the adoption of the
following:
Resolved, That the officers of the sew
eral departments are advised to endeavor
to secure the enactment of laws by the
States and Territories within their juris-
diction to prevent the use of Grand Army
insignia for advertising or other business
purposes, as well as to prevent imposture
in soliciting charity
The report of Capt E. L. Zalinski United
States army (retired), chief aid on military
instruction public schools contained the
following: But little progress has been
made in the Southern States. owing, appar-
emily, to the opposition of the Confederate
veterans to the Grand Army, embittered
by the controversy on the question of
school history. AS the movement for the
introduction of military instructions in the
public schools is for securing the defense Of
the Nation from attack without. the South
ern States are as much concerned in the
future of the Nation as are the others. /
trust that this will be fully realized in the
Southern States, as elsewhere, and that
support will be given in the future to the
efforts to introduce the military instruction
in the public schools. Substantial progress
has been made in New Jersey, Iowa, Colo
RADIO and Ohio; some progress has also been
made in Delaware and Maine. Whilst
progress has been made in New York State,
/ regret to report that there has been
retrogression in New York city. owing TO
a predomnance of sentimental views in the
Board of Education.
1T is proposed to again submit to the
coming session of Congress a bill asking
for the detail of army officers and noncom-
missioned officers to give military Instruc-
ton in public schools of towns of $4,000 in
habtants and upward This will require
detail Of about fifty commissioned and $50
noncommissioned officers. 1t is proposed
to ask for the issue of arms and equipments
which may be on hand and suitable for the
purpose.
All the reports, including that of the COM
mander-in-c chief, were referred to commit
tees. The committees were then an
nounced and the encampment took a recess
until o'clock.
WOMAN'S RELIEF CORPS.