Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1898-09-15
ENCANPNEyT ENDED
The Grand Army Finishes the Elec-
ton Of Its officers.
N'KINLEY AID ALGER IyDoRSED.
The Report Of the C"mmtttea on Pensions
Was Adopted with'ut Dtscu..lon-A
G~nerou. Con. tructiou Of the
Pension Law, Wanted.

| ACpt liz WOTh Z
the thirty-second annual encampmen
OF the Grand Army OF the Republi,
was concluded late in the Afternoon
yesterday. There was a small mum
Der comparatively In attendance in tn,
morning. but later the numbers wer,
increased and the desire to complete
the work and turn to other duties wa.
SO great that the rule in almost every
instance was to adopt reports as pre-
sented, and in this way the pension
report went through without objec
ton, although it was modified later tc
take away any impression that might
have arisen that President Mckinley
was under censure.
The encampment opened yesterday
morning and proceeded to finish the
election Of officers. The following
were elected by reclamation: Senior
vice commander.n.chief, W. C. John.
son, Of Cincinnati; junior vice com
mander-in.chief, David Ross. OF Della
ware; surgeon general, DR.. Pierce, Of
Nebraska; chaplain.n-chief, Col. Lu
cas-, OF Indianapolis. The reports OF
committees were read and adopted.
While the delegates were waiting
for the report on resolutions the ques.
ton Of admitting those who were
drafted or otherwise enlisted In the
confederate army and afterward joined
the federal army was precipitated by
the department Of Tennessee. The
resolutions indorsing President Nc.
Kinley and Secretary Alger for
their conduct OF the war were adopted
by unanimous vote In a scene OF
most en- thusiastic demonstrations.
The report Of the committee on pen
sions is as follows:
Your committee to whom was referred the
resolutions relating to the pension question
reports that II has considered all resolutions
respecting the subject matter, and recommends
VIC huOptlou vi tne IOllOWlnB.
Resolved That 1t Is the judgment Of this en-
campment that In the administration Of the
pension laws q generous and patriotic con-
struction should govern. and the laws be I'D.
mlnistered In the spirit Of justice and fairness
in which they were enacted
Resolved, That any effort to prevent the
honest applicant for pension from succeed
Ing by any subterfuge, rule, or forced construc-
tion Of the laws which will work injustice to
the applicant, is to be condemned by oil hon
Orable men
Resolved, That In view Of the repeated COM
plants OF the unfair construction OF the pen
sion law and Of the making and enforcement OF
rules which are in violation Of the law and in
imical to the interest Of applicants impels this
encampment to call upon Comrade William
Mckinley, president Of the United States, to
exercise his authority and to see that the law
Is executed In spirit Of fairness, justice and
liberality
Resolved, That all rules which tend to hinder
and embarrass the allowance OF honest pension
claims should be repealed and we ask the
president that he use his authority to cause
those whose duty 1t Is to execute the laws to so
perform their duty rs to do justice to the SOL
diers and administer the law so as not to OBJ
struct the prosecution Of pensions by technical
requirements not within the province OF the
law and which are only calculated to hinder
and obstruct In the effort to obtain lawful pen
sions
Resolved, That the rule Of the pension office
by which a widow is debarred from pension II
she has an income Of 100 per year is unjust
and we ask the president that the order be alb
rogated and the minimum income debarrng
from pensions be fixed at not less than 800 per
annum In this connection we desire to inform
the president that very early in his adminls-
tration 1t was announced by high official In
the pension office that the Widows limit would
be raised to $780, but 1t never materialized.
Resolved That we ask for the re-establish-
ing Of order 1874, which was enforced under the
Harrison regime. This order in simple terms,
took cognizance In rating mans pension of
oil the disabilities he suffered under. 1t was
abrogated by the last administration. and it
was held that to be entitled to the lowest rate
Of 10 per month comrade must have one dis
ability which is ratel at that amount II he
has three disabilities rated at "a each he gets
no pension at oil. This iniqutous rule Is
maintained up to this hour and we submit Il
is not such treatment as we had right to ex-
pect from Comrade William Mckinley.
The report was adopted without dis.
eussion.
Considerable discussion arose upon
the proposition from the department
Of Tennessee to amend the rules so as
to make soldiers who had been con.
scripted in the rebel army and who
afterward served in the union army
and were honorably discharged elgi-
BILE to membersh p in the Grand Army.
A resolution Offered by comrade
from New York, declaring it to be
treason for any member of the Grand
Army to refuse to do all in his power
to give employment to fellow.mem.
bers, was the subject of quite an ami
mated discussion. 1t was charged by
the opponents OF the resolution that
Its purpose was to cast censure upon
congress or upon individual members
Of congress, and that such action was
unidentified and unbecoming from this
encampment An amendment was
offered to modify the resolution by
striking out the word treason and in
serting a milder phrase. But the en-
campment with considerable unanim-
ity, voted down the resolution.
The application by the Ladies' Re-
lief corps for permission to amend
their constitution so as to enable
them to use relief funds for the benefit
Of soldiers Of the Spanish-American
war was acted upon favorably by the
encampment
The proposition to make eligible to
in the Grand Army sol.
licrs who have served in the war with
Spain was laid on the table.
The ceremony OF installing newly
elected officers was performed by Com.