The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1898-09-16
THE ENcAMpMENT ENDED.
Grand Army Men Adopt Resolutions In
dorsing Mckinley and Alger, but Cen
sure the Pension Commissioner.


Cincinnati, Sept 1O.-The work of
the thirty-second annual encampment
of the Grand Army of the Republic
was concluded late in the afternoon
yesterday.
The following additional officers
were elected by reclamation: Senior
vice commander-in-chief, w. C. John
son, of Cincinnati; junior vice COM
David Ross. of Della
ware; surgeon general, Dr. Pierce, of
chaplain-in-chief, Col. Luz
cas-, of Indianapolis. The reports of
were read and adopted.
The, resolutions indorsing President
Mckinley and Secretary Alger for
their conduct of the war were adopted
by unanimous vote in a scene of
most enthusiastic 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 it has considered all resolutions
respecting the subject matter, and recommends
the adoption of the following:
Resolved, That it is the judgment of this en-
campment that in the administration of the
pension laws generous and patriotic con-
struction should govern. and the laws be adj
ministered in the spirit Of justice and fairness
in which they were enacted
Resolved That any effort to prevent the
honest applicant for a 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 all 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claims should be repealed and ask the
president that he use his authority to cause
those whose duty it is to execute the laws to so
perform their duty as 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 ONCE
by which a widow is debarred from pension if
she has an income of 800 per year is unjust,
and we ask the president that the order be abb
rogated and the minimum income debarring
from pensions be fixed at not less than $500 per
annum. In this connection we desire to inform
the president that very early in his admins
tration it was announced by high official in
the pension Office that the widows limit would
be raised to $780, but it never materialiZed.
Resolved, That we ask for the re-establish-
ing of order 164, which was enforced under the
Harrison regime This order. in simple terms,
took cognizance in rating mans pension Of
all 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 s6 per month a comrade must have one dis
ability which is rated at that amount If he
has three disabilities rated at 81 each he gets
no pension at all This Ubiquitous rule is
maintained up to this hour. and we submit it
is not such treatment we had a right to ex-
pect from Comrade William Mckinley.
The report was adopted without dis
cussion.
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 eligi-
BILE to membership in the Grand Army.
A resolution offered by a 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. It 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
undignified and unbecoming from this
| encampment An amendment was
offered to modify the resolution by
striking out the word treason and in
serting 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
membership in the Grand Army SOL
dicrs who have served in the war with
Spain was laid on the table.
The ceremony of installing newly
elected officers was performed by Com
rade Wagner. The last action of the
encampment was the adoption by a
rising vote of vote of thanks to the
retiring commander-in-chief, Gen.
Goblin, who briefly returned his
thanks At $3.50 p m. the final adj
journment took place.
| Army steamer Reported Lost