The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-09-09


 line, shoulder to shoulder. Let the flags remain where they are as the best pos sible place of repose for them and what they have represented at that time, now so nearly forgotten. Any agita- tion of this character seems to be to be unwise. Grand Army men have no desire to revive any feelings but those which brave men can accept as lead ing up to a more glorious union, to @ higher appreciation of the soldierly qualities of all the men who battled With or against us in the days gone by. The action of the Confederate Veterans camp of New York seemed to suggest method which will end all discussion and satisfy those gentlemen who con- tinually recur to this subject. Their resolution presents for the considera- ton of the various Grand Army posts and others the proposition that building be erected at Washington un- der appropriate legislation of congress | to be a national depository in which not only the captured flags, but all | such emblems and trophies of each side as may be offered from any quar- | ter should properly be collected and | lodged for their careful preservation and Identification. If it is desirable to take any steps relative to this matter this is the most satisfactory solution of the entire question: and, if properly | arranged, this disposition might be | judicious measure. It would, at all | events, prevent the continual presenta- | ton of this matter to the public and keep the flags where they belong, under | the control of the government of the l United States.
 | At the first meeting of the council | of administration it became apparent | that the finances of the National En- | campment were in a deporable condl- ] ton, with but $167 in the treasury, bills | amounting to large sum, and the ex- penses of the Encampment were due. | It became necessary, therefore, to adopt measures of the utmost economy, as we'll as to husband the resources, to enable us to pay our indebtedness and l present to you a report showing all lia- | bilities met, and reasonable balance in the treasury.
 l Referring to his visits to departments l in the south, the commander-in-ch chief said:
 ''In the south the greeting of ex-Con- federates who participated in many of our camp fires was exceedingly agree able and was preliminary to the devo-
 ton to country and flag manifested in
 their response to the call of the presi- | dent One feature, however, which could not but impress me is the fact
 that the color line still exists. There l low y,oo oy,xy in If ha
 departments laboring under great dis 1 advantages. The race prejudice re-
 mains and the chasm seems to be wd- ening; it seems impossible to overcome,
 and for it I can only express my ex-
 treme regret. What the remedy is, if any, I am unabe to suggest
 "The pension question has engrossed 1 the attention of the entire Grand Army
 during the year, as ever before. Prior
 to the assembling of the last congress | there seemed to be a concerted attack
 upon the pensioner, and among many of the old soldiers the impression pre-
 vailed that it did not originate in the l camp of the enemies. At all events the
 newspaper attacks contained state
 ments. many of them distorted and | misleading, but apparently unauthori-
 tative, which left the pensioners as a
 class in an unenviable position. That l these attacks were unfair and made for
 specific purpose seemed evident, and l their object was presumably to pre- l vent any increase in the appropriations | for pensions during the incoming con-
 gress over that of the preceding year. 1 This thought also seemed to be follow l ed in the granting of pensions, or at least was looked upon as one of the | reasons for the delay in adjudicating claims, although there has been a
 steady increase In the number granted.
 The proposition to publish a list of pen
 sioners placed the Grand Army in a | peculiar position. No man believed
 there was any necessity for it, and
 that 1t would produce any possible
 good, or that there was any considera-
 ble number of fraudulent pensioners on the roll. On the other hand, the oppo-
 sition of the Grand Army to the pub
 liaction would at once have been seized
 upon and taken advantage of by the | pension opponents as evidence of our
 knowledge of fraud and disposition
 to conceal it. Our only recourse was to suffer in silence or with simple in- | dignant denials, and look to the future for vindication. I therefore appointed
 a committee to take the matter up in
 all its details and prepare a report. It
 is evident that much of the pension agi-
 tation, and in fact the complaints of
 unfairness arises from the special acts
 granting pensions to individuas outside
 of the general laws, for which the
 Grand Army is in no way responsible.
 All that the old soldier demands is
 that the existing pension avs be admin
 istered with justice and liberality in &C.,
 Continued on Sixth Page.)