The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1898-09-09


which those officials have performed the
arduOus duties of their importan positions
The congratulations of the Grand Army OF
| the Republic. aye, OF the Nation. are due
| them, and from this present encampment
| there should go forth no uncertain words
as to united support TO the government
| in solving the difficult problems yet before
| them. Confident are we l4lat the result VIII
justify the supreme faith which we repose
| efforts we believe the Nation will continue
| under the providence of Alnight God to the
higher position which He has evidently de-
KEEP THE REBEL FLAGS.
''It has been urged by well-meaning COM
rades to propose the return of the flags cap
| tured during the war, presumably to the
States recently in rebellion. l cannot but
deprecate any agitation of this question. We
have never recognized the proposition that
| the war of the rebellion a war between
| the States; it a war for the Union.
| and the Union to-day is of all the
States. Those lately in rebellion are as
thoroughly portion CT it as are those who
battled for it's life and supremacy. All cap
| tured property belongs to the government
! Of the Union, and is as much the property
| of one State, If such can be, as of the other:
/ and of the individual members of all OF
! them. No State has a right to claim or hold
! specific articles belonging to the national
/ government Whatever may have been past
! conditions. the present beholds sectional
| all the States fonowing one flag in battle
! line, shoulder to shoulder. Let the flags re-
main where they. are. as the best possible
! place of repOse for them ana what they
! represented at that time now so nearly for
! gotten. Any agitation OF this character
seems to me 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 more glorious Union to high
| err 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 continually recur to this subject. Their
! resolution presents for the consideration of
! the various Grand Army posts and others,
| the proposition that a building be erected
at Washington, under appropriate legisla-
ton of Congress. to be a national deposit
| tory in which not onlv the captured flags.
| but all such emblemS and trophies of each
| side as may be offered from any quarter
should be properly collected and lodged for
their careful preservation and identification.
| IF it is desirable % take any steps relative
to this matter this is the most satisfactory
| solution of the entire question
| Referring to his visits to departments in
| the South, the commander n-chief said:
In the South the greetings of eX-Con-
federates who participated in many of our
camp-tireS was exceedingly agreeable, and
was preliminary to the devotion to country
| and flag manifested in their response to the
call of the President"
THE pension question has engrossed the
attention of the entire Grand Army during
the year. as never before. Prior to the as
sembling of the last Congress there seemed
to be a concerted attack upon the pensioner,
and among many of the old soldiers the
| impression prevailed that it did not origi-
| nate in the camp of our enemies. At all
events. the newspaper attacks contained
statements, many of them distorted and
misleading, but, apparently. unauthorita-
| tive which left the pensioners, as a class,
! in an unenvable light. That these attacks
were unfair and made for a specific pur-
| pose. seemed to be evident and their OBJ
| 1ect was, presumably, to prevent any in
! during the incoming Congress over that of
| the preceding year. This thought also
seemed to be followed in the granting of
| pensions, or. at least was looked upon as
one of the reasons for the delay in adjudi-
! eating claims although there has been a
steady increase in the number granted
THE PENSION LIST.
1.-THE proposition to publish a list of pen
sioners placed the Grand Army in a pc
culiar position No man believed there was
any necessity for it, or that it would
produce any possible good, or that there
were any considerable number of fraudu-
| lent pensioners on the roll On the other
hand, the opposition of the Grand Army
to the publication would at once have been
seized upon and taken advantage of by the
| pension opponents as evidence of
| knowledge of fraud and a disposition to
| conceal it.
Our only recourse was to suffer in ST.
| lence, or with simple indignant denials. and
| look to the future for vindication !. there
fore, appointed a committee to take the
matter up in all its details and prepare a re-
port. 1t is evident that much of the. pen
sion agitation. and, in fact. the complaints
| of unfairness arises from the special acts
granting pensions to individuals 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 pen
sion laws be administered with business and
| liberality in accordance with the intention
| of the laws, when enacted, and which were
| So h. ~. p.,1 Ii
| is entitled. This is due him. and this there
| should be no cavil or question about his re-
1.-The question of the suspension of COM
rades for the nonpayment of dues still pre-
walls, and it is most difficult to egislate in
a manner that will do justice to those who
cannot afford to pay their dues without do
ing great injustice to the posts in the cases
simply neglect to do so. My observation is
that large percentage of the men who are
suspended for nonpayment of dues are as
fully able to pay as large number OF
| those who remain and continue to pay.
Therefore, the criticisms of many of the
| comrades are unfair; while all sympathize
| with the comrades who are unable to pay
| there be no feeling of that character
| for the comrade who is able to pay and
| reglects TO do so. My own impression is
| that the matter must necessarily be left
to the individual posts
Alfred Lyth, senior vice commander-in-
| chief next read his report.
| He referred to the visit of Post 2, De-
| partment of New York, to Hamilton, Ont,
| saving that the cheers which greeted the
| comrades on arrival and the reception on
| the part OF the citizens of Hamilton were
! illustrations of the recent drawing together
| ir sympathy and feeling of the two great
| English-speaking nations
Francis B. Allen, junior vice commander
| in-chief, presented his report.
He said in his report that no mistake
would be made If the National Encampment
| should in the future select at least one
rational officer whose service was in the
navy and thus give practical effect to the
sentiment of the organization-the equal
ity of the soldier and sailor.
| David Mackay, the surgeon general, made
his report.
He suggested in his report the adoption
of some system of discipline in order TO
insure the sending in of required reports:
! His idea was that only those posts and
| departments which evnced sufficient inter-
| est in the order to furnish the reports be
! allowed representation in the department
| and National Encampment.
| ADJUTANT GENERALS REPORT.
| -
/ Tho Grand ARMY Decreased 13.SSsB