Omaha daily bee., 1898-09-13
SONS OF VETERANS At WORK
Seventeenth Annual EnCampment Gets Its
Business Well Under Way.
DAY DEVOTED TO ROUTINE AND REPORTS
Adjutant General Reads what should
Have Been the COMMANDMENTS
Chiefs Account of the Com
duct of His Onice.


The seventeenth annual encampment of
The commandery- in chief Sons OF Veterans,
u. s. A., was called to order yesterday morn
ing in Creighton hall by Senior Vice Com
mander George f. Cogshall OF Grand Rap
ids, Mich, In the absence OF Commander
In Chief Charles K Darling Of Boston, who
is in Porto Rico as the colonel Of the Sixth
Massachusetts volunteers. About $50 duly
accredited delegates answered the roll call
and participated in the very brief morning
proceedings.
The hall is very handsomely decorated
with bunting and flags in honor OF the con-
vention. The walls are very plentifully
hung with the red, white and blue, while
the stage was draped with a background
Of the same tricolor. still further patri-
otic coloring is given to the gathering from
the fact that a majority Of the delegates
were uniformed in the military costume of
the order.
Chaplain-in- Chief Harry L. Veazey of Har-
riman. Tenn, is absent and in his place
Past Commander William G.. Dustin was ap-
pointed. All the other officers except the
commander chief are present, In order 10
legally accept the position OF acting COM
mander in chief Vice Commander Cogshall
resigned his position as division commander
Of Michigan.
On motion Of Past Commander in Chief
Abbott OF Illinois three cheers were given for
Commander-in-C Chief Darling.
The only other business transacted by the
convention consisted of the appointment of
the following two committees: Press, l.. w
Friedman of Alabama and Tennessee, John
Redmond OF Kansas, f. p. Carrick of Ne
braska and =. A. Barrows of Nebraska
credentials, Adjutant General f. f. Bolton,
Colonel Church OF Illinois, II. V, Speelman Of
Ohio, George Cox OF Connecticut, Assist
ant Adjutant General T. ]. Harmon Of Massa-
chusetts.
The credentials committee was given
time in which to perform its duties and
was nI' ready to report until past noon.
1t admitted all the delegates except those of
the Gulf West Virginia and Minnesota divi-
sions. The report was adopted.
Just before adjournment the convention
passed resolution that the official journal
containing an account of the proceedings Of
the meeting should not include reports Of
the debates and speeches made in connec-
tion with any matters that come up.
Business Esefore Pleasure.
Yesterday afternoon was to have been
spent by the delegates in visiting the ex-
position grounds, but on account OF the wet
and disagreeable weather it was decided
to hold a business session and to select
some other afternoon during the encamp-
ment to make the visit. Consequently the
delegates were called together again at
o'clock and remained in session during the
remainder OF the afternoon.
The principal part OF this session was
spent in listening to the reports 'of officers
In the absence of Commander in Chief Dar-
ling the most interesting report was that
OF Adjutant General Fred E. Bolton, who
took occasion to review the work OF the
administration. In the course of the report
he said:
This encampment meets at a most auspic-
sous time. The nation is rejoicing in the
deeds of devotion and heroic valor of hei
patriotic soldiers and sailors. Great vic
tories have been won and new honor'
achieved for the republic. Like the men o
1876 the boys Of '9S have carried our tlal
TO the fore OF battle, have preserved its fold
unsullied and have added new lustre t.
the starry banner that stands for freedom
and humanity. Many OF our brother mem
bers share in the honor of having Offered
their lives In the service of the country
We are fortunate in meeting at a time whei
the patriotism OF the people is so thoroughl
awake We gather together from all sec
tions of a united country, country that
81 1t ever had any sectional lines now know
no north, no south, no east, no west
Work of the Year.
Speaking OF the present condition of the
order the adjutant general referred to the
fact that shortly after the election OF the
commander-in- chief year ago headquarters
were established in Boston and that there
the routine business of the order has beer
properly transacted. The report then re
fers to variety Of matters of a routin,
character which have been looked after ant
suggestion is made that the ritual should
be improved so as to inject lacking dra
matte action and force. Proceeding, tn,
report says:
Our relations with the Grand Army of tn
Republic have been of a most agreeable ma
ture. The commander in chief has bee
privileged to become intimately acquainte
with Commander-in-C Chief ]. p. S. Cobb
and has been in company with that gallan
soldier on a number Of occasions, notably
visit with him to the city Of Charleston
where he was shown many courtesies by tn
confederate soldiers and especial kindnesse
at the hands of Commander in Chief Smyt
OF the Sons of the Confederate Veterans
General Goblin has at all times been wilin
TO advance the interests of our organizatio
whenever and wherever the opportunity wa
presented
Speaking OF the membership of the orde
the report states that the majority of di
visions have labored hard toward an in
crease, notably Pennsylvania, New Yor
and Michigan. The headquarters got int
communication, as intimate as possible
with the various divisions and the resul
is that at the end OF the quarter endin
March 81 OF this year, there was a ne
gain of 5000 members, a gain a trife les
than 10 per cent This is the first tim
in a number OF years that gains were show
for three successive quarters. The Jun
quarter, however, which has been ordi
narily one OF the best of the year, has bee
less successful for the following reasons;
First the outbreak OF tho war with Spa
called forth a great number OF the most II
terested camp workers; 1t occupied Il
minds of all members; camp work and Il
work OF recruiting took the more proper for
OF recruiting for the country. IL should
mentioned here that from advices receive
We are led to believe that in every divisiC
an effort was made to have the authoritt
accept the services Of the Sons OF Vete
ANN&NSNlNN
Wool Sos. is a pure soap; SO
pure that II IS white; so pure that