Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1898-02-04
THE COMMANDERSHIP
Both Huntoon and Hendricks Cohorts
in the G. A. r. Are Confident.
ANNUAL ENCAMPMENT BEGINS
Business Postponed to Enjoy ;
Delightful Banquet.
WOMAN'S RELIEF CORPS

Grand Army men were in a jubilant state
today over the progress so far made in
their annual encampment. There was uni
versal expression of the opinion that De-
partment Commander Hopkins address
was the best ever delivered, and that the
banquet last night was the most successful
in the history Of the Department Of the
Potomac. They were animated with pleas
ure, too, over their certainty that their par
ticular candidates were going to be victorf-
Gus at the election tonight. The Hendricks
men laughed at the bare idea Of such a
thing as DR.. HuntOon's election being posi-
BILE. and the latter's adherents saw equally
as much humor in the claims of their oppo-
nents. A few even money bets in small
amounts were made by some of the more
enthusiastic of the rival leaders in the con-
test for department commander. Huntoon
men making the offers.
, Mr.. w. H. Doolittle, who has been recog
niZed as a candle ate for commander since
DR.. J. F. Raub withdrew from the race,
says that in justice to himself it should be
stated that his name was brought forth by
his friends at a time he was ill at home,
and without previous consultation with
him, and with the sole purpose of meeting
the wishes of his comrades who preferred
some other candidate than Mr.. Hendricks
or DR.. Huntoon, Mr.. Doolittle says he final
ly yielded with great reluctance to this
pan. He fl rther states that owing to his
business engagements he was absent from
the city after his recovery from illness, and
has made no personal canvass for the place,
and he regards the matter merely per-
sonal compliment on the part of his friends.
The contest will be decided tonight, and
every ore in the G. A. r. Is awaiting it's
outcome with much anxiety. Altogether
q
1t is expected that at least $50 will be cast,
and the friends of Hendricks and Huntoon
both claim a majority with every appear
ance of confidence.
Commander Hopkins Report.
The inaugural session of the thirtieth
annual encampment of the Department of
the Potomac, Grand Army of the Republic,
WAS held last night, the delegates being
called to order by Department Commander
Hopkins at $50 o'clock. The first business
was the reading of the annual address by
Commander Hopkins. The report was a
yoluminous one. 1t recited that the year
had been crowded with events of great in
terest to the Grand Army. 1t had seen the
outgoing of a hostile and the. incoming of
a friendly administration, and had seen
dependency change TO hope. Commander
Hopkins then recited the dismissals and
reductions of veterans and soldiers wild
ows holding government positions by the
Cleveland administration, and the agita-
ton made by the department TO have them
reinstated and restored, which resulted in
the reinstatement of sos, the promotion of
49, and the appointm ant of 377 govern
lnent employees, the total number helped
being 1877. He read list of government
officials who aided in this work for veter-
ans and soldiers widows, and called it a
roll of honor. 1t contained in the order
given the names Of Assistant Secretary
Meilsejohn. Postmaster General Gary. Sec
rotary Long, Secretary Bliss, Secretary
Wilson, Public Printer Palmer, William
Brown, auditor for the War Dapartment.
Henry A. Castle, auditor for the Post Of
flee Department.; Binger Hermann, COM
missioner OF the general land office; Assist
ant Postmaster General Heath. Commits
SlCfer Evans, Capt. W. II. Michael, chief
c.erk OF the State Department, and Mai
Fred Bracket, appointment clerk of the
Treasury Department
A large portion of the address was devot-
ed to the agitation now in progress looking
toward some reform in the pension system
by which frauds may be discontinued and
purity assured. The movement was char
acter1zed as an attack on pensioners and
Commander Hopkins used vigorous lam
guage in his treatment of the subject The
report contained a large amount of mat
ter concerning the routine affairs of the de-
part1nent and contained several recon-
mendations, one being that a committee Of
three be appointed by the incoming depart
ment commander with Instructions to en-
deavor to secure through an act of Con-
sress or such other means as may seem
necessary suitable rooms in one of the pub
lie buildings free of charge for the use of
the department headquarters
The report of Assistant Adjutant Cen
eral Arthur Hendricks showed the total
membership of the department in good
standing December 81, 1897, to have been
2,S14. The amount expended for relief dur
ing the year was s1.974.G1. The reports
We're referred to appropriate committees.
Nominations Made.
Nominations for the position Of depart
ment commander were then in order The
nominees were: Arthur Hendricks of
Post 8, by H. NJ. Gilman of Post u: DR..
A. ]. Huntoon Of Post 8, by George E.
Davis of Post s. and w. H. Doolittle of
Post 2, by George II. Slabaugh of Post 2.
Other officers nominated were as follows:
On the Hendricks ticket-For senior vice
commander, b.. F. Chase; for junior vice
commander, j B. Carter.
On the Huntoon-Doolitte ticket-For Sc
Lior vice CON mander, DR.. Lawrence Will
son; for junior vice commander DR.. A. E.
johnson.
Adjournment to attend the banquet COM
psied a postponement Of the nomina tons
for the other officers until tonight. These
viii include medical director the council
OF administration and delegates to the ma
tiCral encampment.
After the nominations were closed Com
mander-in-c chief Goblin of the G. A. r. made
address.
An Enjoyable banquet.
A recess vas then taken until O'Clock
tonight, and a very large proportion of the
encampment delegates went to the Ebbitt
House, where a banquet was rendered to
Commander-in-chief Goblin. The dining
room was profusely decorated with flags
and foliage plants and Old Glory was pre-
dominant in every direction. Department
Commander Hopkins presided with Com
mander-in-chief Goblin on his right and
General Nelson A. Miles, commanding the
United States army, on his left. Others
seated at the head table We're Past Com
mander-in-Chief Burdette, Past Deputy
Commander Brooks, Assistant Secretary
Webster Davis, Past Department Com
mander Lincoln, Second Assistant Postmas-
ter General Shallenberger, Past Depart
ment Commander Richardson, Assistan Mt
Secretary of War Meiklejohn, Past De-
partment Commander Dingman, Commits
sicner of Pensions Evans, Senior Vice De-
partment Commander Raub. Public Printer
Palmer, Past Department Commander Nc
Elroy. General Thomas NJ. Vincent, Past