The enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 188?-1899, 1898-09-14
ITS SESSIONS FINISHED.

IL IA NJ men Hralse the PRESIDENT ana Ten
Alger - Methods of the Pension Bureau
Censured In a Series of ResolutiOns-Ne
Ohicers Installed,
Cincinnati, Sept. 1O.-The work OF
the annual encampment of the Grand
Army of the Republic was happily con-
cluded late Friday afternoon.
Resolutions indorsing the conduct
of the war by President Mckinley ano
complimenting Secretary Alger for his
administration of the war department
were adopted by unanimous vote.
The following report of the commit.
tee on pensions was adopted:
'Resolved, That the repeated COM
plants of the unfair construction of
the pension law and of the making
and enforcement of rules which are in
violation of the law and inimical to the
interests of applicants impels this en-
campment to call upon Comrade Will
liam 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 the allowance of honest pen
sion claims should be repealed, and we
ask the president that he use his au-
thority 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 obstruct the prosecution of pen
sions 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 pensions.
"Your committee calls attention to
the fact that two years ago the coun-
try was stirred to it's depths by COM
plants of the injustice of the then ad-
ministration of the pension bureau.
These complaints were so specific that
they furnished the basis of political
efforts. They were the subject of en-
phatic' utterances by the national en-
campment. Beyond doubt the political
campaign of 1896 was largely inf1uenc-
ed by the hope Of ameliorating the
harsh conditions then obtaining in
the pension bureau. We submit that
this expected amelioratlon has not
taken place; that, in no substantial
instance has one of those harsh rules
been abrogated, but every one of them
remains in full force and effect as
under the previous administration.
Every day brings the veterans near
er the grave in increasing ratio. Their
needs cry out more vociferously with
every changing of the moon, yet the
number of weekly allowances steadily
diminishes, while the pension commits
sioner officially states that he has 625,-
900 claims pending in his bureau, of
which he says $4,000 so far have receiv-
ed nothing at all. Elsewhere he states
that about 100000 survivors received
no pensions, and yet very recently the
commissioner recommended and car
ried through reduction of 100 in his
force of clerks, on the ground that he
had more tlsan he needed. This in the
face of the fact that hardly a day
passes but that somewhere or another
in this broad land the pension certIfi-
cate arrives only in time to be laid
on the coffin of the applicant.
"Resolved, That the rule of the pen
sion office by which widow is de-
barred from pension if she has an in.
come of 500 per year is unjust and wa
ask the president that the order he alb.
rogated and the minimum income de-
barring from pensions be fixed at not
less than $500 per annum.
"We ask for the re-establishing OF
order 1854, which was enforced under
the Harrison regime. This order took
cognizance in rating mans pension
of all the disabilities he suffered I'M
der. 1t was abrogated by the last ad.
ministraton and it was held that &c
be entitled to the lowest rate of Sc per
month a comrade must have some one
disability which is rated at thai
amount. If he has thre disabilities
rated at $4 each he gets no pension at
all. This iniquitous rule is maintain
ed up to this hour, and we submit is
not such treatment as we had a right
to expect from Comrade William Nc.
Kinley."
1t was resolved that unless the rail.
roads gave a satisfactory guarantee tc
make the rates to the next encamp.
ment not exceeding one cent per mile
and the hotels of Philadelphia gave
guarantee not to increase their regular
rates at the time of the encampmen5.
then the national council of admins.
tration be authorized to select such
other city as would make these guar
antees. These guarantees must be
made not later than February 1.
The proposition to make eligible to
membership in the Grand Army sol
diers who have served in the war with
Spain was laid on the table. The ma.
tional council of administration was
then appointed.
The ceremony of installing newly
elected officers was performed by Com
rade Wagner, of Pennsylvania. The
last action of the encampment was the
adoption of vote of thanks to the re-
firing ommander-in-chief, Gen. Goblin,
who briefly returned his thanks.