The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1899-04-27

the seventeenth annual encampment OF
the Department of West Virginia, G. A.
r.. c onvened in this place to-day. De-
= partmeat Commander Richard Robert
son, OF Wheeling. delivered the follow
Ing address,: .ag
Comrades of the Seventeenth An
snual Encampment of the Department OF
West Virginia, G. A. r.. The Depart
ment OF West Virginia, Grand Army OF
the Republic, meets to-day In It's sew
enteenth annual encampment, and in
i accord with custom and precedent. the
commander Is required to render an ac-
count OF his stewardship. would be
pleased, indeed. to be able to report
an Increase In membership, but. not
withstandinE the institution OF three
new posts and the reinstatement Of two
others during the year, the losses from
ieath and suspension have exceeded the
gains from ull sources. On, the other
hand. by the practice Of rigid economy
In the expenses OF the department, the
(. commander Is gratiNed to report that
we come to this session with a larger
treasury than that committed to our
care. These matters Will be presented
In detail in the assistant adtutant
generals report.
PROPOSED INAUGURATION.
The advanced, and still advancing,
age of those who took part In the war
of the rebellion render an increase In
the future improbable. il not Impossible,
and this fact has led to several prop
ositions to admit new and younger
blood Into our ranks. The effort TO ad-
nit the Sons OF Veterans to full fellow
snip In the society OF their fathers has
Deen frequently presented and as often
rejected. Now We are confronted with
n suggestion that the soldiers OF the
war with Spain might be admitted to
membership. And so troy might, hut
1t would be at the sacrifice of every law
on our statute books, and every prlnci-
pic upon which the Grand Army of
the Republic Is founded. While the
Union veterans OF the war OF the rebel
lioa are second to none In their admIra-
ton for the valor and herolsm OF the
soldiers and sailors who brought add!-
C'SAs ~ 'hc nus Lllc
war with powerful foe. the highest
aims and objects OF the Grand Army
would be necessarily abandoned by the
proposed amalEamatiOn. Unless l mis-
take the sentiment Of the members in
this matte the Cir2nd Army Of the
Z Republic will never atter pt 10 length
en- the life OF the organization by
changing its laws in regard to member
ship. but Will die rs 1t has lived. the
exponent OF the principle that In the
Civil war the soldiers of the Union were
In the right and their opponents were
wrong.
PERMANENT QUARTERS.
In contemplating the falling Off In the
membership of the Department, the
question naturally arises: What can be
done to proiong the life OF the oreani-
cation? 1t will hardly be wise to raise
Tile amount of the per capita tax, for
AZ Il rule we are growing poorer rs we
grow Older. The only recourse then,
Is To curtail expenses. and suggest
mat as the duties of the assistant ad-
1ntant general decrease In ratio with
the membership. his salary be placed
a. 700 per year. Another item of eX-
fense Is the practice OF putting our
neaqquarters on wheels. as 1t were, by
hawking 1t all over the state, at cost
that might he avoided by selecting the
Most available point, and establishing
permanent Headquarters there. regard
less or the location OF the commander
Then select some competent comrade
Tor assistant adjutant general and
Keep INN In the position during faith
ihi service and good behavior. The
longer he serves the more useful he
VIII become, and the nceds OF the de-
partment VIII be more properly admin
lstered at less cost and the dissdyan-
tase OF residence apart from the COM
inancef be more than compensated for
Dy tle knowledge and experience
DROUGHT to his aid By his thoroughly
posted adjutaHt.
PENSIONS. 81
While there has evidently been some
little improvement in the adminIst-a-
ton OF the affairs OF the pension office,
there Is still much ground for just
complaint on the part OF deserving COM
rades, whose claims lie unanswered and
apparently neglected in rhc pigeon
holes OF the department., The unran-
so1able rulings OF the pension denart.
nent In connection with the nc: of
June. 1890. as also the failure to net
promptly on the claims when presented,
are matters that might be fruitful sub
Jects TOR the departments to discuss
and lcgislate upon,
THE NATIONAL, ENcAMPaIENT
The National Encampment, at Gin.
cihnati, was more than usually we'll
attended by the comrades from this
state, and the marching column of The
department of West Virginia was an
hohor 10 the participants and n credit
10 the state. The next national en-
campment Will be held in Philadelphia.
me hrst week In September. and 1t Is
earnestly desired that West Virginia
.so"''"ueS a''ehd IN large numbers.
OUR AuXILIARIEs.
From all reports, the Womun's Relief
Corps has had prosperous year, under
the, efficient management OF It's prescn,
officials. To this organization, more
than TO any other source, the Depart
inent or West Virginia Is Indebted for
l!s prosperity ana usefulncBs. Many of
the POSTS OF the Grand Army owe their
existence, and In some cases even their
origin to the l0val ladies' who c6rnp6sf
the membership OF the Woman's Relief
Corps. During the past year. the com
mander was present at meeting OF
corps. during which motion was
presented and adopted to donate funds
from the treasury to pay the costs OF
Instituting post. All honor 20 tho
Woman's Relief Corps, and long life
ana prosperity to Its membership.
Inc commander has but meIgre In
formation concerning the organization
4 or Sons OF Veterans. but learns un0lncl.
any that change OF general officers
mas recently occurred, and prosperous
season entered upon. Upon this organ
nntion IN great pnrt viii depend the
work OF maintaining tho memory and