The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1899-09-08
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
ALBERT ID. SHAW BECOMES
COMMANDERS R-TN-CHiEF.
CHICAGO THE NEXT PLACE OF MEETING
Camp Fire of Ex-Union Prisoners of War. u.
Illumination of North Atlantic Squad
ron. Crowds Throng the
DeaWare'S Banks.

Philadelphia, Sept. THE thirty
third national encampment of the G. A.
Il. adjourned tonight to meet in Chi
cago in 1900 Many of the veterans left
here tonight. The features of today S
sessions were the election of Colonel
Albert ID. Shaw, of Walestown, N. Y,
by acclamation as Commander-in-C Chief
for the ensuing year and the adoption
of resolutions scoring the present PEN
sion policy.
At the opening session Judge Leo Ras-
sieur, of st. Louis, withdrew as can
didate for Commander-in-C Chief and
threw his support to Colonel Shaw, whose
election was made unanimous
Judge Rassieurs action was cheered
to the echo and there We're cries of
"Rassieur for 1900" 1t is expected he
will be the next Commander-in-C Chief.
Other officers elected were:
Irwin Robbins, of Indianapolis, Senior
Vice Commander-in-Chief; NJ Minton,
Of Louisville, Junior Vice Commander
in-Chief; VIM. Fl. Baker of Lynn, Mass,
Surgeon General; Jacob Grim. of Mary
land, Chaplain-in-C Chief: and Thomas j.
Stewart, of Pennsylvania, Adjutant Gen
eral
The pensions commission presented its
report, which the encampment immc
diately adopted unanimously. The res
olutions adopted called for the abroga-
ton of Rule 225, now in effect in adj
judicating claims under Section =, of the
June 9th, 1890, Act, stamping it as
unjust and asking in its place the prin-
ciple defined in Rule 164, under whose
operations 100000 names were added
to the pension roll. The resolutions also
deplored the practice Of the Pension
Bureau which bars the widows who have
an income of $96 a year and asks an
increase of the limit to $3.50 A COM
mittee of five was appointed to seek re-
lief from the Administration officers and
failing there to ask Congress to amend
the law in such a form as to make cer-
tain the true intent of the statute.
Late in the afternoon 10 motion was
made to return to the South flags cap
ured during the war. This was killed
The majority report on the resolution
of the committee complained hat wild
ows of soldiers were asked if their lives
had been virtuous after the death Of
husbands and condemned such questions
The minority report SAID that if aues-
hons of that nature were asked this
method shouil be condemned. Comm;s
sioner of Pensions Evans was then ASK
ed over The telephone If it was Il fact
that this question was asked. Mr..
Evans replied that where charges were
made against applicants they were re-
quired to answer questions relating to
them. Otherwise no such questions
were put to the applicant.
The celebration tonight included the IL
Elimination of the North Atlantic
Squadron and Il big camp lire of the
Union eX-prisoners of war. The ships
were literally cevered with electric
lights, big searchlights being also in
operation, and great crowds were at
tracted to the Delaware riyor shores.
The Departments of the various States
this evening appointed tEe;r representa-
tives in the National Council! of Admin
istration They include:
Alabama M. ID. Wickersham.
Florida-D. s. Wilmarth.
Georgia.. A. Commerford.
Kentucky-A. III. Bliss.
Louisiana and Mississippi-L Lincoln
Sims
Tennessee George w. Patton.
Virginia and North Caroliaa-Janes
70. Fuller.