The National tribune., 1899-09-14
THE NATIONAL ENcAMPMENr.


years, but have never seen the atmosphere
SO surcharged with electricity as at the re
cent meeting of the 33d National Encamp
ment at Philadelphia.
There was enough to sufficiently accoun
for this. The intense feeling all over TIL
country, and particularly west of the ALE
gany Mountains. against Mr.. Evans's
maladministration of the Pension Bureau
was greatly aggravated by his ill-advised
course in proclaiming from the very frs
notice of the meeting of the National Pen
sion Committee last July that it in
tended TO "exonerate" him; by his follow
ing this up, Immediately after its meeting
and before a word of its report had heen
written. by filling every newspaper column
OF what it intended tosay in his eXculpation
and praise. and finally by his announce
ments, on the eve of the meeting of the En-
cln7nslt, that the Administration was
going to exercise its whole influence to con-
troll the action of the Encampment in his
favor. In private letters, conversations
and elsewhere. he designated a number of
members of the Encampment who have
been the fortunate recipients of good gifts
from the Administration, or are confidently
expecting the same. who would appear III
the Encampment to secure an endorsement
of his course. This was as unjust to those
co nrades as his previous course had been
to the members of the National Pension
Committee. EJcry one of those comrades,
who are all men of dese-vedly great in
fIeuce i'll tlc f E1clno neat, Prove entirely
true 10 his comrades. and acquiesced
heartily in the unanimous action of the En-
campment There was not = whisper OF
dissent from any source to the crushing
conclusions arrived at by the National Per
sion Committee. Nor did we hear, INSIDE
outside of it, anything but settled deter
mination to prevent. at any cost, TIE
promised "whitewashing" of tie Comm:s-
sioner.
There was an actually painful intensity
of interest rs 10 what the report Of the Com
mittee on Pensions was to Ee. UTon this
would depend the entire conduct of the
battle for veterans rights. They wko lad
come there determined to denounce the ad-
mnistration cf the Pension Bureau, and
they who had come to prevent any ex-
ok 10 i,nfn
patible with the dignity of the Order and
the best interests of the comrades, girded
up their loins for the fray.
The Pension Committee had kept its
secret well. No one outside of the Com
mittee and the Acting Commander-in-Chie
had the faintest idea as to what the report
would be- The Committee had resisted
alike the brazen Misrepresentation of
Commissioner Evans as well as the anxious
opportunities of the comrades. Never was
there paper presented to the National En-
campment listened to with more breathiess
interest. 1t was long, and dealt with COM
plicated questions, but no one lost word OF
it, When it was finished there was a gasp
Of relief that broke out into acclamation.
The crisis was past, the problem was solved.
The Pension Committee had done its duty
so magnificently-had attacked and
handled the subject so masterfully-that
there was not word more to be said. The
seyerest of Mr.. Evans's critics We're as
weil pleased as those who had come there
feeling that probably he WIS being un-
justly attacked.
The only questions that rose We're as to
the method of getting the fullest consider
alton Of the report by every one, and
whether it Was necessary to embody the
Committees conclusions in the more sue
cinct form of resolution. Upon these
there was very little debate. The supple
mental report, which was made in obedience
to instructions, was, if possible, even more
satisfactory, for it clinched and condensed
into few pregnant, well-phrased sentences
the conclusions which the Committee had
wrought out with laborious logic.
The other proceedings of the National
Encampment We're equally satisfactory
The election OF Acting Commander-in-
Chief johnson to the full rank, to date from
the death of Col. Sexton, expressed the
universal sentiment of the comrades as to
what he deserved for the excellent adj
ministration he had given the Order.
Two excellent comrades We're competitors
for the office of Commander-in-Chief Both
We're men of commanding ability and long
choose between the two. But the friends OF
Comrade Shaw had been much earlier in
Comrade Rassieur Withdrew in a speech
pitched upon the highest plane Of fraternity,
and moved to make his competitors choice
unanimous.
Pennsylvania, as she always does,
showed a devotion to principle by refusing
to put forward nominee for Senior Vice
Commander-in-Chief, in order to break an
unwritten law which it was felt was not fol
the best interests of the Order. Comrade
Irwin Robbins, of Indiana. a four-years
veteran and tireless worker for the G "A. r,
was elected Senior Vice Commandments
Chief by ac,tamation.
The election of Michael Minton, of Ken
lucky. for Junior Vice Commander-in