The record-union., 1899-09-08
NEW COMMANDER
FOR GRAND ARMY.
Colonel Shaw of New York the Man
Selected.
Receives the Unanimous Vote of the Dele
gates to the Encampment.
The Report of the Pensions Com
mittee Presented and Adopted,
Asking the President to Abro-
gate Rule Twenty-Two, Assert
ing That 1t Works an Injustice
to Ex-SoIdiers and Ex-Sailors.

1
ing That 1t Works an Injustice
to Ex-SoIdiers and Ex-Sailors.
PHILADELPHIA, Sept. Z. = AT to-
days session of the National Encamp-
ment of the Grand Army of the Re-
pubic Judge Leo Rassieur of st. Louis
withdrew as a candidate for Com
mander-in- Chief, and Colonel Albert D.
Shaw of Watertown N. Y, was elected
to that office by acclamation.
The encampment was called to order
at 10 o'clock by Chief
w. s. Johnson. Past Commander-in-
Chief William Warner of Missouri
presented the name of Judge Leo Ras-
! sieur of st. Louis for Commander-in-
Chief. He was followed by Department
! Commander Joseph w. Kay of New
York, who nominated Colonel Albert D
Shaw OF Watertown, n. Y Captain
Thomas l.. Sample of Allegheny City
seconded the nomination of Colonel
Shaw, and the Ohio, South Dakota and
Vermont delegations also made known
their intention of voting for the New
! York man.
"
speaking, which was accorded to him.
He said that he had not sought the
office of Commander-in-Ch Chief, his cam
didacy being the result of the work Of
his friends. The desire of the encamp-
ment, he said, seemed to be to elect
| Colonel Shaw, and he felt that it was
! but proper for him to withdraw from
| the contest in order that the business
OF the meeting should not be delayed
! he then asked that the entire vote of
the encampment be turned over to Col
onel Shaw and that the New York can
didate be elected by acclamation. He
was cheered to the echo, and cries of
'Rassieur for 1900" were heard in all
parts of the Grand Opera house. Act
! ing on the suggestion of Judge Ras-
sieur, the encampment elected Colonel
| Shaw by reclamation
! The business of the encampment was
! interrupted nv the arrival of the dele
| cations representing the Women's Re-
/ lief Corps, Army Nurses and Sons of
| Veterans ,and a brief reception was
| held. After the visiting delegations left
! the delegates proceeded to the election
| of the remainder of the officers.
| Irvine Robins of Indianapolis was
| elected Senior Vice Commander-in-
| Chief; H. NJ Minton of Louisville,
KY, was chosen Junior Vice Com
mander, and William H. Baker of Lynn.
Mass, was elected Surgeon General.
Jacob L. Grimm of Maryland was
elected Chaplain-in-Chief The report
of the Pensions Committee, which was
yesterday recommitted with instruc-
tions to the committee to embody there
in the desires of the encampment rela-
| tive to the pension laws, was again
presented. The report was accompan-
led by resolutions drafted by the COM
mittee, and the convention at once
adopted them unanimously. They are
as follows:
Your Committee on Pensions re-
| spectfully presents this supplemental
report, pursuant to the instructions Of
the encampment.
I'VE respectfully direct attention to
section All of the revised statutes of
the United States. which reads as fol-
lows:
The Commissioner of Pensions shall
/ perform under the direction Of the Sec
retary of the Interior such duties in
! the execution of the pension and bounty
| laws as may be prescribed by the Unit
ed States
Resolved, That this encampment re-
| spectfully presents to the President it's
/ earnest conviction that rule ~ now in
practical effect in the adjudication of
claims for pensions. under section > of
the Act of June y. 1890 in the Pension
| Bureau, works grave injustice to
worthy eX-soldiers and ex-sailors, and
we express the hope that you will find
| it consistent with your duties as an ex-
ecutive officer to abrogate this rule and
re-esta blish the principle as defined in
rule 164. Under the operation of rule
| 164, formulated and put into effect soon
after the passage of this Act, unuues-
! tionably responsive to public sentiment
and based upon sound legal propo-
| sitions in word. the simple expression
of the letter and spirit of the law. 40
| 600 names We're added to the pension
roll of the republic, and to which no
| objection was heard for years after its
PRONUNCIATION.
Resolved, This encampment respect-
| fully represents that the practice in the
Pension Bureau in barring widow
claimants who have an income of S96 o
year is not warranted by the terms of
| the law, and we warmly indorse the
recommendation Of the Commissioners
of Pensions to successive Secretaries of
the Interior that the limitation be in
creased to $3.50 year.
Resolved, That the Commander in
Chief appoint committee of five COM
rades to present to the President a. GER
titled copy of the action of this ma
tional encampment, with an expression
of our earnest desire for Justice only
to our disabled comrades and the
widows and orphans of our dead under
the letter and spirit of the law.
Resolved, That this committee is
hereby authorized and directed in the
event that it is determined that relief
may not be accorded by the Admins
trative officers of the Government to
present to Congress a request for the
amendment of the law in such form as
| to make certain the true interest of the
statute, as we believe it. can pe con-
strued as herein presented"
The report was signed by r. B.
Brown, J. w. Burst. John Palmer and
Charles Clark Adams The committee
as suggested in the report was appoint
ed, consisting of the four signers of the