The National tribune., 1899-09-21
THE UNION VETERAN LEGION.
iIolsiar of the IlNatioii Ene,mpueu. at Baltimore
Officers Elected-Per.Diem Pension Asked fur

|
The Union Veteran Legion held its 14tl
more last week, with very large attend
ance and pieasant,time,
Besides the ttectisn of officers and selec
ton OF the next place of meeting, little was
| done at the two business sessions except
the the conslderatisY offlthe pension question
Chairman Archibald Blakeley of the Com
mlftee on Tensions Exported a bill for n Pei
diem pension, Which, was indorsed by the
Encampment and wall be presented to Con
gress. The bill is along the line of similar
measures which have been recommended
Dy previous Encafnpments. 1t provides
that ell officers and enlisted men of the
Union army, navy and marine corps in the
civil war who have been or shall be honor
ably discharged after service between May
q, 1851, and July 1 1866, shall identified to
a monthly pension equal to one cent day
Tor every day served. This pension shall
be in addition to invalid pensions. which
nave or may be hereafter granted for in
Juries received or disease contracted in line
of duty in the service
There was n spirited contest for the office
OF Commander and two ballots We're neces-
sary before decision was reached. 1t was
reported that the fight was a lineup be-
tween the privates and officers in the MEM
bershlp, in which the privates won. This
was denied, however, by the principals. 1t
was n light between the East and the West
william X. Wooters, of Encampment No
20, Philadelphia, was the successful candi-
date. his opponents being Congressman
Miner, of Wisconsin,, and William III. Red
heifer, of Philadelphia. Although the East
was divided between the two candidates,
the campaigning of Commander Wooters
told in the final result. He has been in the
held since the last Annual Encampment,
when he declined to run for the office be-
cause it would have resulted in a Pennsyl-
GflrcpplInrp n
In his inaugural address Commander
Wooters said frankly that he did not be-
lleve In the office seeking the man, and he
had practiced his belief. He said that un-
der those circumstances the official might
excuse ssS , bad administration by saying that
ne mad not sought the office. On the other
hand, he made pledge to work for the
interests OF the Order in all sections.
The other National officers elected were
as follows: S. V. O., j. Ben Renner, En-
campment Al, Cincinnati. O.;J VIC, H.C.
ZZoliinGer, q No. 81, Fort Wayne, Ind; Surg
ChaEIain-in-Chief, Henry N. Couden, the
blind Chaplain of the House of Representa-
tives, elected by acclamation; @. M-Gen.
Ihos j. Hubbard, No. 100, Baltimore;
Executive Committee, John d. Sheppard,
No Is, Louisville; Harvey Cooper, No. 8,
New Castle Pa; b. N: Woodruff, No. 20,
Brooklyn. N. Y; J. B. Knox, No SO, Wor-
cester. Mass; j. A. Minnnick, No. rs,
o.
Fort Wayne. Ind, Gettysburg, Pa.
Cleveland and Cincinnati were nut in nomi- |
nation for the next Encappment. The fight
finally narrowed down to Fort Wayne and
and these were the only places
voted on. One of the delegates said Gettys- |
burg was all right as battlefield to visit for |
a day, but he declared it was not suitable |
as convention place. Fort Wayne was
finally selected by a large majority, which !
was made unanimous amid the applause of |
the Western delegates.
Commander Wootess announced the fol- |
lowing members Of his staff: AdJt-Gen., |
J ohm X. ReberI Nol 20, Philadelphia; |
Judge-AdvocatedGenethl, Jacob F. Slagle. |
No. 1, Pittsburg; 4rs Ren., B. w. Sullivan. |
No. so, Indlanapont Chief Mastering
Officer, Thos. b. Shaiihon, No III. Wash |
ngton, ID. c.; Ghie8 of Staff, Theodore
Jones, No rs, Columbus, o.
Commander Wooters is a native Of Fred |
erlcka, Del, whore he was born in 1913 |
His family removed olPhiladelphia, but he |
went back to Delaware and enlisted in the |
lst Regiment on MayF, 1881. He served |
2s a private in Cos. II and f until June |
Il, 1865. He wits wounded in the head at |
he battle of AntietanlL and for time was |
Daralyzed in both legs and was almost |
otally blind. He recovered, with the ex-
,eption Of the sight of his left eye, and went |
back into the ranks. I'm the battle of Fort |
Fisher, n. c., in 1865, he was again |
this time in the foot, and walked |
IN crutches for three years. =" He is now
in tie real estate business and |
general law practice in Philadelphia.