The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1899-09-08
LANDSLIDE FOR Shaw.
Sure TO Be Elected COmmander-ln-Chie
of the Grand Army.
ENCAMPMElvT DOWN TO BUSINESS.
Report of Committee on Pensions
Deaths of the Year and Place
Selected For the Next
Annual Meeting.

Annual Meeting.
Philadelphia, Sept. THE business
of the Grand Army national encamp-
ment was conducted behind closed
doors.
The assembly was called to order by
acting Commander-in-chief Johnson.
The rules were Immediately suspended
and, on motion of an Ohio man, Colo
mel Johnson was made commander-in-
chief for the unexpired term. Johnson
was senior vice commander and sue
ceeds the late commander, Colonel
Sexton.
Chicago was selected by acclamation
as the place for the national encamp
ment in 1900.
The report of the committee on pen
sions was then read, and a motion was
made to refer it to the committee on
resolutions. This created much discus
sion many of the delegates favoring
the immediate adoption of a resolution
covering the subjects mentioned in the
report The Michigan delegation was
the first to object to the report on the
ground that it failed to specify what
| the Grand Army wanted. They were
supported by Indiana, Kansas and New
York. After discussion lasting near
| ly four hours the report was referred
| back to the committee on pensions
with instructions that it be presented
| embodying recommendations and reso-
| lutions.
The complaint of the veterans as
| contained in the pension committed s
| report is that the law governing the
| granting of pensions is misconstrued
| by the pension examiner. The report
| is not critical, but is said to contain a
| statement of facts as they exist in the
pension department
| The surgeon general, Albert S. Pierce,
reported that during the past eighteen
months 1903 deaths had occurred in
the Grand Army. There are, the report
| states, 1,672 deserving sick and maim-
| ed soldiers not receiving pensions. In
| government and state homes for SOL
diers and sailors there are 6,431 in.
mates, and 81 old sailors and old SOL
diers are in almshouses.
In his report Daniel R. Lucas, chap
lain-in-chief, states that there are 6,6S2
soldiers graves unmarked. He recon-
mends that as the government furnish
es headstones the neglected graves
should receive attention.
The Pennsylvania delegation met in
caucus and voted unanimously to sup
port Sheppard for the office of COM
mander-in-chief. They also decided
to present no candidates for Office tC
the convention. This action was taken
for the purpose of breaking up the
practice of conceding to the state in
which the encampment is held the of
fee of senior vice commander-in-chief
There at first appeared to be pros
poets of brisk contest over the elec.
tion of a commander-in-chief, but wher
the presiding officer called the meeting
to order there was every indication
that there would be a landslide for Col
onel A. D. Shaw of New York.
The great attraction of the day wa!
the squadron of fighting ships anchor
ed in the Delaware river. Veteran.
from all over the country visited th'
ships, many of them never having seeI
a modern engine of war.
At Camp Sexton, in Fairmount park
where nearly 10000 veterans are quar-
tered, there was a display of fireworks
Many reunions Of regiments, societies
and organizations were held.
Naval Veterans Ruptured.
Philadelphia, Sept. T. There wer
lively times at the session of the Ma
tional Association of Naval Veterans
A resolution providing for the admis
sion of participants in the Spanish wa
to membership in the association start
ed a rumpus and the result was tha
there is now split in the organiza
ton. A number of speeches were mad
and the vote on the resolution wa
overwhelmingly against admitting tn
men of the late war. When the resul
was announced the Farragut delegate
from New York and the delegates fror
the Admiral Boggs association of New
ark, N. j., walked out in a body. 1t i
their intention to start an oppositio
association.