Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1899-09-15
PER DIEM PENSIONS ASKED
The Plan Endorsed by the Union Veteran
Legion.
William r.. wOoters of Philadelphia
Elected Commander After
Lively Contest.

The fourteenth annual encampment of the
| Union Veteran Legion. which was held In
| Baltimore, Md, came to close yesterday,
when national officers were elected and In
stalled.
| Besides the election of officers and selec-
| ton of the next place of meeting, little was
| done at the two business sessions except
the consideration of the pension question.
Chairman Archibald Blakeley of the COM
mittee on pensions reported a bill for per
diem pension, which was Endorsed by the
encampment and WIFI be presented to Con-
gress. The bill is along the line of s m lar
measures which have been recommended by
previous eencampments. 1t provides that
all officers and enlisted men of the Union
army, navy and marine corps in the civil
war who have been or shall be honorably
discharged after service between May 4,
1861, and July /, 1866, shall be entitled to
monthly pension equal to l cent day for
every day served This pension shall be in
addition to invalid pensions which have or
may be hereafter granted for injuries re-
ceiyea or disease contracted IN line OF duly
in the service. 80
There was Spirited contest for the office
of commander, and two ballots were nece5-
sary before a decision was reached. 1t was
reported that thel fight was, a lineup be-
tween the priyates and officers in the mem
bership, in which the pritates iwon. This
asn eht az III sna tRe vest
William r. Wootefs OF Encampment No.
30 Philadelphia, was the successful cand!-
date, hts opponents beng Congressman
Miner of Wisconsin and William H. Red
heffer of Philadelphia Although the east
was divided between the two candidates.
the campaigning of Commander Wooters
told in the final result. He had been in the
field since the last annual encampment,
when he declined to run for the office be-
| cause it would have resulted in Pennsyl-
vanian succeeding Pennsylvania.
In his inaugural address Commander
Wooters said frankly that he did not be-
lieve in the ONCE seeking the man, and he
had practiced his belief He said that I'M
der those circumstances the official might
excuse bad administration by saying that
he had not sought the office. On the other
hand he made pledge to work for the in
terests of the order in all sections.
The other national officers elected were
follows:
Senior vice commander. Ben Renner,
Encampment Al, Cincinnati. Ohio
Junior vice commander-H. c. Zollfnger.
No. 81. Fort Wayne. Ind.
Surgeon general-Dr. Henry Klemm, No.
49, st. Louis.
Chaplain-in-c hief-Henry N. Couden, the
blind chaplain of the House Of Representa-
tives. elected by reclamation.
Quartermaster general-Thomas ]. Hub
bard. No. 100, Baltimore.
Executive commit tee-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-
~
lumbus. Ohio.
Fort Wayne. Ind Gettysburg. Pa;
Cleveland and Cincinnati were put in nomi-
nation for the next encampment. The fight
finally narrowed down to Fort Wayne and
Gettysburg, and these We're the only places
voted on. One of the delegates said Get
tysburg was all right as a battlefield to
visit for a day, but he declared it was not
suitable as convention place Fort
Wayne was finally Selected by large ma
jority, which was made unanimous amid
the applause Of the western delegates.
Commander Wooters announced the fol-
lowing members of his staff:
Adjutant general-John R. Reber No. 90
Philadelphia. ~
Judge advocate general-Jacob F. Slagle,
Inspector general-B. W. Sullivan, No. 80
Indianapolis. 90. -. -t-
Chief mastering offaeer-Thomas B. Shan
non, No. Ill, Washington. d. c.
Chief of staff-Theodere Jones, No. 49,
Columbus, Ohio.
Commander Wooters is a native of Fred
ericka Del, where he was born in, 1S43
His family removed to Philadelphia but he
went back to Delaware and enlisted in the
list Regiment on May Z, 1861. He served as
private in Companies II and F until June
II, 1865, He was wodnded in the head at
the battle of Antietam. and for a time was
tally blind. He rett4GvefAd, with the excep-
ton of the sight Of his left eye. and went
back into the ranks. In the battle of Fort
Fisher. North Carolina, in 1855, he was
again wounded, Tins time in the foot, and
walked on cratehes tor three years. He is
now engaged in the Teal estate business and
general law practice in Philadelphia.