The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-08-30
RASSIEUR FOR COMMANDER
PRACTICALLY NO OPPOSITION TO
THE ST. LOUIS VETERANS
CANDIDACY
PENSION COMMITTEE REPORT
Furnished the Principal Topic of
Discussion Yesterday - Boys of
'61 Not Too Old Yet for
Bicycle Race.


q. A. r., as an organization, strictly
day Of business. For those members VIII
were not burdened with the responsibiIi
tles attending the position of a deegat,
TO the convention Of the Grand Army 1
was day for anything and everythfns
but business. From morning to night tn,
convention labored at it's work in Stude
baker hall, listening to numerous report,
from officers and committees, while the
vast majority of the old soldiers went t.
the parks, took boat rides upon the lake
and those who had not seen blood enough
in their younger days accepted an invi
tation from the packers to visit the stock
yards, where they beheld more slaughter
than had taken place at the "bloody
angle" at Spottsylvania and In the
bloody lane" at Antietam combined.
The convention opened at 1890 O'clock
and from the start business was pushed
with energy. The opening session was
entirely of a social character and was
open to the public. The afternoon meat.
ing was of an executive character.
Cen Shaw announced the meeting
would be opened with prayer by Chaplain
Granin. The audience rose and remained
standing during the invocation.
Mayor Harrison then came to the front
of the rostrum and formally welcomed
the soldiers to Chicago. His address was
received with applause.
Commander er-in-Chief Shaw, Of the
Grand Army, replied to Mayor Harrison
for the members Of his organization ex.
| pressing the thanks of the army for the
hospitality shown them.
AS Gen. Shaw resumed his seat. ]. M
Longenecker, commander of the depart
ment of Illinois, rose to greet the yisftine
veterans in behalf of the soldiers of
Illinois He made happy little speech
which evoked much applause. Gen. I,o11i.
wagner, who responded for the menbe, G
OF the army was no less felicitous in his
reply, expressing the gratitude of his
comrades TO the men of Illinois This
closed the meeting Of the morning as
Immediately after the closing of Cen
Wagner's address, Commander Loncen.
ecker, Mayor Harrison and Gen. Shaw
heId an Informal reception, lasting half
an hour.
PENSION COMMITTEES REPORT.
When the convention met in the after,
noon the first thing taken up was the 70.
port or the pension committee. Tbie
would contain,i it was generally tboroht
some warm statements, but there were
nome 1here was not In the report q
specific declaration or recommendation
upon any subject. The committee in the
outset went at length into the history ~
the Work done by G. A. r. committees in
obtaining from the last congress the IN
cfeases in certain classes of pensions t.
tAen discussed the differences of oninion
e"lstlilg between the pension office and
those members of the G. A. r. who bold
the opinion that the old soldiers have 30
received sufficient consideration. The re.
port argued at length against the state
Hents that have been made by the nen.
sion ONCE, In reply to the original criti.
clsms made by members of the Grana
Army, but offered 10 suggestions as IN
ulrect line of policy to be pursued Tba
report was ordered printed and will ba
sne specla! order of business tomorrow
morning at o'clock a. m., at which bor'
the convention adjourned.
AFTER. the pension committee had me-
sehteo us report, silver services wera
presented to Adjt. Gen. Stewart and past
commander Johnson, as a token of the
esteem In which they are held nv their
comrades
Ihe committee which had taken the on
nual message of Commander in Chief
Nii''0I CoHSIuerdtlOn, reported ap-
proVal of all his suggestions with the
exception of that relating to the change
of the date of Memorial Day from Nav
80 to the last Sunday in Nav. On this
the committee reported adversely. and
their report was adopted by the conven-
ton.
RAssIEUR FOR COMMANDER
An adjournment was then taken until
fnY
the work of the enoampment will be
over by tomorrow noon unless there
should be a protracted debate over the
report of the pension committee and
this is not considered probable No on
position has been raised to Judge Ras-
sieur, of st. Louis, In his candidacy for
the position of commander in chief, and
it is practically certain that he will be
elected on the first vote. There has
been very little talk regarding the place
of the next encampment, but two places,
Denver and Salt Lake, having been men
toned.
The chief feature of the programme to-
morrow, outside of the business meeting,
will be a sham battle in Washington park
in which detachments of the local militia
will take part.
OLD SOLDIERS ON BIKES.
which attracted much attention was the
veterans bicycle road race, in which
twenty nine old soldiers started. The
course was from Halstead street straight
west to Garfield park, and once around
the park a distance Of seven miles.
The winner was j. Patterson, sixty-one
years old, cf Greenfield, Ind. Patterson
covered the distance in 1888, taking the
first prize M Hamerly, sixty-six years
old, finished second, 22:58. NJ. P Shock,
Of Chicago, collided with another rider
and was thrown, being badly, but not
dangerously bruised. OF the twenty nine
starters in the race, twenty-six finished.
J. L. Smith, of Cleveland, won the time
prize, making the course In 10 minutes,
! % seconds.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS.
At the meeting of the Naval Veterans
association the following officers were
elected for the ensuing year: Command
er-in-chief, Frederick Haskins, Brook
lyn, N. Y; feet officer, Capt. ]. A. Mil
Ter, Athens, O.; commander. Shaw, Bath,
Me-; lieutenant commander, A. H. Runge
Minneapolis; lieutenant, ]. H. Eagan,
Joliet, H.; master, w. p. Hager, Lanes
vile, N Y; ensign, ]. H. Butler, Eaton,
| o.; surgeon, w. E. Atwell, GAINESVILLE,