The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1900-02-28

served at 6 O'Clock, and an interesting
and patriotic programme rendered later
IN the evening. There was an interess-
ing but entirely harmonious contest
over the election OF department com
nlandeT the honor finally going TO Ma
jor NJ. A. BTeeden Of ogden. The 9TH
eT5 in the race were NJ. NJ Kaighn and
A. 5. Condor. Mr.. Kaighn was the re-
firing commander. but there was a de-
sire to re-elect him because of his ef-
fieient work toward getting the ma
tiOnal encangpment here next season.
The morning session was taken up
chiefly with routine work. The address
of the department commander was
read and formed a careful and inter
esting history Of the department for
the year.
Commander Kaighn's Address.
It was ia part as follows:
our present numbers in good stand
ing are 2CS. distributed as follows.
James B. Mexican post, 81; John A. Dix
post, %; George r. Maxwell post, So
William T. Sherman post, q; John A.
Logan post, 30.
We have lost forty members duFing
the year. principally through sUspen-
sions for nOn-payuent Of dues. We
nave received new members by card
net loss of eight members
The feeling is widespread. indeed
almost universal, among the O. d sol
dleTs. that they are not being treated
fairly by the present administration of
the pension office. / can speak without
personal interest or feeling on this
subject, as I have never received OF
applied for a pension.
Applicants for pensions claim that
ia I'll
essary affidaYits and testimony: and
evidence that il is manifesEly imDOssi-
bic TO procure; that there is unneces-
sary delay in passing upon their claims;
that their applications are arbitrarily
and wrOngfUlly rejected, and they are
compelled to make new applications for
the purpose Of cutting off arreaTages
OF pension running back to the date of
their application; and when the PEN
SION is allowed, that they are rated in
disability and allowance greatly less
than that to which they are fairly en-
titled; that in the examination Of
claims for pensions they are considered,
not with an effort to make a fair ad
JudicatiOn upon the merits, but rather
in a hypercTitical spirit, and in an ef-
fort to find some pretenSe. even though
it be frivolous, to reject the application.
They claim that il is the policy of the
administration to prevent any increase
in the pension roll, and TO grant no
more pensions than will make good
the natural decrease Of the roll from
deaths and other causes.
The president, in his last message
to congress, in that portion relating 10
pensions, gives, among Others. the fol-
lowing figures for the past year:
Dropped from pension roll by reason
Of death and other causes. 1876; added
10 the rolls, 1881; pension claims dis
allowed, 1O7 ,917
The figures speak trUmpet-tongUed
for themselves, and need no comment
from me. Our c0mmandeT-in-Chief
General Albert D. Shaw. has taken this
matter up, and in an able speech deIiv-
cred in New York City on Nov. II. since
printed and circulated in pamphlet
form, which / commend to your earnest
reading and consideration, has stated
and explained the injustice inflicted on
the old soldiers by the pension Office.
and suggests the remedy by appropriate
legislation, bills for which have been
introduced and are now pending in con-
%ress.
But, comrades and old soldiers. the
remedy is in our own hands, and if We
but manfully stand up for and demand
cur rights, they will not be long denied
Us, for no political party dare deny the
reasonable and united demands Of l.
600 600 old soldiers and their friends
Spanish and Philippine Wars.
THE triumph of our arms in Cuba,
Porto Rico and in the Philippines is
most gratifying to the old soldiers.
The men who served and are now
serving in these wars are entitled to
high praise and patriotic approval.
Though they were not fighting as we
were, for the preservation of the ma
tons life, they fought CALAMITY under
the same flag in the service of our cOln-
try and against her enemies.
There must always exist a bond of
fraternity and sympathy between them
and US, Even though under the fUnda-
mental principles Of our organization,
they cannot be enrolled therein, they
will always be welcome guests ao all
our public meetings and reunions.
and We trust we viii be likewise well