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 Tonic of
Discussion Yesterday Boys of
'61 Not Too Old Yet for
Bicycle Race.

q. A r., as an organization, strictly a
day Of business For those members who
were not burdened with the responsible
Ties attending the position of a delegate
TO the convention Of the Grand Army IT
was day for anything and everything
but business. From morning to night the
| convention labored at it's work in Stude.
baker hall, listening to numerous reports
from officers and committees, while the
vast majority of the old soldiers went to
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 Ant1etam combined.
The convention opened at 1920 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 meet
ing was of an executive character.
Gen. Shaw announced the meeting
would be opened with prayer by Chaplain
Granin. The audience rose and remained
/
Mayor Harrison then came to the front
OF the rostrum and formally welcomed
the soldiers to Chicago. His address was
received with applause.
Comamnder-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 VISITING
veterans In behalf of the soldiers Of
illinois. He made happy little speech
which evoked much applause. Gen. Louis
wagner, who responded for the members
Oh 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 I'm after the closing of Gen
Wagner's address, Commander Loneen.
ecker, Mayor Harrison and Gen. shaw
held 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 re-
port OF the pension committee Tbie
"O"iu contain, II was generally thought
some warm statements, but there vJare
none There was not in the report q
speclilc declaration or Recommendation
upon any subject. The committee in tba
outset went at length into the history ~
the work done by G. A. r. committees in
obtaining from the last congress the IN
creases in certain classes of nensions T.
tAen discussed the differences Of oninion
e%lsIlng between the pension office and
al have % T.
the op1n1or that the old soldiers have not
received sufficient consideration The re
port argued at length against the state
ments mat have been made by the men.
sion Office, in reply to tie original critI.
clsms made by members of the csrapA
Army, but offered 10 suggestions as tn
direct line of policy to be pursued The
report was ordered printed and will be
the special order of business tomorrow
morning at o'clock a. NJ, at which ho,,'
the convention adjourned
AFTER. the pension committee had n~e
sented Its report, silver services were
presented to Adjt. Gen. Stewart and PAST
Commander johnson, as a token of the
esteem In which they are held bv their
comrades.
The committee which had taken the on
nual message of Commander in CHIEF
SHAW under consideration reported an
prevail of all his suggestions with the
exception of that relating to the change
of the date of Memorial Day from Nav
30 to the last Sunday in May. On this
the committee reported adversely. and
their report was adopted by the conven-
ton.
RASSIEUR FOR COMMANDER
An adjournment was then taken Until
tomorrow morning. 1t is said now that
the work of the enCampment will he
over by tomorrow noon unless there
should be q protracted debate over the
report Of the pension committee, and
this is not considered probable. No op-
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,
in which detachments Of the local militia
will take part.
OLD SOLDIERS ON BIKES.
One of the features of the encampment
which attracted much attention was the
veterans bicycle road race, in which
twenty-nine cid 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 ]. Patterson, sixty-one
years old, of Greenfield, Ind. Patterson
covered the distance in 1888, taking the
first prize M Halnerly, sixty-six years
old, finished second, 22:5s. M. 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.
]. 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
| Ign, N. Y. feet officer, Capt. J. A. Mil
Ter, Athens, O.. commander, Shaw, Bath,
Me-; lieutenant commander, A. H. Runge,
| Minneapolis; lieutenant, ]. II. Eagan,
Joliet, ILL.,. master, w. P. Hager, Lanes
ville N. Y; ensign, ]. H. Butler, Eaton,
| o.; surgeon, w. e. Atwell, GAINESVILLE,