Evening star., 1900-02-06
PRESIDENT PRAISED
Eloquent Tributes Paid Him at a
Gathering Of Veterans.
BANQUET TO COMMANDER SHAW
Criticisms of the Present Policy of
the Pension Bureau.
TOASTS AND RESPONSES
TOASTS AND RESPONSES

guest of honor ct a sumptuous banquet at
the EbDitt House last night, rendered by
his comrades of the Department of the Po-
tomac. The hall was effectively decorated,
the stars and stripes predominating. of
course, its beautiful colors being heightened
by the profusion of foliage plants and
blooming flowers that fianked the walls and
| burdened the tables. Commander Shaw held
a reception in the red parlor previous to
| the feast, and was cordially greeted by
the old veterans. The guests then pro-
ceeded to the banquet hall by twos, to the
| music of Sousa's stirring march, THE Men
Behind the Guns and each saluted the flag
ere being seated. Chaplain W. H. Black
invoked the divine blessing upon the as
| semblage. During the discussion of the me-
nu Lieut.. Col. Frank H. Harrington of the
| Marine Corps and Col. NJ. Emmet Urell an
nounced the arrival of the Marine Band to
serenade the veterans, and the latter rose
and cheered to the echo. The band was
stationed in the adjoining room, and the
rendition of THE Star-Spangled Banner
was greeted with another round of cheers.
The toastmaster was Past Commander
Thomas S. Hopkins and the first toast, The
President of the United States was re-
| sponded to by Senator John NJ. Thurston of
Nebraska
An Eloquent Tribute.
In the course of his forcible remarks Sen
| ator Thurston said:
Tonight we especially honor the office of
President because of the grand and worthy
man who now occupies that position. He
| was a soldier. a boy volunteer. That boy
| of the Shenandoah is now the commander
| 1n-chief of the army and navy of the
United States. He has stood during the
| past trying two years unmindful of the fire
| in front and from the rear. He knows that
| the old soldiers of the rebellion are not
armies he has put in the field. There was
peace when he came into office, and shortly
| afterward there was war-war for hui
manity'S sake.
House a comrade of Grant-a soldier whose
| terms were unconditional surrender. That
| is the only way he will deal with any one
| firing on the United States flag. He says,
| as do we all say, that the flag which was
| hauled up in the Philippines in honor shall
never come down in dishonor. We are
ready to meet foes on one side of the line
and on the other. We can fight them in
| the canebrakes of the Philippines and in
| the Senate of the United States and as
| long as the flag flies. with William Mckin-
ley and his boys in blue keeping it in the
air, 1t means that it is the same flag you
fought for. 1t TRANQUILITY floats, the un-
conquered flag of the greatest nation on
earth.'
Assurances of the Future.
Representative Charles E. Littlefield of
Maine responded to Our Country's Fu-
| ture." There were 100000 people in the
Union, he declared, who were all free
through the valor of the Grand Army of the
Republic, and upon such valor and loyalty
he based the prophecy for success in all
future undertakings The year 1898 saw a
conquest of civilization where a man NAV
worship God according to the dictates of
his conscience. Referring to the Philip
pines, he said the peace treaty guaranteed
ram Inlya har,, ar,1 Z
our duty to bring order from chaos in that
archipelago.
There be no life, no liberty or no
pursuit of happiness, without there being
first law and order, he declared Mr.
Mckinley has been enforcing law and order
in the Philippines since the ratification of
the treaty. J. believe trade follows our
flag, but believe further that where the
flag goes it takes life, liberty and bless
ing, and where it is raised in honor it will
not nor never can be lowered
THE republic stands today in these clos
ing hours of the nineteenth century as a
proof that the republic has not been as
once predicted-a mere rope of sand. Blood
is thicker than water. 1 believe that the
Anglo-Saxon race is to dominate the civili-
zation of mankind. not, however, by war,
with its horrors and devastation, but
through the arts and blessings that follow
in its tracks,
Pension Bureau Criticised.
When Commander-in-Chief Shaw arose to
respond to the toast The G. A. R." he was
Justify cheered, and during his remarks
which were somewhat extended, he was fire.
quently interrupted by applause.
In the course of his speech he arraigned
the present policy of the pension bureau in
unmistakabe terms. The pension policy of
the government, he said was righteous
one, which a grateful people had nobly sus-
tained from the first, but there was wide
dissatisfaction over the manner in which
a inn, nffS Cd, ,s,,,~t
He felt assured that the recommendations
of the Philadelphia encampment now pend
ing as amendments in Congress would be-
come law, and relief secured of the most
desirable sort.
Proposed Court of Appeals.
He announced that bill was now almost
ready for submission to Congress providing
for a pension court Of appeals, to be COM
posed of jurists appointed for life, selected
by the President from both of the great
political parties, and from different sec
tions of our country, SO that the rejected
applications for pension can be finally re-
viewed and passed upon by a competent
and impartial court Of appeals, free from
partisan or personal influences of any kind
In company with the pension commit
tee" said Commander Shaw, II presented
this plan to the President, and he assured
us that 1t seemed to him to have great
merit.
II am frank in saying that I believe a
grave injustice Is being done to a great
number of worthy applicants, whose ap-
peals from a rejected pension claim are
lying among the 1900 cases now with the
present board of appeals in the Secretary's
Office. Such state of things is unworthy
of a great nations policy-saved to pos
terity by the deeds Of thousands whose
applications should be swiftly and finally
, decided under the highest favor of judicial
atignity and wisdom.
The "Fraud" Cry.
i, "I must be frank" he continued, "com-
rades and gentlemen, in speaking of the
fraud cry over pension matters. So great
has been this hateful cry that every vet
eran with heart of valor and a soul sur
charged with true patriotism abhors the
gross injustice in the past which has made
possible this humiliating and offensive state
of things
1.-THE trouble arises over the system snow
in force in the pension Office. In my opin-
ion. There is too much circumlocution, and
too little loyalty to the plain intent and
meaning Of present pension laws in their
execution. For this reason the present adj
ministration Of the Grand Army of the Re-
public is earnest in its demand for a pen