Evening star., 1901-08-30
WANT CHARTER RESTORED
MEMBERS OF O. r. MORTON POST. G..
A. r., TO APPEAL.
Meeting Held and Action Looking to
Their Reinstatement-COmm
Stones Statement.

An endeavOr Is to be made to have the
revoked charter Of o. P. Morton Post, No.
(coloreO, G. A. R., restored. A meeting
OF about 100 members of the former post
was held last night in Samaritan Hall,
when the matter was fully considered.
Mr.. 8. ]. Block, member Of the G. A. R.,
was present at the meeting by invitation
and accepted the commission which was
pressed on him to represent the post be-
fore the Department of the Potomac and
if necessary, before the national encamp-
ment at Cleveland, in an endeavor to have
the charter restored.
The final action in depriving this post of
it's charter was taken about two weeks ago,
when Commander Stone of the Department
Of the Potomac considered the matter on
appeal and sustained the decision of his
predecessor. The cause Of the first and
final action, it is said, was the laxity with
which the post passed on the eligibility Of
its applicants for membership.
Committee to Meet.
A meeting of the committee from the ex-
pelled post will meet Tuesday in Mr..
Blocks office to consider the proper steps
to be taken in the endeavor to have the
post reinstated on the rolls of Potomac
Department.
In speaking of the matter to Star re-
porter today Mr.. Block said there were
about 100 of the more than 200 members OF
the post who were in every way eligible to
membership in the G. A. r. These mem
bers feel keenly their position, he said,
and while they could become members of
one Of the two other colored posts in the
Department of the Potomac they held that
as the o. p. Morton Post was the original
colored post it was in the nature of a hu-
initiation for them to seek membership
elsewhere.
Mr. Block said the members themselves
admitted that there had been mistakes
made in receiving members, but he also
believed that the lesson administered
would be remembered. Mr.. Block said that
at the meeting last night a careful list of
members about which there is no question
as to eligibility had been prepared, and
also list of members of the post who
ought not to have been admitted. The at
tendance at the meeting last night was
governed by that list.
Mr. Block believes that just at this time
when there is state agitation regarding
the disfranchiSement of the negro, the G..
A. r. ought not to take any attitude which
might be construed as indorsing this move
ment. He said he had great faith in the
judgment Of Commander Stone. and be-
lieved that when the matter is presented
to him in the proper light the charter will
be restored. He would take the matter
before the national encampment only as a
last resort.
Views OF Commander Stone.
Commander Stone declined to discuss the
matter further than to say the disposition
of the case is entirely within the jurisdic-
tion of the Potomac Department, and there
can therefore be no appeal to the national
encampment.
The offending post had been warned Of
certain irregularities. Commander Stone
said. and, this failing, his predecessor in
a cd a a n6 Ty1ai IN
quiry was made, resulting in the revocation
of the post charter. He added that there
can be no charge of discrimination on ac-
count Of color, as the same action would
have been taken in the case had the post
been composed of white members, the only
difference being, in his opinion, that in
the case of white men the department
would have been less lenient. He also
pointed out that there are two other col
ored posts on the rolls of the department,
both in good standing, and now affiliating
with their white brethren. In the face Of
this fact, he says. the charge of discrimi-
nation is not well taken.