The leader. [volume] (Brookhaven, Miss.) 1895-1905, 1901-09-18
.HICAMPMENI IN SESSION.
The National Encampment Grand
Army of the Republic in Ses-
sion at Cleveland.
DIGEST OF The COMMANDERS ADDRESS.
shows q Steady Thinning Out
of the Ranks-The ChapIain-in-
Chiefs Report on the Observance
of Memorial Day.

Cleveland, o., Sept. 13.-The nation
al convention of the Grand Army of
the Republic opened at the Euclid
avenue opera house, with a large at
tendance.
The committee on credentials re-
ported that the roll prepared by the
adjutant-general was correct and
should be adopted.
The roll showed total voting
strength Of 1910, including delegates,
department commanders and past de-
partment commanders.
Commander Annual Address.
The comander-in-chief, Leo Ras-
sieur, devoted large part of his an
nual address to the matter of PEN
sions.
He criticised the administration of
the pension bureau and demanded
"the honest and fair administration
of laws which are already on the
statute books" Continuing, he said:
"If an officers lawlessness, reckless
| hCSS anu DoiuuOSS So " Suth CAtl CiiS
length as to lead him to override and
ignore a plain and unmistakable or
der, indicating the line of his duty,
under the law, coming from his SUI
perior officer, the secretary of the
interior, what can the poor and help
less old soldier expect at his hands
when he is claiming to exercise his
discretion under that law. The exer-
cising his discretion can not possibly
result in anything else, in most of
the cases, than a positive denial of
the benefits prescribed by the law"
After adverting to the Importance
of judicial assistance in the admins
tration of the pension bureau and an
swering objections to the G. A. K.
bill having this object in view, the
commander-in-chief added
eve can not conceive that the meas
ure of duty to those who saved this
country will be belittled while this
country has hundreds of millions of
dollars to engage in a humanitarian
war in the interests of the downtrod-
den of other countries
He referred regretfully to the fail
ure of the veterans preference bill
to receive full consideration by con-
gress, and urged further efforts to
secure it's passage.
Another ground for disappoint-
ment, he said, was the failure to pass
one of the three bills for a soldiers
home in South Dakota, Idaho and Ok
! lahoma.
AS to military and patriotic in
struction in the public schools, he
deplored the exclusion of non-com-
missioned officers from the bill which
passed congress
Adjutant-GeneraPs Report.
The report of the acknowledgement,
F. NJ. Sterrett, showed that the total
membership, June 80, 1901, was &c.,
5O7, in 6,67s posts. The gains during
the last year were 30,O19 and the
losses 37,172-by death s,166 and by
suspension 1922. The number
dropped from the rolls, having been
previously suspended was 1872. The
number on the rolls June 80, 1901, in
Guiding 1850 suspended, was $685. 57.
The states in which there are over
1000 members are as follows: Cali
fornia and Nevada, 4,792; Colorado
and Wyoming, 2,117; Connecticut, A.
597; Illinois, 22,132; Indiana, 1889;
Iowa, lasts; Kansas, 1881; Ken
lucky, 2,5sS; Maine, GAL; Maryland,
2,52s; Massachusetts,, 1907; Michigan,
1854; Minnesota, 6,115; Missouri, TO-.
965; Nebraska, 5,633; New Hampshire,
1891; New Jersey, 1913; New York,
30,143; Ohio, 25,111; Pennsylvania, 2s,-
SOS; Vermont, 1868; Washington and
Alaska, 2,501; Wisconsin, $3.50.
The amount expended for relief
during the year was $119,326.
"The Importance of aiding our COM
rades of the southern states and their
successors in the important object
lesson of placing the flag of the
union on the graves of our fallen. ly-
ing in national and other cemeteries
of that section on Memorial day each
year, for all time to come. urges us
to adopt the best method towards Sc
curing that end"
Chaplain-in-Chiers Report.