Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-10-16
Address of Commander In Chief,
Reports of Committees and
Election of officers.
STEWART THE NEW LEADER
Ballot Pension Committee Scores
Medical Division OF the Pension
Department-Wo men's Socie-
ties Hold Annual Meetings.

Washington, Oct 9.-The Grand Army
got down to business to-day and the en-
campinent of the order besides hearing an
address from Commander-in-C Chief Tor
rance and reports from number or Of
ficers and committees elected a new head
for the ensuing year. The new COM
handkerchief of the G. A. r. is Cen
r. J. Stewart of Pennsylvania, who was
n leading candidate for the honor year
ago. His competitors to-day were General
John G.. Black of Illinois, former com
missioner of pensions. and Col. John Nc
Elroy of this city The name of General
Daniel Sickles of New York city, was pre-
scented to the convention but he withdrew
from the race. William Molin of Massa-
chusetts was elected vice-commander-in.
chief, and James NJ. Averill of Georgia
junior vice-commandcr-i in chief.
Aside from tho election of these officers
the most interesting feature of the en-
campment was the report of the pension
committee of the G.. A. r. This commit
tee severely scored the medical division of
the pension bureau. declaring that 1t was
a dead line where were executed the
claims of veterans seeking pensions. II
accused this division Of approaching the
reports Of the examining surgeons
throughout the country with suspicion and
distrust and was made in bad faith. 1t de
nounccd the reports that EXTENSIVE frauds
were practiced in pension claims as alb
solutelv baseless.
The Woman's Relief Corps, the Daugh-
ters OF Veterans and tho ladies of the G
A. r. also met in annual convention to-
day Thousands of veterans and their
wives not delegates to either OF these or
EXAMINATIONS attended army corps reunion
IN the big tents on the White lot a fea
ture of the late afternoon was the dedica-
ton of the corner stone of the proposed
memorial bridge to connect Washington
with the National Cemetery at Arlington
Secretary Root was the orator of the oc-
casion.
CEN. TORRANCE'S ADDRESS.
General Torrance began his address:
with a touching and euogistic rcferano
to the assassination of President McKin
ley. He condemned the crime that STRUCK
him down and advocated the enactment
of laws by Congress to make certain the
punishment Of any person who makes al
assault on the chief executive.
General Torrance related the circum
stances connected with the investigation
of the charges against extension Com
missioner Evans and speaking of the TO
port made by the Grand Army's comm (
! tee on pensions, General Torrance sale
| that the acceptance of the resigna ton o
| Commissioner Evans by the Presidcn
this committees report to him. Referring
further to the effect of his inquiry HI
said:
lone most gratifying result of our in
vestigation was to find that no groun'
existed for the wholesale charges OF frau'
| SO often made against the pensioner." !
! large part of the last report of Commits
| sioner Evans was taken up with a recita
of cases Of fraud committed or ATTEMPTED
! to be committed against the government
/ during the preceding thirty years, blu
! when analyzcd 1t appeared that very few
who had military service Were parties T.
such frauds" TOhe violators of the Law
were simply impostors, not soldiers"
| The commander in chief also took cog
nizance of the charge that the pension ro
contains the amcs OF more Union soldier
| than there are survivors of the Civ
! War, and pointed out that there are NOR
than 200 900 survivors of that war who's
names do not appear on the roll at al
iIe advocated legislation In their behal
saying:
For more than a third of a centur
they have borne an honorable part i
advancing the interests of the countr,
| and at this late day when in their OF
age they apply for help, they should rc
| he regarded with disfavor because the
did not apply earlier"
General Torrance declared that no "a
| cuniary compensation ever could be mad
to those who preserved the Union. f.
that was a debt Of gratitude which coul
not be paid with dollars and cents. Ger
eral Torrance paid high tribute TO I'll
work of the womens auxiliary organic
tons and also made an appeal for III
proper recognition of the Sons Of We
Grams.
He devoted considerable space to cor
sideration of the status of the ex-confeC
crate soldier, repeating in spirit his pie
of month ago that the manifestation
good will and hrotherly kindness TOWARD
the late adversares of the members
the Grand Army continue.
OFFICIAL REPORTS.
Official reports We're made by the ser
Tor vice commander. the junior vice con
mander, the rgeon-general. the chal
lain-in-chief the adjutant-general Il
quartermasterg general. the inspector gel
eral and the judge advocate general.
The report of Adjutant-Generai Sill
II. fowler of Minneapolis, shows that G
the 30th of June last the muster roll
. the Grand Army contained 263, I45 nam,
of members in good standing and IT,;
there were 6,5ll posts. The figures as
membership show a net loss since Il
preceding year of 5S0i. The adJutap
general says that the high water mark
membership was attained in 1890 when
! numbered 400, iS9 and that there has bee
a gradual decline since that date. Con
menting on these circumstances, he say
; at Is indeed encouraging that notwiti
|