The morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1899-1930, 1902-10-10
OLD SOLDIERS
ARE DEFENDED
s4~4s.a-zaa----
General Terrence Scores Traduc.
ers Of Members Of the
Grand Army.
PAYS RESPECTS TO EVANS
Says There Are 100000 Veter-
erans Who Should Receive
PcnsiOns-D0iDgs OF
the Convention.
PAYS RESPECTS TO EVANS

wAsHISGToN. oct. S.--The Grand
Army got down to business today, and
the encampment order. besides hear
ing the address of commander-ln-C Chief
Torrance and the reports from n num-
| her u officers and the committees,
elected new head for the ensuing
year. The new commandcr-In-ch
of the @. A. Il. II General r. j. Stew
| art. of Pennsylvania.
Aside from the election Of officers,
the most interesting feature OF the en-
campment was the report Of the PEN
sion committee Of the @. A, II. This
committee severely scored the medical
division Of the pension bureau. II de-
nounced the reports that the extensive
frauds were practiced In the pension
claims az absolutely baseless.
The address OF General Terrence, the
retiring commander r-In-chlcf was an
interesting one.
The general began his address with a
touching allusion TO the assassination OF
President Mckinley, eulogizing In
strong terms the dead presidents
character AMI condemning in bitter
Language the crime that struck him
down. He advocated the enactment
Of laws by congress which should make
certain punishment OF any person
who should make nm assault on tn"
chief executive. No bubble concern.
ing constitutional rights, he contended
shonii be allowed 70 stani In the way
Of such legislation,
Within the memory Of every MEM
Der OF this encampnent, the most not
able steps in our country's progress
has been taken in the face Of Imaginary
constitutional difficulties, American
Institutions are Of priceless value and
have cost TOO much In sacrifice and
suffering TO 6e put in jeopardy for a
single hour and the gallows and the
dun yeon should be the Just reward |
OF every anarchist who sets foot upon |
our shores, or attemnts TO put in prac'
tlce his doctrines OF universal hate and |
chaos"
Continuing he said that lawlessness
Of speech usually precedes lawlessness
OF act and added;
I'VE have never had president who
deserved to be caricatured and we
never will have one that a self-respect-
ing press or people can well afford to
hold up to public rlficule. More re-
spect for rlghtful speech with less APP
petite for sensatioualism win do much
10 wlther the evil passions Of men and
10 promote the safety and security OF
both life and property in this repub-
ic."
Taking up the question of pensions,
ieneral Terrence related the circum.
stances connected With the investlga. I
ion of the charges against extension /
Evans. Speaking of the I
eport made by the Grand Army's com
nittee on pensions, General Terrence /
aid that the acceptance of the resig- !
Iat!on of Commissioner Evans by the I
resident immediately followed the G
resentation Of this committees re- i
ort to him Referring further to the A
fleet produced by this inquiry he said: a
zone most gratifying result Of our Y
lvestigation was to md that no (
round existed for the wholesale Y
harges OF fraud so often made against Il
ne pensioners A large part Of the
.st report OF Commissioner Evans was h
aken up with recital OF cases Of !,
-aud committed or attempted to be
ormitted against the government n
urlng the preceding 80 years, but n
hen analysed 1t appeared that very r.
~ who had seen any military service /,
ere parties to such frauds, The h
Iola.ors OF the law were simply i'm. n
osters, not soldiers, The said report ~
lrther showed that the number of "
nion soldiers convi3ted OF crime dur "
g the year was but one thousandth a
lrt of one per cent of the total num- ~
n of the pension roll, We challenge 6,
ny other department Of the govern =,
ent to make as favorable show >,
g." l.,
rhe Commandsr-in. Chief also took =,
gnlzance of the charge that the pen. .,
on roll contains the names Of more !,
lion soldiers than there are survivors
the Civil war ami pointed out that
ere are more than 100000 survivors
that war whose names 10 not ap-
ar on the roll at all. He advocated
sisla:ion in their behalf, saying:
Few of these old veterans have