Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-10-09
National Convention of
the Grand Army in
Session.
THE ANNUAL ADDRESS
Is Delivered by Com
nander-in-Chief Tor
ranCe--ReportS.

Washington. d. c.. Oct. 9.-The bus
mess meeting of the encampment of
the Grand Army of the Republic be-
gan today at the First Congregation
al church. The attendance compris-
ed about 1000 delegates. At the out
set resolution was adopted express
ing the grief of the convention over
the death of President Mckinley and
its regret over President Roosevelt's
indisposition.
Commander-in-Ch Torrance then
delivered his annual address, after
which reports of the general officers
were presented.
Gen. Torrance's Address.
Gen. Torrance began his address
with a touching allusion to the as
sassination of President Mckinley.
eulogiZing in strong terms the dead
presidents character and condemn
ing in bitter language the crime that
struck him down. He advocated the
enactment of laws by congress which
should make certain the punishment
of any person who should make an
assault on the chief executive. No
quibble concerning constitutional
lowed to stand in the way of such
legislation.
Taking up the question of pensions
Gen. Torrance related the circum-
stances connected with the investiga
tion of the charges against former
Pension Commissioner Evans. Speak
ing of the report made by the Grand
Army's committee on pensions Gen.
Torrance said that the acceptance of
the resignation of Commissioner
Evans by the president Immediately
followed the presentation of this
committees report TO him. Refer
ring further to the effect produced
by this inquiry he said: Zone of the
most gratifying results of our inves-
tigation was to find that no ground
existed for the wholesale charges of
fraud so often made against the pen
sioners. y large part of the last re-
port of Commissioner Evans was tax
en- up with a recital of cases of fraud
committed or attempted to be com
mitted against the government dur
ing the preceding 80 years. but when
analyzed it appeared that very few
who had any military service were
parties to such frauds. The viOlat-
ors of the law were simply impOsters,
not soldiers. The said report further
showed that the numbers of union
soldiers convicted of crime during
the year was but one-thOusandth
part of one per cent of the total num-
ber of the pension roll. We chal-
lenge any other department of the
government to make as favorable Il
showing"
The commander-in-chief also took
cognizance of the charge that the
pension roll contains the names of
more union soldiers than there are
survivors of the civil war, and point
ed out that there are more than 2Oo,-
900 survivors of that war whose
names do not appear on roll at all.
He advocated Legislation in their be-
half saying: Few of these old vet
Grams have a hospital record, and to
large extent they comprise the men
that marched with Sherman to the
sea, and fought with Grant to Appo-
matoX. They took part in the grand
review in 1865, and formed a part of
those splendid armies of bronZed and
well seasoned veterans that thrived
on very hardships of war. They were
the last to leave the field, and among
the last to apply for relief at the
hands of the government. For more
than a third of a century they have
borne an honorable part in advanc-
ing the interests of the country, and
at this late day when in their old age
they apply for help, they should not
be regarded with disfavor because
they did not apply earlier"
Gen. Torrance declared that no pc
cuniary compensation ever could be
made to those who preserved the un-
ion, for that was a debt of gratitude
which could not be paid with dollars
and cents.
Gen. Torrance paid high tribute to
the work of the women's auxiliary or
ganizations, including the Relief
Corps and the Ladies of the Grand
Army of the Republic, and also made
an appeal for the proper recognition
of the Sons of Veterans.
He devoted considerable space to
consideration of the statues of the
ex-confederate soldier, repeating in