Cameron County press. [volume] (Emporium, Cameron County, Pa.) 1866-1922, 1902-10-16

| diately on the right Of the com
mander-in-chief, while Secretaries
Root, Moody, Wilson and Hitchcock
and Postmaster General Payne, occu.
pied seats in their rear. Occupying
seats well to the front were many
veterans of tie civil war, including
Gen. Howard, Gen. McCook, GEN.
Sicl>les. Gen. Darlington, Gen. Keifer
and Gen. Allan.
Pension Commissioner Ware ten
dercd reception To members of the
Grand Army in the pension building
The entire staff of 1,40O employees con-
stitutcd the reception committee
Washington Oct. 10.-The Grand
Army got down to business yesterday
and the cncampment Of the order be-
sides hearing an address from Com
mander-in-Chief Torrance and reports
from a number of officers and COM
mittees, elected new head for the
ensuing year. The new commander
in-chief of the G.. \. Il. is Gen. I. j.
Stewart, of Pennsylvania. who was
leading candidate for the honor a
yoar ago. His competitors were Gen.
j ohm {. Black of Illinois, former
commissioner of pensions, and Col.
J.hn McElroy. of this city. The name
o. Gen. Daniel Sickles, of New York
City, was presented to the convention,
but he Withdrew from the race. Will
liam NJ. Olin, of Massachusetts, was
elected vice mmander-in-chief, and
James NJ. Averill of Georgia, junior
vice commander-in-ch
For senior vice commander the only
candidate in opposition to Mr.. Olin
was j. L. Smith, of Ohio. Mr.. Olin'3
vote was 421 and Mr.. Smiths 326.
Mr.. Avcrill was opposed to l.. c.
Way, of Florida, and Mr.. Shaw, of
West Virginia. Averill received SCI
votes, Way 81 and Shaw %.
While the election of officers was
in progress the encampmcnt received
a visit from delega tion of ladies
from the Women's Relief Corps, con-
sisting of Miss Clara Barton, Mrs.
John \. Logan, Mrs. Ell Torrance,
Mrs. John {. Black and Mrs. w. {.
Jones. They were escorted to the
platform and were received with
cheers. Mrs. Jones made report of
the operations of the relief corps for
the past year, showing that $16O,OOO
had been expended for relief by the
corps, while during its entire history
more than $2,347,OOO had been thus
spent.
Aside from the election of officers
the most interesting feature of the
encampmcnt was the report of the
pension committee of the G.. \. II.
This committee severely scored the
medical division of the pension bu-
reau, declaring that it was a dead line
where were executed the claims Of
veterans seeking pensions. 1t accused
the personnel of this division OF APP
preaching reports of examining sur
geons throughout the country with
suspicion and dstrust and as made
in bad faith. 1t denounces the re-
ports that extensive frauds were prac-
tiCed in pension claims as absolutely
baselesS.
Washington. Oct. 11.-The encamp-
ment of the Grand Army of the Re
public for 1902 came to a close yester-
day, although few social gatherings
may assemble to-day. San Francisco
was chosen as the next place of meet
ing and the election of officers began
Thursday was completed.
The kindred bodies to the parent
organization also brought their sew
cral conventions TO a close, the Sons
of Veterans, Women's Relief Corps
and other bodies choosing officers for
the ensuing year.
During the day the committee on
legislation presented it's report. The
report was devoted especially to the
committees efforts to secure a modi-
fiCation of the civil service laws in
int 3
stated congress had failed to concede
The committee find that the president
is in hearty sympathy with the effort
to secure a broader recognition of
the claims of the soldiers. and in
marked contrast to the attitude Of
congress-"
\ resolution was adopted indorsing
the report of the pensions committee
as was also a resolution requesting
the commissioner Of pensions to re-
instatc Pension Examiner Charles
Hanback,, who was dismissed by Com
missioner Evans.
Movements for the erection at St
Louis of a monument to the memory
of Gen. Franz Siegel. and for a me-
mortal bridge across the Potomac at
Washington were indorscd.
\ resolution submitted by Past
Commander-in-Chie Burdette indors-
ing the position taken by Commander
in-Chief Torrance in his recent adj
dress calling for assistance from
members of the Grand Army for the
home for Confederate soldiers at
Mountain Creek, Ala. was adopted
After the installation of the new
officers. the encampment adjourned
finally few minutes before ? O'Clock.
Many Rescrtcrs.