Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1902-10-16

standing the inevitable increase in the
loss by death, the gains by muster in and
reinsta tement overcome it There are
still living over 10000 of the men who
were part of that grand army of the
sixties. and of that number less than 300
are over ~ years of age. This suggests to
me to say that il proper energy were put
forth the Grand Army of the Republic
ought to increase in numbers, instead of
decrease.
The death loss for the year. as shown
by the report. is S@n. The percentage
based on the number Of members in good
standing Mt the beginning of the year is
9s as against 302 per cent. for the pre-
ceding year"
PENSION Committees REPORT.
The pension committee of the G. A. r.
in its report referring to the fact that ac-
cording to the report of Commissioner
Evans for the year 1901 there were ~. s4o
pension claims rejected during that year
on medical grounds says:
"The commissioner justifics the action
of the bureau thereon for the reason as
he claims that such ratings were not in
accordance with the pen pictures Of the
applicants which were parts of the re-
ports. 1t seems to us needless to suggest
that the living pictures which the local
examining surgeons had before them in the
PERSONS of the claimants undergoing close
scrutiny were much better ones from
which to determine the disabilities than
the 81 called pen pictures reviewed at
Washington"
The committee makes the point that ow.
ing to the advanced are of claimants.
their diseases naturally must grow worse
instead of better.
such condition." they continue, I'VE
found apparent In many of the cases ex-
amined. the logic thereof seems to have
been dsregarded by the medical referee
and his subordinates in the bureau.
Doubts that should have been resolved
In favor of the claimant were in our opin-
ion, resolved against him. We find that
the bureau has been exceedingly techni-
cal. narrow and harsh in the application
of rules of evidence, even to the extent
OF requiring claimants to establish their
right to a pension beyond all reasonable
doubt. Many of the rules of evidence APP
Piled to the business transacted in the
pension bureau find their salutary uses
in criminal courts, not in courts of equity.
In the matter of the proof of marriage
| required of widows. the evidence de-
manded in both the quality and quantity
! is unreasonable and in many cases bur
densome and very veXatious. The usual
| Prescriptions in favor of lawful wedock
| receives scant recognition in the pension
| bureau"
| Reference is made to the charge that a
| great many eNCnion soldiers are making
| an effort TO obtain pensions by fraud, the
| report saying:
This Is Gratuitous insult to the de-
| tenders of the Union and without justi-
| fication as shown by the commits sioners
| last report, in which the subject OF frauds
is extensively dealt with An analysis OF
the facts shows that of the $50 persons
! convicted last year only 10 We're soldiers
! OF the Civil War. two of whom were de-
| serters, or one to every 73.51S soldiers and
sailors on the pension roll. We challenge
any other department of the government
to make as favorable showing.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS
The greater part of the afternoon SEES
! sion was devoted to the election of ma
tional officers the result being as follows;
Commander-in-c chief, General Thomas j.
( Stewart OF Pennsylvania; vice-command-
cr-in-chief. William NJ DIN of Massachu-
! Sets Junior vice commander in chief
James NJ. Averill of Georgia.
The election of other officers went over
until tomorrow. There was a sharp con-
test over the election of a commander-in-
| chief but it was concluded by the first bal
lot. Four candidates were placed in NOM
! nation: General Stewart of Pennsylya-
mia, General c. Black of Illinois. General
! Daniel Sickles of New York and Col. John
McElroy of the District of Columbia a,
General Sickles withdrew before the vote
was taken and himself seconded the nom
iuation of General Black. The first bal
lot resulted in the election of General
stewart. the vote being as follows: Stew
art le7; Black, 272; McElroy, So,
For senior vice commander. the only
I candidate in opposition to Mr.. DIN was
J. l.. Smith of Ohio Mr.. Olin's vote was
a2l. and Mr.. Smiths 800.
Mr.. Averill was opposed by L. c. Way
Of Florida and Mr., Shaw of West Vir,
ginla. Averill received SCI votes. Way 81
and Shaw 70.
While the election OF officers was IN
progress the encampment received a visit
from a delegation of ladies from the
Womans Relief corps, consisting Of Miss
Clara Barton, Mrs. John A. Logan, Mrs
Ell Torrance. Mrs. John c, Black and
Mrs w. c. Jones. They were escorted
to the platform and presented to the en-
campment. They were received with
complimentary cheers. Mrs Jones made
n report of the operations OF the rele
corps for the past year, showing thai
$4,000 had been expended for relief bS
the corps. while during it's entire history
more than s2,3i7 600 had been thus spent
Here the convention adjourned until to-
morrow.