Evening star., 1902-02-19
COMMANDER-1N-CH AND MEM.
BERs OF STAFF PRESENT.
Reports Show Total Membership and
Amount Expended in Charity
Civil Service Commended.


Of his staff, and General Leo Rassieur and
General William Warner past commanders
tn-chief Of the order.
Officers for the ensuing year were nomi-
mated as follows: Department commander,
F. F. Bingham. Post No. 3; senior vice
commander. Ivory G. Kimball, Post No. 8;
junior vice commander, Abram Hart, Post
No. 2: chaplain, Rev. H. 8. Stevens. Post
No. s; medical director, DIR. Thomas Cal
yer, Post No. Z.
Commander Stone, in his annual address.
said the loss in membership had been prac-
tically stopped. He cited the report of the
assistant adjutant general showing a de-
crease of but ten members in good standing
during the year, which he considered most
gratifying. because of the uniformly heavy
loss for several years previous. He said,
however that the suspended list was much
too large.
Parade Incident Recalled.
Referring to the last inaugural parade.
Commander Stone said:
IAN attempt was made by the grand
marshal Of the inaugural parade on March
last to relegate the veterans to the rear,
but believing that we should be accorded
the very post Of honor in the ceremonies at
tending the second Inauguration of our
comrade, William Mckinley. as President
of the republic our yalOr had saved, and
was to be thus honored. determined stand
was taken under the leadership OF that gal
liant soldier. General Daniel E. S'ckles. who
was to lead the veterans upon that occa-
sion, in opposition to the position assigned
us. and although your commander was In
charge OF the great body Of veterans who
were to participate. much credit for the
outcome is due to Comrade X. q. Dyren-
forth, commander-in-ch.ef of the Union
Veterans Union. and Comrade j. Edwin
| Browne, in command Of the Union Veteran
Legion, for the determined and. fortunately.
united stand taken against marching in the
position assigned the veteran division.
When 1t had finally been determined that
we would not participate. the President
himself directed that We should become his
tol. and although the grand marshal had
planned otherwise and had designated the
Cadet Corps from West Point and An
napolis for that particular duty. the Presi-
dent Is reported to have said that he
would rather every armed and uniformed
soldier who had been brought here for the
occasion should be ordered out OF the city
than that his comrades of the Grand Army
of the Republic should not be with him. >
This settled the question, and the grand
marshal. who at first refused, issued the
order according to us our proper position
the post of honor.
"SOme complaint" he said. ''is made by
unthinking persons because the civil SER
vice rules stand in the way Of giving posi-
| tions to few veterans, but unde. take to
II
they affect veterans, are most liberal and
were 1t not for the protection AFFORDED by
these rules very many of our comrades
would not be holding the lucrative positions
they do under the government; so that In
stead of criticiSing the civil service let us
be thankful for the benefits 1t bestows upon
the thousands Of comrades and their
widows and orphans In the employ OF the
government.
Sons Of Veterans.
1.-THE comrades In this department have
frequently expressed their interest In the
organization of the Sons Of Veterans, but
Of late the activity seems to have Jagged.
There is no good reason why there are not
some of the largest and best camps Of the
sons within the order in this city. We
have the material for this. and 1t only
| needs an active. earnest and continu-
GUS effort on the part of the Grand
Army to build them up. This patriotic or
ganization is built upon non-political and
non-sectarian lines and with their cardinal
principles of friendship. charity and loyal
ty, ought to be strong everywhere through
out the country. They are needed as con-
servators of the peace. and with an Or
ganization 100000 strong what a power for
good and an anchor Of safety to the re-
public they would be.
"They are our sons. born In the perilous
times of war. and have partaken. in the
fullest degree. of that spirit Of loyalty to
| country which permeated our breasts when
treason stalked abroad in this land OF
ours. 1 hope the committee which I have
this department can aid In formulating q
plan for closer relations and that we can
help to build up the organization. Let US
| do our part and success Is assured
Facts of History.
THE persistent efforts" said Commander
Stone, continually being put forth to OBJ
scure the facts OF history In regard to the
great war for the Union call for a vigorous
protest from those OF who fought the
war. In this locality particularly efforts
| are made to designate 1t as the civil war
| and the war between the states when the
facts are that 1t was not only a gigantic
rebellion. but the official designation is the
war Of the rebellion Twenty years from
| now our school children will be wondering
who were right in the civil war; while if
they know 1t as the war of the rebellion, >
they will know by intuition that there were
rebels and there could be no question
about who were right and who were wrong.
The boys in blue saved the Union establish
ed by our fathers and In doing this freed
race. made this tine greatest nation on
earth protected our misguided southern
brothers from themselves and permitted
| them to come back and enjoy all the bene-
fits and blessings we had preserved for our
selves; but now We cannot afford to per-
fact that the Union soldier was eternally
right and that the rebel soldier was eternal
ly wrong"
The Annual Reports.
The report of the assistant adJutant gem
eral showed that at the close OF the year
there were II posts in good standing, hay-
ing membership Of 1925. There was a
total gain during the year of 1872 The total
| loss from different causes was 2O2. making
a net loss of membership Of 10. There was
expended In charity by posts 1.O74.6S: in
charity by department.. $S7714. The assist
ant quartermaster generals report showed
cash balance on December 81 of 81 844 53
The report of the employment committee
commended the action of President Roosevelt
on his stand taken in behalf of the veterans
both In his first message to Congress and in
| recent executive order. Because of
these kind and earnest words" the report
said. I'VE ought to take the President to
mean what he says. and unless these evi-
dences of his appreciation Of our services
during the war of the rebellion, and his In
tention to have the veterans given the pref
| erence In appointments to. and retention In
the civil service are shown to be meaning
less. they should stand as his thought and
purpose. az well az according to him due
credit therefor"
The Work Of Relief.
The relief committee in its report asks
that the encampment allow 5000 for the ma