Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1902-10-09
This the Advice of Gen. Tor
rance to G. A. R.
TRIBUTE TO M'KINLEY
Condemns Anti-Pension Agitation as
UngratefuI and Unpatriotic- Points
to Heroism and Forttude Displayed
by Soldiers in Trying Campaigns.

Washington, D. c., Oct 9.-'The
victory at AppomattoX will yield I'M
perfect fruit if We do not win the
hearts as we'll as the flags of the men
who wore the gray" said General Eli
Terrence, commander-in-chief of the
Grand Army of the Republic in his ad-
dress delivered at the reunion in this
city today, in speaking of the condi--
tions that now exist between the sur
vivors of the armies of the north and
south. in his remarks he deplored the
death of the late William Mckinley
and touched upon the status of the
pensions received by the veterans.
Deplores McKinley's Death.
General florence began his address
with a touching allusien to the assas-
sination of President Mckinley, eulo'-
gizing in strong terms the dead Pres
ident's character and condemning in
bitter language the crime that struck
him down. He advocated the enact
ment of laws by congress which should
make certain the punishment of any
person who should make an assault
upon the chief executive. No bubble
concerning constitutional rights, he
contended. should be allowed to stand
| in the way of such legislation.
within the memory of every mem
! ber of this encampment the most no.;
table steps in our country's progress
| have been taken in the face of imag--
mary constitutional difficulties Amer
ica's institutions are of priceless value
and have cost too much in sacrifice
and suffering to be put in jeopardy for
a single hour, and the gallows and the
dudgeon could be the just reward of
every anarchist who sets foot upon our
shores, or attempts to put in practice
| his doctrines of universal hate and
/ chaos"
i Army Pensions.
Taking up the question of pensions.
General Terrence related the circum--
stances connected with the investiga--
tion of the charges against former
Pension Commissioner Evans. Re-
| ferring further to the effect produced
by this inquiry, he said:
"a most gratifying result of our in
vestigation was to find that no ground
existed for the wholesale charges OF
fraud so often made against the pen.
sionerS.
1 The Pension Rolls.
4 The commander-in-chief took cogniz-
ancc Of the charge that the pension
roll contains the names OF more Union
soldiers than there are survivors OF
the civil war, and pointed out that
there are more than 100000 survivors
of that war whose names do not ap'
pear on that roll at all. He advocated
Legislation in their behalf. saying:
Few of these old veterans have g
hospital record and to large extent
they comprise the men that marched
with Sherman to the sea and fought
with Grant at Appomattox 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 q
third of century they have borne an
honorable part in advancing the inter
ests 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 moi
come earlier"
I, Material Reward Inadequate.
: General Terrence Declared that nj
e pecuniary compensation ever could b'
made to those who preserved the un
ion, for that was debt of gratitude
which could not be paid with dollar!
and cents.
r The patriotic impulse that moved
us to lay all on the altar of our coun-
try had. ne said, mo fellowship will
q mercenary motive. Under pitiles
q skies thousands of our comrades, suf-
!. fered as prisoners of war bilt no com
plant escaped their lips. On the fiel,
of battle fruitless assaults were oftel
made in the face of certain death, bu
no one faltered in response TO the I'M
wise command. Those were days o
= nnquestioned heroism, supreme devo
ton and unparalleled sacritice; an
Is in these latter days the rear guard 0
s that immortal army, should exhibit
II spirit no less heroic than that mani
tested BY those who fell in the fore