The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1903-05-13
COMMANDER STAIRS ADDRESS.
Review OF the Work of the Depart
ment of Indiana.

at the opening session of the encampment
tomorrow, will review the work of the de-
partment during his regime. will show the
condition of the Grand Army of the Repub-
lice in Indiana and will touch upon num-
Der of matters of especial interest to the
veterans.
The opening paragraph of his address re-
/ fers to the twenty-four years that have
passed since the first encampment in this
State and he then takes up the first act
of his official life. his participation in the
formal dedication of the Soldiers and Sail
ors' Monument in Indianapolis last year.
Like unto it there has been SIM
liar occasion in this country" he
says. ''since y other State has
erected such a memorial in honor
of her sons who fought to save the Nation.
Like unto that dedication other State
can have, because, ere 1t could be COM
pleted. there would be no survivors of that
war for the Union to carry the States old
battle flags. 1t is but simple justice to this
organization, my comrades, that 1 should
| say that the imposing shaft in Monument
| Square is the result OF your influence and
your insistence, and consequently 1t is a
Grand Army memorial But for the Grand
! Army ii would not have been built Conse-
|
In the lengthening vista of years and the
| last comrade of this noble order shall have
been mustered on the other side, the name
of the Grand Army of the Republic of In
diana will be preserved and cherished
| part of the history OF the monument"
| Commander Starr refers feelingly to the
| closing incident of the dedication, when the
| color bearers received their old regimental
| battlehags at the monument to convey
| characterize
| ing 1t as a scene of such pathos that mere
! language is wholly inadequate to depict 1t.
/ Closing he quotes the poem written for the
| indianapolis Journal on the occasion by
Comrade James Newton Matthews. of
NATION, ILL.,, beginning. Take back the
of day..
MEMBERSHIP.
In regard to membership the department
commander gives these figures: During
the year ending Dec 81, 1902, nine posts
were organized, or reorganized, follows:
No. so, John Coons at Monroe City; No.
429, William Raber at Mentone; No. 529.
Keer at Rome City; No. 5S2. Plainville at
! Plainville; No. 323, Daniel Griffin at Sell
lersburg; No. 401, Miller at Akron; No. 4OS.
Edwin Lennox at Swayzee; No. SOP. w. II.
| Rensselaer,, and during the same period
| fourteen posts were disbanded The num-
Der OF posts in good standing Dec. 81, 1901,
|
ing the total 4S4; loss by disarmament four
teen; leaving the number remaining in
good standing, Dec. 81. 1902. 42O.
Continuing, he says: I'VE must expect
! reduction in the number Of posts when
| we know that we lost 123 members by
transfer TO other departments more than
| by death was 426, a total OF 549 Our actual
loss in membership was 226. being just 200
less in number than those who, as taps
| had sounded for them, their lights had
| gone out, they had answered the final roll
call and gone to touch elbows with the in
| numerable throng who have gone before to
| that haven or rest, where all is peace.
| II anticipate that the year 1903 will show
| a decided increase in membership, by rea-
son of circular letter sent by the depart
ment JAM 20, 1903 to every post in the de-
partment asking that they send TO AS
sistant Adjutant General Smock the names
1 of all veterans who are not now members
| or the order.
"To this letter the posts responded
| promptly, giving names and addresses. To
| each OF these, more than 200. we sent
| circular letter. presenting to them the OBJ
| ject of the Grand Army of the Republic,
and urging on each Of them their duty as
| soldiers and sailors. who worthily wore
| the blue and stood where only men dared
| TO stand In the hour Of our country's peril,
/ to enroll their names on the roster OF some
| post most convenient to their place of resi-
| OF membership.
THE results of these letters and invita-
| tons do not appear in our current annual
/ L,
| quarter Of 1902, but from many posts we
have received orders for blank applications
| and thanks for the universal interest shown
by the comrades in response thereto Hence.
| L anticipate that 1903 will show decided
| increase in membership in every post in
| the State"
STATE SOLDIERS HOME.
Commander Starr points with pride to the
Indiana State Soldiers Home, at Lafayette,
| the first State institution of its kind estab-
| lshed In the country, and recommends that
the comrades whose counties have not yet
| presented cottages to the home should take
the matter up promptly, to the end that
| every county in the State should be repre-
scented. He also gives statistics showing
the growth and present excellent condition
of the Indiana Soldiers and Sailors Or
| phans Home at Knightstown.
Referring to the work of the Woman's
Relief Corps, the department commander
urges the veterans TO give the corps every
possible assistance IN its work He refers
to the Ladies of the c. A r. only indi-
| rectly by saying: Il especially recommend
| that you give your allegiance to this one
| auxiliary, the original Woman's Relief
| Corps, composed of loyal women, regardless
| of age, relationship or religion, which has
| been tried SO often and never found want
| ing
| plains the law passed by Congress last
| winter increasing the pension of those who
| lost limbs In the service, ana preulctS tndl
| the next great change in the pension laws
| will be the placing of all honorably dis
| charged veterans of the civil war. who
| served ninety days or more, on the roll at
s12 a month when they reach the age Of
| sixty-two years.
In touching upon the work of the Sons of
Veterans the department commander makes
| an important recommendation He says:
with the positive knowledge that in a
few short years all the comrades of the
| Grand Army of the Republic will have
| passed to the great beyond, the order will
| become a matter Of history-exist in MEM
ory only-does ii not behoove US to encour-
age the Sons of Veterans in a more substan-
| tial manner. In my judgment. We are not
/ giving them the recognition they deserve
There should be some action taken by the
Grand Army of the Republic to the end
that the sons of the veterans, who are Com
rades in the order, should. when they reach
| a certain age, be admitted under certain
rules and regulations, to the post room.
The sons should sit by the fathers and be-
come fully conversant with all the legends
OF the order, and perpetuate and hand
down to their sons the history of its origin
its progress and its final end This constant
| association, with its education, will instill
into their minds, the great spirit OF patriot
ISM love of country purity in public at
| fairs, which now abound. in the comrades
| recommend that a resolution be prepared
by this encampment embodying the above
4 no for ad m no not