Omaha daily bee., 1905-09-09
Former Pension Commissioner Now at Head
Of Grand Army of the Republic
CORPORAL ELECTED ON FIRST BALLOT
General Robert B. Brown Of Ohio is His
Principal Opponent
MINNEAPOLIS GETS THE NEXT MEETING
Only Opposition Coming from Friends Of
Dallas, Texas,
RPoRAL ELECTED ON FIRST BALLOT
lNNEAPouS GETS THE NEXT MEETING
LETTER FROM PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT
Chief Executive ConRrntuIates the
Comrades and Regrets He
Cannot Meet Them
tn Person.


DENVER, Sept. S.-The thirty ninth an
nual national encampment Of the Grand
Army Of the Republic elected officers today
as follows:
-Chief-James Tanner New
York
Senior Vice Commander-in-C -Chief-George
w. Cook, Denver.
Junior Vice Commander-in-C Chief-Silas II.
fowler, Minneapolis
Surgeon General-Hugo Philler, wauke-
Chaplain-in- Chief-Rev. Father J. @.
Leary, Chapman, Kan.
Minneapolis was chosen as the meeting
place FOR 1905
The contest for commander-in-chief was
the most interesting feature of the sessions
today. Besides Corporal Tanner, r. r.
Brown of GAINESVILLE, O., Charles Burrows
of Rutherford, y. j.. and Charles c. Burton
of Nevada, Mo. were placed in nomination.
Burrows name was Immediately with
drawn. As the roll call of departments pro-
ceeded II became apparent from the number
of departments secouding Tanner that his
election was n certainty. Although George
Stone of San Francisco was not named
formally as a candidate. the Department
Of California and Nevada cast its fifteen
votes for him. The total vote for Tanner
was ~ Ilp"u EtCtlNtu lott OIllO ana
Pennsylvania giving him their full vote
and Indiana majority. The only large
delegation that voted for Burton was that
of Missouri. His total strength was forty
two votes.
Ovation for New Commander.
When the adiutant general announced the
result the convention went wild The old
veterans leaped from their seats. shouting
and cheering and throwing their hats in
| the air. Amid the din General Brown
mounted the stage and moved to make
/ Tanners election unanimous. Messrs
| Burton and Stone both seconded the mo-
| tion, which was carried with a roar of ap-
I plause. Commander-ln-C Chief King then
! appointed the defeated comrades a COM
/ mittee to escort Corporal Tanner to the
! stage While the four were walking down
the center aisle the delegates made a rush
for Tanner. and, lifting him into the air,
| carried him bodily to the rostrum. The
| delegates then rose enmasse and cheered
| for several minutes.
In brief speech Corporal Tanner
thanked his comrades. There is one man, 4"
| he said, whose esteem and assistance IL
| is necessary for the old soldiers to have
There are three men in the encampment
whom l Will call in council in meeting
| President Roosevelt"
! Another great shout went up as CorporaI
Tanner indicated the person he referred to
| in his yelled remark and as 1t died down
he said that he expected to have the benefi-
cent counsel in all his undertakings as
commander-in-c chief of Senator william
Warner of Missouri, General John c. Black
Of Chicago and General Grenville NJ. Dodge
Of New York.
Other Omcers Elected.
The convention proceeded to ballot for
! officers at the conclusion of Mr. Tanners 5
address. George w. Cook of Denver was
the only nominee for senior vice com
mander. and he received an ovation when
his unanimous election was announced.
For Junior vice commander, James G.
Everest of Illinois and Silas II. fowler of
Minnesota were placed before the conven-
tion. The ballot resulted; Everest. 2s9;
fowler, S2S.
! Hugo Philler OF Wisconsin and Fred
Brothers of Nebraska were nominated for
surgeon general, the former receiving 362
votes and the latter 9O3.
The vote for chaplain-in-chief was close,
Father Leary of Chapman, Kan, winning
from Jesse Cole OF Iowa by a vote Of 2S2
to 279.
Previous to the election a letter from
President Roosevelt to Chief
King asking him to extend my warmest
congratulations TO the comrades there as
sembled, and say to them how ! regret
that l cannot in person meet them and
express the affection and regard / feel for
them" was read and a telegram was sent
The recommendations in the annual re.
port Of the commander-in-chief were ap,
proved. as were also those made by the
surgeon general, the chaplain-in-ch and
the quartermaster general. The newly
elected commander IN chief announced
three appointments and said they were al
THAI he would make until he returned &c
Washington.
Lieutenant Colonel Tweedale, retired wa,
made adjutant general, and Allen c. Bake
well OF New York national patriotic in,
structor. Thomas G, Sample Of Allegheny
, Pa, was continued as a member Of the
counsel Of administration.
Mr., Sample is reported on his death bee
and Corporal Tanner explained that h,
wanted to be in office as long as life lasted
Minneapolis Beats Dallas.
The first business before the encampmen
today was the choice Of meeting place fo
next year. II had been practically settled
in advance that the national encampmen
p in 1896 would be held in Minneapolis Tn,
= only other city that asked for the encamp
menl IN lUe convention louhA was BaUhH
Tex. whose ofer was presented by Johi
a. Ewton, manager OF the Dallas 10000
club. on a viva voce vote the delegate
seemed 10 be about equally divided betweel
+ the two cities. A roll call was then or
S dered and Minneapolis chosen.
b / The encampment gave a vote OF thank
TO Mr.. Ewton and the Texas organization
= which extended the invitation to meet q
Dallas. Commander-in-Chief King invite,
Mr.. Ewton TO go 70 Minneapolis next yea
and repeat the invitation, promising L
% use his influence TO secure the national en-
n campment In 1907 for Dallas
The invitation from Miuneapol was pre-
p sented by Past ommander-in- Chief lie
l.. / Torrance In an eloquent speech he spok
v OF the advantages OF the Minnesota cit
, and urged It's claims on the ground that
n has not had the national encampment &
| twenty-five years Comrade Cattle OF Min
y nesota seconded the nomination ot Mime
J, | aDol.s.
Council of Administration.
The members OF the council Of admiRiI