The National tribune., 1905-10-12

Pension employees. and declared en-
phaticaliy that he was through with
officeholding and expected never to
hold public position again under any
conditions. Public office Is q public
trust, but bad thing" he declared.
Among his most cherished recollec-
tons. he said. were those which he car
Pension Once. as they were recollec-
lions of good fellowship. He remem-
bered that when his term Of service
In the war ended he was through with
war and its glories. though he found
regret in leaving the comrades who
fought beside him in the struggle be-
tween the States.
AND such q feeling came over me-.
he added. when the time came for me
to sever my connection with the Gov
eminent. in the fact that / was leaving
friends who had proved faithful and
upright"
He spoke eloquentIy of the loyalty of
| the clerks in the Pension Office and
compared them to no other set of men
for their honesty Of purpose.
The Department OF Potomac, GAR,
Col. A. p. Tasker Commander. gave a
| reception to Commander-in-Chief Tan
ner Saturday night, which turned it
self into an ovation for the great orator
of the Grand Army Of the Republic.
The reception was held at Grand Army
Hall, which was filled to the doors with
the veterans of the Department almost
| exclusively. The hall was handsomely
decorated for the occasion with bunt-
ing and flags. feature of the even
ing was the presentation in behalf of
the Womans Relief Corps of the De-
partment of Potomac of a handsome
bouquet of roses. Chief
Tanner in accepting them declared that
the Grand Army Of the Republic never
old better thing than when it recog-
niZed the Womans Relief Corps as its
Auxiliary. The Department hopes soon
| to have the honor Of enrolling the wife
iD-Cnief active members Of the W.R.C.,
with which they are not now affiliated
Gen. Tanner was accompanied to the
hall by Past Commanders-in-Ch Chief
John r. King and S. s. Burdett, Pas,
McElroy, and Commander Tasker, and
was escorted by the Old Guard, COM
manded by Capt. Edgar. Upon the plat
form were many distinguished Grand
Army men. and during the evening sew
cral of them made brief addresses
Commander Tasker welcomed the Com
mander-in-Chief in a few earnest SEN
| fences.
In reply to the enthusiastic reception
accorded him, Gen. Tanner said that
| while he realized the honor done him
in his election to the highest office In
the Grand Army of the Republic. he
realized also that the honor was not
without it's burden. He would, how
ever. do all in his power to forward
the interests Of the great Order, and es-
| pecially would he delight in helping
those who needed help and to whom
the country could never pay its debt OF
gratitude.
Regarding pensions he said:
"Once again, as they did last year al
| Boston and two years ago at San Fran
cisco, Iha Encampment at Denver, by
| unanimous vote. resolved in favor of a
service pension Of $12 per month for
all survivors of the Union army in the
war of the rebellion who served al
least three months and were honorably
discharged. They also, with like unan-
unity. favored an increase of widows
pension from IS to S12 per month. Not
a dissenting voice was heard, and
submit that when the chosen represen-
tatives of such a body Of men, COM
prising a quarter Of a million of our
fellow cOuntrymen, counting In their
ranks innumerable men who now hold
or have held seats in both branches OF
the National Legislature-men who are
or have been Governors of their States;
men who have filled all classes of ju-
LlclaI or Olner HlSn civil POSITIONS
when such men record their calm con-
illusions. arrived at in the maturity OF
years, they are, to say the least, enti-
tied to the respectful consideration OF
their fellow citizens.
1--WE are confronted by the appalling
fact that our comrades are dropping
into the grave 5000 per month, $4,000
per year. Inevitably they will soon be
going at a faster rate. The latest re-
rort of our friend, the Hon. Vespasian
Warner, Commissioner OF Pensions
shows that during the year ending June
Is last 1888 pensioners dropped from
the roll by death, and there is no posi-
BILE doubt that among our comrades not