Abilene weekly reflector. [volume] (Abilene, Kan.) 1888-1935, 1906-08-23
The Grand Army Of the Republic
Has Completed Its FOrtieth
Encampment.
MEET IN SARATOGA IN 1907
stan Appointments Anhouneed--
Protest against Statue to Wirs--
No Action ON Capteen Question
-s1essage from President.

pleted its fortieth encampment late
Friday and adjourned to meet in Sara
toga, N. Y, in 1907.
The encampment after an exciting
debate decided that a protest
against the action OF a statue tt
Henry Wirz should be sent to Gen
s. D. Lee, the commander Of the
Southern Veterans Association. Thii
action was decided upon only after
long debate which at times became
energetic and acrimonious. The
proposition to deprecate the action
Of congress in abolishing the canteen
from the old soldiers homes was laid
on the table without debate.
Just prior to the final adjournment
the new commander-in-chief. r. B
Brown, Of GAINESVILLE. O., an
nounced the following staff appoint
ments:
Adjutant General, Joseph W. o'Neal,
of Ohio.
Quartermaster General, Charles
Burrows, of New Jersey.
Assistant Quartermaster General,
]. H. Holcombe, of Philadelphia.
Chief Of Staff, J. v. Wipanes, OF
Ohio.
When the encampment was called
to order Friday morning, the first
question up for settlement was the
selection of the place for holding OF
the next encampment The invitation
of Saratoga, N. Y, was presented
Thursday and that Of Cincinnati was
made as soon as the meeting was
called to order Friday. The vote
proceeded smoothly enough until the
name Of Kansas was called. Capt,
P. H. Coney, Of the Kansas delega,
ton, cast its entire 40 votes for Gin
cinnati. The votes were promptly
questioned on the ground that thu
Kansan did not have any such NUN
Der Of delegates in the Hall. A long
debate ensued, which was ended by
the ruling of the commander-in-chief
that Kansas could vote only as many
men as were actually present. The
number happened to be something less
than 20. The final vote showed 4O3
for Saratoga and 175 for Cincinnati,
A delegate from Wisconsin attempted
to bring up the canteen question, bit
was squelched summarily, the whole
question being laid on the table at
once. ns a45...t.a4.i
william A. Ketcham, Of Indianap,
oils, then presented minority report
from the committee on resolutions
which had been silent on the question
Of the proposed statue to Wirz. He
moved that an address should be sent
to Gen. s. D. Lee, the commander Of
the Southern Veterans Association,
asking that the influence Of the
southern soldiers be used against the
project. Mr.. Ketcham spoke for 80
minutes In support of his motion, and
was followed by Past Commander r.
Torrance, Of Minneapolis, who de
clared that the Grand Army ss9uld
not, in his opinion, take official cog
nizance of the matter at this time.
Both speakers were loudly cheeref, as
others who spoke on the question
Commander-in-C Chief Tanner, who had
urged in his report that protest
should be made against the statue
gave up the chair to make an impas
stoned appeal from the floor in sup
port of the minority report Ut Mr.
Ketcham, which was in line with the
suggestion made In his report. The de
bate grew very warm, and few per
sonalIties were INDUCED In.
The minority report was adopted b
viva voce vote and apparently "
large majority. Resolutions wer'
passed asking the secretary OF war tc
purchase the ground on whIcn nonu.
ments have been erected ON the bat
.lefield Of Bull Run, and aAking that
statistics as accurate As possible OF
the mortality in southern prisons be
issued by the government.
During the day Commander.in-Cniei
Tanner sent to President Roosevelt in
forming him Of the fact that the en-.
campment was IN session TO this the
the following reply was nude by the
president to Commander Tanner:
Many thanks for your telegram.
Through YOU extend TO tie Grand
army OF the Republic my heartiesl
greetings. not merely personal. but
official, IN behalf Of al The people o.
his nation. whose existence is ewing |
3 what you and your comrades did
b The heroic days Of the civil war.
Theodore Roosevelt