The National tribune., 1908-09-10
THE NATIONAL ENCAMPMENT.
FIRST DAY.


FIRST DAY.
pointment of Committecs-EIcciio of
Omcer~--H. N. Neyius for Commander
in-Chief.
Toledo. o.. Sept. 3.
The National Encampment assembled
at 10 a. m. in the valentine Theater.
and was called to order by the Com
Chief.
Chaplain-in-Chief Fallows invoked
the Divine blessing
The Commandcr-in-Chicrs Address.
Chief Burton read his
annual address. which was listened to
with marked attention. and was fire.
quently interrupted by enthusiastic ap-
plause.
The address was referred to the ap-
propriate- committee.
Presentations of n GaveI.
Past Chapiain-in- Chief Hagcrty made
a feeling speech in presenting to the
Commahder-in-Chi gave, made with
his own hands cut of woods from many
historic scenes. The Commander-in-
Chief made a brief, fitting reply,
Memorial to LAWYER.
r. C. Jones, of Illinois. presented a
resolution for a memorial page in the
National Epeampment proceedings for
the late Past Chief,
Thos.- G. Lawler. Adopted, and IT. C.
Jones, John C. Black and e. c. Blodgett
were appointed the committee to pre-
pare the page.
Jas. TanneC presented a resolution
commencing Assistant Secretary of War
fnp h IL,
burial OF soldiers wives in National
cemeteries. Adopted.
Smith Stimmel. of North Dakota,
presented resolution in favor of n
monument to the loyal women of the
country. Referred to the Committee on
Resolutions.
Bull Run Monument.
Louis Wagner. of Pennsylvania, pre-
sented the report of the Committee on
the Monument on Bull Run battlefield
Adopted.
1. G. Kimball, from the Committee on
Legislation, reported the efforts made
during the year to protect the veterans
in public employment. and securing leg
islation to that purpose; also the pas
sage of the bill to erect an amphithea-
ter at Arlington.
Recess till p. M
Louis Wagner. of Pennsylvania, sub
mitted the report of the Corr nittee on
the Stephenson Memorial. Amount re-
ceived. s2s.5f6.7s; expended. sS,fS3.
part payment on work Adopted.
John NcE,Iroy, Petorna,, from the
Committee on the Fredericksburg Ma
tional Military Park. reported progress
The bill appropriating sI90. .00a had been
introduced in both Houses of Congress.
r. B. Brown, of Ohio. from the Com
mittee on the Permanent Fund. report
ed the organization of the Trustees, and
the investment of the money in interest,"
bearing securities. The gift of Mrs.
Blackmar of $1,000 was gratefully sc@-
knowledged- The fund rew amounts
to $24.349.47.
Ell Torrance. of Minnesota, from the
Committee on the Celebration of the
Lincoln Centennial. reported strongly
urging that unusual efforts be made to
make the celebration be Joined in BY I'll
classes of people, and that not only
Congress. but the Legislatures. univer-
sites. colleges and other institutions be
invoked to take action to make the
celebration universal and extremely i'm
pressfye. A recommendation was made
that committee be appointed to pre-
pare a program for Post and other or
ganizatiens. A special Lincoln badge
be prepared by the Quartermaster-Ge Gen.
eraL and furnished at cost to the COM
rades. There should be the utmost ef-
fort made to get all the children strong
ly interested in the celebration. Adopt
ed
Senior Vice Chief Grif-
fifth announced the severe illness of
Past Chief Burdett, Past
Commander-in-Chief Weissert was ap-
pointed in his place as Chairman of the
Conmittee on the Commander-in-
Chiefs address
Committee on Pensions
r. B. Brown. of Ohio, Chairman of
the Committee on Pensions, presented
the report as follows:
Comrades: Twenty years ago the Ma
tional Enearnpment, Grand Army of the
Republic, for the first time, gave serious
consideration to what was then popular
ly characterized as a service pension"
At that time the proposition had not
taken definite form. The war of the
rebellion had ended 23 years before
The average age of the survivors was
then about 4S years. Under the stat
utes pensions were granted only on dis
abilities of service origin. The unusual
hardshipS of cam paigning were mani
fest in enfeebled constitutions and wan
ing strength. 1t was difficult, often i'm
possible, to connect growing infirn1ities
with service in the field The priceless
been recorded incidents pertaining to
accidents or disease, not thought of seri-
Gus moment at the time, was often felt
as comrades We're called on to testify
in pension claims. After Il lapse of
three and twenty years one could not
be certain of the facts at the demand
of an examiner disposed to be more
technical than equitable Much COM
plant was heard from the men who had
so well served their Government in the
days of its peril. Thousands of ex-
soldiers under SO years of age were
prematurely old and broken in health.
They pleaded for bread and were given
a stone.
The National Pension Committee gave
serious heed to the growing demand for
q general pension law to embrace every
soldier and sailor of long or short SER
vice. Many felt there should be dis
tinction as between those in actual need
and the other class physically able to
earn livelihood or enjoying Incomes
to their needs. The Con-
sress enacted law which in plain terms
demanded proof of poverty. The then
Chief Executive of the Nation vetoed
the bill and it failed. The President of
the Republic stated to the then Com
consent to a system OF pensions which
an ex-soldier or sailor to make
application based on the alleged fact of
Thus grave issue was presented, and
he discussion of that veto message was
neither always temperate nor Just. But
1 new principle had been eyolved--the
first step in the recognition of an indis-
putable fact that service in the Armyt