The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1909-08-13
Record of &. 4. r
Business Meetings

Armory hall was the scene of the open
ing of the business session of the Grand
Army of the Republic yesterday morning
when it was discovered that about 80 OF
the l.505 members Of the @. A. r. en-
titled to votes in the encampment were
present with credentials. All past de
paTtment commanders and past Officers
OF the national 9. 4. R., besides dele
gate for every 30 members of each de-
partment, is entitled 20 a vote.
Armory hall was found 10 be altogether
too small to admit all entitled to vote
and after hearing the report OF Command
er-in-Chief u. NJ. MENUS and receiving
the reports of various officers and special
= committees a recess was taken until
o'clock when it was given out that the
meeting would adjourn to Assembly hall
where the further business of the day
was continued.
Cooks drum corps and band of Denver
gave an enlivening concert in ArmOTy
hall. giving among other patriotic num-
bers a musical treat entitled The Battle
of Gettysburg composed and arranged
BY the leader, Captain George Cook. In
terpolated in the piece were strains OF
old-t time war songs, AUD Lang Syne.
The Girl 1 Left Behind Me- bugle calls
the battle scene, and concluding with
Tramp Tramp, Tramp, the BOYS Are
Marching" The Vacant Chair. Nearer
/ Ny God, to Thee, and Taps.
These were greeted with round after
round of applause from the old veterans
/ Large tears cOursed down the furrowec
cheeks of many of the old veterans. Taps
stirred them 10 the very souls. carrying
them back TO clearer recollectiOns of the
battle scenes.
No Outsiders Admitted.
The business session was strictly execu-
I tive. At the ArmOry and in the after
noon at the Assembly hall guards stood
at the doors with musiIets in hand anC
0 g. rfr.n1f
/ old soldiers, who were required TO give
/ the password. and only delegates to the
ground floor who had proper credentials
Commander-in-Chie NeVius, at the
morning session. attempted to read hi;
report, but before he had proceeded very
| far his voice failed him, and Adiutan
I General Frank Q. Cole, who acted as sec
rotary during the meeting, was called
upon to finish it. Several of the reports
/ of other officers and committees were t
have been read at the morning meeting
i but on a motion they were disposed OF
/ by referring them to various standing
committees.
AS soon as the afternoon session haC
( convened in Assembly hall motion wa.
made that the chair appoint committee
of five to bear greetings to the various
/ WOmen's auxiliary organizations m SeS
sion, and d committee composed Of tht
following was named: John E. Black, Z
/ T. Hahn. ". WtheTbee. John +. Gilman
/ and Charles A. Partridge. This commit
{ tee left Immediately upon its errand
bearing greetings from the G. A. r. t.
the WOmans Relief corps. Ladies of tn,
Grand Army of the Republic and Daugh
/ ters of Veterans.
/ Following came a report from Pas
/ Commander-in-Chi John r. King o
/ Baltimore on the work and recommenda
lions of the pension committee. Th'
chairman of this committee, r. b. Brown
/ of GAINESVILLE o.. was not able to bs
present at the meeting. The pension com
mittce. it was explained, was a perma
nent committee. which had been appoint
ed for handling all matters concerning
! pensions to veterans and to secure deSir
"Demseogues" Denounced.
/ In the report Of the committee coHsid
/ cradle stress was laid upon the fact tina
! Grand Army veterans had been bothered
l considerably in getting certain Legislation
from congress and had been placed in {
I false light before the country through the
/ ill-advised efforts of many representa-
/ tives in congress VINO had been active II
their behalf, who it was charged. useC
/ the old soldiers as stepping stones TO at
/ tain national recognition or TO help then
advance politically. They were termed
/ 'dema gogues" and were roundly criticised
I in the committee report.
/ tt was reported that the pension com
mittse had so far secured all the desiI
able legislation in congress that had beer
passed. that the representatives who haC
I been SO loud with their words, seeking Il
/ create the impression that they were
champions for the old soldiers, when. il
reality, they were ambitious only fol