The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1910-09-22
No Braver Soldiers Were Ever
Marshaled in Any, Cause
He Declared
PENSION LEGISLATION WILL
RECEIVE SERIOUS attention
Veterans Believe the Lowest Pensions
Granted Should be Considerably In.
creased Gilman Is Leading for
Commander.ln.C Chief.

Atlantic City. alt;. 22-With ine
tribute to the soldiers of the con-
federacy, Commander-in-C Chief Samuel
R. Van SAINT of Minnesota Gay for
mally opened the business AR,n Of
the national encampment " A.he
Grand Army of the Republic onN%.I
Pier. The commander spoke earnA> S
ly as he expressed his qualification,
at the Increasing dissemination of
the blue and the gray. When he
said that no braver troops we're ever
marshaled for conflict than the south
ern soldiers, and that the veterans
now realize that no men ever made
greater sacrifices for what they be-
leved to be right than their former
foes, the commander was applauded.
The veterans did not show any Ill
effects of yesterdays long march and
were about bright and early. Those
not called into the business session
Of the encampment. planned to spend
the day in enjoying the many attrac-
favored the veterans.
The matter of Incorporating the
Grand Army of the Republic will prob
ably come before the encampment.
The commander recommends In his
report that the nationai organization
be incorporated under the federal
laws.
The department of Kentucky wants
the national hymn, America" to in
clude the name of Lincoln. 1t has
proposed an amendment to the rules
and regulations of the organization
that the following lines be used in
patriotic and memorial exercises In
singing America"
Reunited land,
- Meath Lincoln's guiding hand y -,
Our love we give.
ssss Land tyrany deHed,
Land war can ne'er divide,
Land soldiers glorified,
For thee we love.
Many matters affecting the well
fare OF the Grand Army veterans will
come before the encampment. The
question of pensions will come up,
the veterans urging that the lowest
pensions granted be considerably in
creased. From the latest finforma-
tion there are about $4,000 names on
the pension rolls. The government es-
Inmates there are $4,000 union men
who are not drawing pensions, making
the total number Of survivors 626,231.
When the representatives of the. vet
Grams went into executive session,
there appeared to be no doubt that
John E. Gilman of Boston would be
elected commander-in-chief.
Van SAINTS Address.
Comprehensively reviewing the
work Of the Grand Army Of the Re-
public in the nation for the past year
during which he has acted as its
head, Chief Samuel R.
Van SAINT today addressed the dele
gates to the forty-fourth national en-
campment as well with an eye to the
future good that the great organiza-
tion might accomplish as upon the
notable achievements Of its past.
While the roll Of the grand army
is-steadily shortening, the commander
III chief urged that every effort be
made to keep the organization up to
its fullest possible strength. He
quoted the figures showing that the
G. A. r. at the beginning Of the pres
ent year had still 213.9O1 members in
good standing, as against 220,600 at
the beginning Of 1909. The loss dur
ing the year was $751;, Of which g.
323 was by death. The commander
urged that recruiting measures be
taken among the large number of for
mer union soldiers who are not en-
rolled as grand army members.
Memorial Day Observance. j
The speaker noted better general
observance of Memorial day than for
merly. Let us insist and do all in
our power" he said, that Memorial
day shall be devoted solely and only
to the purpose for which 1t was cre-
ated. Let 1t be the one day of the
year devoted to honoring our death
less dead for in that way we will
teach the rising generation love Of
country, without which our nation
cannot long survive" He also urged
the general cooperation of G. A. r.
members in Inducing general OBJ
servance Of flag day.
Commander -in-chief Van SAINT had
commendation for the work Of all the
g. A. r. auxiliaries, praising the ex-
cellent work being Gone by the Wo-
mans Relief corps, ladies Of the G.
A. r. Sons of Veterans and daughters
Of Veterans. OF the Sons Of Veterans,
he said:
This can be made a still grander
organization. 1t is constantly in
creasing In numbers and influence.
The Sons Of Veterans will proper en-
couragement should soon be the larg-
est patriotic body Of men in the