Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 August 1890 — G. A. R. AT BOSTON. [ARTICLE]

G. A. R. AT BOSTON.

) The annual encampment as the Grand iArmy of the republic at Boston Is not dis 'similar in any respect to those previously held. The attendance is from all parts of the nation and numbers beyond compute' JHojL Ail the-prominent ex-soldiers of the Hxmntry are present President Harrison (arrived by boat on tbe 11th and was the IgeesT of the State. He was tendered a reception at night, and made a brief but [patriotic speech. Governor Hovey, for his services in behalf of a service pension. Was given a reception by one of the local iposts. Gen. Alger was also tendered a reception. „ Gen. Sherman, Gen. Sickles and all the old veterans were warmly received on their arrival on the 12th. The number of veterans from Indiana who at> tended was 250. It is unnecessary to give details of the monster parade on the 12th. The streets of Boston were never more crowded, and t the G. AR. never gave a more imposing parade. The prominent men of the order were feted and banqueted, The President, (Generals Sherman, Butler and Alger protbably received greater attention. Sherman, 'Alger, Mr. Harrison and Vice-President •Morton delivered brief speeches. The President returned to Washington at night. Ou the 13th Gen. Alger, Commander-in-chief, delivered his' report. He says: The 'official reports presented to the twenty I third national encampment, dated June 80, 1889, gave the number of oomrades in good and regular standing, 882,617. Total mem Ibers then suspended and delinquent, 28,088, making a total membership as borne Jon the rolls at that date of 410,088. On (Tune, 30, 1890, the total number of comrades' in good and regular standing was 487,981; total membership bpme on rolls, 468,230; number of posts reported June 80, 1888, 6,711; number of posts reported June 60,1890, 7,175;, number of deaths during the year, 6,476.; number of new departiments, 2: including the-provisional department of Indian Territory and Oklahoma.

lam constrained to say 1 do not believe the number of deaths reported as above is (even approximately correct. Not, however, on account of any fault of the posts, but as comrades grow feeble they neglect their posts, are dropped from the rolls, When in fact their health is such _they are unable to attend, and thus many die who hre not reported; He devotes considerable attention to pension matters. He says: It is now believed that the expenditures in pensions, under existing laws, will exceed $150,000,000 annually. More than three hundred thousand applications have . been made to the Commissioner of Pensions under the new disability law,* and he informs me that applications are coming in at the rate of about 10,000 per day. Large as this sum is, it is a great .gratification to know that it. is distributed among our own people. Four times a year this money goes to afl parts of the country. There is not a community which does not feel its influence and to which it is not a help. It pays the necessary bills to the merchant and the farmer, who in turn are able to pay their debts,and so on. While these are notreasons for paying pensions they are a source of consolation to the people wh,o bear the burden. Since the war the nation has doubled In population and more than quadrupled in wealth. Its prosperity is known to no other land, and I am sure its people are gladly contributing to the support of those who at every sacrifice made It possible for it to be what it is. Much misapprehension exists, 1 think, concernfug the disability bill heretofore referred to, passed under date of June 27,1890. Let me quote from section 2: “AH persons who 'served niiiety days or more in the military or naval service of the United States during the late War of the Rebellion, and who have been honorably discharged-therefrom, and who are now, or who m«y hereafter be suffering from a mental or physical disability, a permanent character, not the result of their own vicious habits, which incapacitates them from the performance of manual labor in such a degree as to render them unable to earn support, shall, upen making due proof of the fact, according to such rules and regulations as the Secretary of the Interior may provide, be placed upon the list of invalid pensioners of the United States, and be entitled to reoeive a pension not exceeding sl2 per month, and not less than $6 per month, proportioned to the degree of inability to earn support’ 1

Under the officials rules and regulations attached to the bill are the following: This law requires in a soldier’s case—1. An honorable discharge. , 2. That he served at least ninety days. 3. A permanent physical or mental inability to earn support, but not due to vicious habits. (It need not have originated in the service.) By a careful reading of this law and the Official explanation above quoted, it will he seen that, no matter what a man* s financial condition may be, if he be phys. iically disabled from performing manual iabor, he is entitled to a pension, the conditions being, first-, physical disability, not contracted in the service; and iSecond, that. proof of such disability may he made upon certificate from his physician probably, and without the testimony of his former comrades. Should any member of thlsenca moment to-day receive g permanent injury, “ not the result of jhis own vioious habits,” he would be entitled to a pension. Let us be Just to our Haw-'inakers, even though they have not given us all we asked. No country on earth has been nearly as generous to its soldiery as ours. There has been expended in charity, ac foording to our official records, during the past year, <817,660.52. Of course, this is no measure of the money collected and ex-

jpended in a private way, nor does it injclude the great sums collected and expended by the heroic women who are our jrtrting right arm In war, and are now donating their time to our dependent eem-

pni&es and their widows and children. ' The Sons of Veterans, numbering over 026,000 members, is growing rapidly, and is fejTorted in excellentoondltleh. We should Ao everything in our power to aid them in their work. They are our boys, and to thfcm we most soon commit oar trust. The Encampment left It optional

with the National .Council of Admiuistra. tion to provide for the care of the last earthly resting place of oar beloved old commander, and while it should be kept ai a sacred relic, it is a question for youi careful consideration as to whether or nol this expense should be borne by the Grand Army of the Republic. It is situated te a place inaccessible in winter, and upon a plat of land which,under the will bequeath ing It, reverts to the original owner should the cottage be consume! by fire. This, perhaps, was a wise provision, as the land would be of little value without the cottage, but the question of its future maintenance and repairs—it being of wood and needing constant care—is one that should be care fulljr considered. -He makes reference to the Logan and Grant monuments. Col. W. G. Venzey, of Vermont, was elected Commander-in-Chief; the other candidates being Governor Hovey, of Indiana, and CoL Smedberg, of California. R. F. Tobin, of Massachusetts, was elected Senior Vice-Commander, Geo. P. Cramer, of Maryland, Junior V. C. Detroit was unanimously* selected for the next ene amp. ment.