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Show C OFU. I Captain Palmer Delivers His Annual Address Before the Veterans. HE TELLS HOW HE DEALT WITH THE RACE QUESTION Which Threatened to Disrupt Some of the Posts. SUGGESTIONSTO PROTECT CIVIL RIGHTS OF SOLDIERS. Adjutant-Gen. Phlsterer Reports an Increase of 229 Posts During the Past Year, and That the Membership Member-ship Is Xow at Its Highest Point It Will Remain Stationary for a Few Years and Then Necessarily Decline. Washington, Sept. 21. At 10:25 the encampment en-campment was rapped to order by Commander-in-Chief Palmer. A glee club of veterans veter-ans sang a song inviting the encampment to Indianapolis next year, and were gloriously applauded. Commissioner Douglas of the District of Columbia read an address of welcome, and Captain Palmer made a tasteful taste-ful and appropriate reply. After the report of the committee on credentials had been received CAPTAIS PALMER MIDI HIS ANNUAL AD. DRE?S. Following, is a synopsis of the address ad-dress of Commander-in-Chief Palmer to the O". A. R. today. A large portion of the address was directed to patriotic reminiscences remi-niscences of the war and to the memories that the scenes around Washington recalled to the veterans. The race question, which has disrupted the G. A. B. organizations or-ganizations in Mississippi and Louis, iana, was reviewed at great ' length, the commander explaining how he was forced to ' ignore the rights of the department depart-ment of those states to surrender their charter, char-ter, and to insist that colored posts, 9 to 1? must be recognized. After commenting ou the series of resolutions published by the recalcitrant and insubordinate retiring white posts, he concludes a follow - . In dealing with this subject I was not actuated by an unkind thought towards a single member of the department It was known there were disintegrating dis-integrating forces at work, which the national encampment concluded it was time to arrest, aud in the discharge of that duty it was incumbent upon me, under ray oath of office, I did it without with-out either the feeling of fear or prejudice. - The passage by congress of the disability pension bill was warmly commended, and It was urged that the statutes to protect the rights of the veterans of the late war in civil service be more rigidly enforced. "adjutant general's report. The report of Adjutant General Fred Phlsterer followed the address of the commander-in-chief. This report shows there was a gain of 229 in the number of new posts during the past year. A significant and most pathetic sentence of this report is the following: ' "Practically it may be said that the membership of the G. A. R. is now at its highest point. It no doubt will remain re-main about stationary for a few years to come, when, necessarily, it must decrease, and the decrease will be rapid." |