THE BATTLE FLAGS INCIDENT.

General R. C. Drum is the Adjutant-General of the Army appointed by Mr. Hayes. His tenure is irrevocably fixed by law. He has been so strong a Republican that, in spite of the supposed nonn-partisanship of the men in his arm of the service, he sent to General Harrison, whose military adviser he is said to have been during the latter's term of service in the Senate, the following congratulatory dispatch:

General Benjamin Harrison, Indianapolis, Ind.:
Accept my sincere congratulations.

WASHINGTON, June 26, 1888.

R. C. DRUM.

In April, 1887, this officer sent the following letter to the Secretary of War: WAR DEPARTMENT, ADJUTANT-GENERAL'S OFFICE, WASHINGTON, April 30, 1887.

SIR: I have the honor to state that there are now in this office (stored in one of the attic rooms of the building) a number of Union flags captured in action but recovered on the fall of the Confederacy and forwarded to the War Department for safe keeping, together with a number of Confederate flags which the fortunes of war placed in our hands during the late civil war.

While in the past favorable action has been taken on applications properly supported for the return of Union flags to organizations representing the survivors of the military regiment in the service of the government, I beg to submit that it would be a graceful act to anticipate future requests of this nature, and venture to suggest the propriety of returning all the flags, Union and Confederate, to the authorities of the respective States in which the regiments which bore these colors were organized, for such final disposition as they may determine. While in all the civilized nations of the world trophies taken in the war against foreign enemies have been carefully preserved and exhibited as proud mementoes of the nation's military glories, wise and obvious reasons have always excepted from the rule evidences of past internecine troubles which by appeal to the arbitrament of the sword have disturbed the peaceful march of a people to its destiny.

Over twenty years have elapsed since the termination of the late civil war. Many of the prominent leaders, civil and military, of the late Confederate States are now honored representatives of the people in the national councils, or in other eminent positions lend the aid of their talents to the wise administration of the affairs of the whole country, and the people of the several States composing the Union are now united, treading the broader roads to a glorious future.

Impressed with these views, I have the honor to submit the suggestions made in this letter for the careful consideration it will receive at your hands.

Hon. WILLIAM C. ENDICOTT, Secretary of War.

R. C. DRUM, Adjutant-General.

TO PROHIBIT THE PRESIDENT'S ONLY ACTION.

Thereupon, without any action being taken by the President or the Cabinet, General Drum wrote letters to the Governors of all the States offering to return all Confederate flags stored in the War Department. The President never signed a letter, order or document of any kind suggesting the return or offering to return, or endorsing the return of any flag, except the following order to the Secretary of War:

EXECUTIVE MANSION, WASHINGTON, June 16, 1887.

I have to-day considered with more care than when the subject was orally presented me, the action of your Department directing letters to be addressed to the Governors of all the States offering to return, if desired, to the loyal States the flags captured in the war of the rebellion by the Confederate forces, and afterwards recovered by Government troops, and to the Confederate States the flags captured by the Union forces, all of which have been packed in boxes and stored in the cellar and attic of the War Department.

I am of the opinion that the return of these flags in the manner thus contemplated is not authorized by existing law nor justified as an executive act.

I request, therefore, that no further steps be taken in the matter, except to examine and inventory these flags and adopt proper measures for their preservation. Any direction as to final disposition of them should originate with Congress.

THE SECRETARY OF WAR.

Yours, truly,

GROVER CLEVELAND.

The President cannot remove an officer of the Army, but this order shows how promptly he rescinded the action of a subordinate. Not only have no Confederate flags ever been returned by President Cleveland or his administration, but it is a well known fact that under the administration of Edwin M. Stanton twenty-one such flags were surrendered.

CHAPTER XXIV.

DEMOCRACY AND THE SOLDIER.

PRESIDENT CLEVELAND'S CONSISTENT SUPPORT OF EVERY WELLCONSIDERED MEASURE IN THE SOLDIER'S INTEREST.

Every Pension Agent Appointed by Him an Ex-Soldier—
Unexampled Increase in the Grant of Pensions—Lib-
erality and Promptness in the Relief of Worthy
Applicants -The Vetoes of Questionable
Private Pension Bills—Acts of Justice

to Deserving Pensioners.

I.

MORE PENSIONS GRANTED.

A LARGER NUMBER OF CASES CONSIDERED AND ALLOWED THAN EVER BEFORE.

In no phase of the exercise of his executive functions has the Democratic President exhibited greater patriotism, more unerring discrimination, larger intelligence and more untiring industry than in the consideration and determination of all matters touching the relations of the Federal Government with the Union soldiers of the late war. Every well-considered measure for the equalization and enlargement of bounty rendered to them from their grateful fellow-countrymen has had his approval and support; every movement to honor their memory and perpetuate their glory has had his individual and official aid; the Pension Department under his administration has been organized especially with a view to the expedi tion of the business which it conducts, and it has been administered with unpre cedented liberality and promptitude.

Especially in the exercise of his veto power has the President been watchful for the true interest of the deserving soldiers; and all of his executive acts have been characterized by what General Grant's closest friend pronounces an effort ᎢᏅ

MAKE THE PENSION LIST A ROLL OF HONOR AND EVERY PENSION CERTIFICATE A TOKEN OF VALOR AND PATRIOTISM."

Next to the denial of worthy claims nothing works greater injustice to the soldiers who fairly earned the gratitude and liberal rewards of the Government than the grant of pensions to unworthy applicants, impostors, deserters and shirkers. In no respect has the President gained the confidence and the admiration of the soldiers and citizens of the country more effectually than in the detection and exposure of numerous frauds attempted upon Congress and the country, to the discredit and damage of honest pensioners and gallant soldiers.

THE PENSION AGENTS-SOLDIERS IN OFFICE.

To the head of the Department of Pensions President Cleveland appointed Gen. John C. Black, a gallant Union soldier of Illinois, whose military record was one of the highest and best in the entire history of the war, and whose signal executivequalities have given to the work of his department a dispatch and thoroughness never before known in its history. As pointed out in a speech on the floor of the House, August 3, 1888, by Representative McKinney, of New Hampshire, besides General Black,

"President Cleveland has appointed to office: General Rosecrans, General Corse, General Sigel, General Bragg, General Buell, General McMahon, General Franklin, General Davis, General Bartlett, Colonel McLean and Colonel Denby, and hundreds of others who have been appointed as postmasters and to fill offices in various departments of the Government, and there never was a time in the history of the Government since the war when there were more soldiers employed in the service than now.

"Of the seventeen pension agents appointed by President Cleveland, sixteen were soldiers in the Union Army, and the seventeenth, Mrs. M.A.Mulligan, is the widow of a distinguished Federal soldier who was killed in battle. Mr. S. L. Wilson, the eighteenth pension agent, appointed by President Arthur, who lost both legs at the battle of Gettysburg, has been continued in officeby the present administration. Thus every dollar of the nearly $80,000,000 distributed each year to soldiers by the Government passes through the hands of veterans who defended the Union."

II.

DEPARTMENT WORK.

INCREASED EFFICIENCY AND UNPRECEDENTED LIBERALITY UNDER DEMOCRATIC ADMINISTRATION OF THE PENSION OFFICE.

For years, prior to the accession of the Democratic party to National power, one of the stock arguments of the Republican press and speakers in every campaign was, that should the Democratic party be entrusted with the administration of national affairs, the interests of Union soldiers in the matter of pensions would be seriously jeopardized. The Democratic party has now been in power for more than three years, and what do the official records show has been done in the way of pensions for Union soldiers, their widows, orphans and dependent relatives? Compare the new with the old, as shown by the official records of the Pension Bureau. The annual reports of the Commissioner of Pensions for the fiscal years 1883, 1884 and 1885, show that during those years 108,121 original, 79,268 increase and 3,852 miscellaneous certificates were issued. Total claims admitted during the last three years of Republican rule, 191,221.

The annual reports of the Commissioner of Pensions for the fiscal years 1886 and 1887 and the records of the Pension Bureau for the fiscal year 1888 (the annual report of the Commissioner for the last year not having yet been made), show that during those three years 156,226 original, 181,173 increase and 22,055 miscellaneous certificates were issued. Total claims admitted during the first three years of Demoratic rule, 359,452. Excess of certificates issued by the Democrats, 168,231.

In order that the public may be satisfied of the accuracy of this statement, there is appended the official figures taken from the records of the Pension Department: LAST THREE YEARS OF DUDLEY'S ADMINISTRATION.