The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1877-05-31


younger than himself ornamenting the
grave Of father with the many yarie.
: ties of flowers they had brought with
{ them. The little girl said: We come
here several times every spring to place
flowers upon the ground where oul
father lies buried, and my mother raises
| them for that purpose. A mere brute
might have rebuked these children for
a waste of time that could have been
devoted to an augmented production OF
pork and potatoes for their own or for
a neighbor's family. But upon what
more beautiful object could the angels
look through the interlacing clouds in
1.-THE sky than those two dutiful and
flowing children ornamenting and streW-
ing with tokens Of affection the "last
resting place. Of an honored father.
The revolutionary war was contest
for sentiment. 1t was @ revolt against
a tax regarded as odious and improper.
The late war waged by certain States
against the public, forced the govern
ment into an attitude of defense. The
underlying question was: Shall human
slavery be extended? Neither history
nor tradition furnishes us with the out
lines of a war more just or meritorioUs
on one side, or more wicked and lnfa-
nous On the other. The names Of those
who parted with their young lives in
that just war, and in support of the
government in it's supreme hour of
peril, are cherished by the public, and
what object can the human mind con-
template with greater degree OF sat
isfaction than an annual and heartfelt
tribute Of flowers to the memory Of
those departed heroes. It is q sight to
be contrasted only with that of the two
children, who with like impulses and
purposes yearly honor fathers grave;
and rebuke in one case would be as
brutal and coarse as in the other. Thel
KenOsha Union however sees fit to adj
minister sharp rebuke to the public
for what it terms "a senseless display"
No display that is noble in it's incep-
ton can be senseless, unless indeed all
that is noble is senseless, and all that
is ignoble is good. It is only those who
wear a shoe can tell where it pinches
and If the Union does not see fit to in
form the public as to the reason for its
hostile attitude to the observance re-
ferred to, that public are left TO suppo-
sition and conjecture. 1t has the I'M
doubted right to hide and obscure the
underlying causes Of it's prejudice. The
Union however has an excuse for OPP
posing this display, and presents q lame
conclusion upon the subject. It at
tenpts to make the public believe that
if it has no respect for deceased union
soldiers, it has undying sympathies for
their widows and children. It profeses
to believe that the half day devoted
each year to decorating soldiers graves
had better be devoted to raising prof.
visions fer the wives and children they
left behind. But Notwithstanding this
display of words it is not known that
the editor Of the Union, or others whose
sentiments are in accord with his own,
have hitherto shown any munificence
in that direction. There are numerous
holidays occurring at different intervals
throughout the year, and the Union up
to the present time has not blown its
horn and called forth Roderick Dhu to
fight against their observance. It is
therefore evident that the observance
Of those holidays has not the same
odious glare for that paper that "deco-
ration day. presents. The paper re-
ferred to presents it's readers with a
dialogue with a Captain upon this sub
ject, and one Will notice that the cap
tain's" views are in accord with it's own.
The writer recently attempted to aid a
wounded soldier in procuring PEN
sion. Everything went prosperously
until the testimony developed the fact
that the soldier, although he fought
well, fought on the wrong side. In ref
erence to the Unions witness he may
have fought on the right side, yet his
words do not show q proper respect for
| his fallen comrades.
| Contributions of time and money
| have been devoted to erecting q monu-
ment to George Washington. The
plantation upon which he resided has
been purchased by gifts from the rich
and from the poor. Large sums of
money have been expended upon the
National Cemeteries at Gettysburg, Ar
! lingtOn and other places where sleep
those who responded to the 'battle cry
of freedom" Good men and good wo-
men do not protest against these ex-
penditures, but on the other hand the
best minds in the land, put a shoulder
to the wheel in frrtherance of these
benefcent, noble and praiseworthy OBJ
jeets. UNION SOLDIER.
e-~~asSs ss-----
The alarm of fire last Monday after
noon, was caused by an incipient con-
| fagration in q barn on Exchange St.
The property is owned by S. Stebbins,
Esq, and occupied by family named
Archer. The fire originated through
the careless handling Of matches by
children. The department responded
promptly and the fire was soon eXtin-
guished. Damage nominal.
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