River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1880-08-19

THE soldiers monument was dedicated
at Geneva, with imposing ceremonial
speeches by Gen. Garfield, congressman
Conger, 0rth and Harrison, Gen. Streight
and others. Garfeld'a speech was as fol-
lows:
Fellow citizens: These gentleman lad
no right to print in paper here that !
was to make a speech, for the types ought
always tell the truth, and they have not
done il in this case; but | can not look out
upon great audience in Ashtabula
county recognizing SO many old faces and
old friends, without at least making my
bow to them, and saying goOd-by before /
go. | can not hear such speech a. thai
to which ! have Just listened without thank.
ing the man who made ii and the people
who enabled him to make it, for, after all
no man can make a speech alone. 1t is
the great human power than strikes up
from thousand minds that acts
upon him and makes the speech. 1t origi-
mated with those outside of him, if he
makes one at all, and every man that has
stood on this platform today has had a
speech made out Of him by you and by
what is yOnder on your square. That is
the way speeches are made, and if had
time to stay here long enough these forces
with you might make one out of me. Ideas
are the only thing in this universe that are
immortal. Some people think that sol
diers are chiefly renowned for courage.
That is one Of the cheapest and commonest
qualities. We share il with the brutes.
/ can find you dogs and bears and lions
that viii fight, and fight to the death, and
will tear each other. Do you call that
warfare? They are as courageous as any
of the soldiers, if mere brute courage is
what you are after. The difference be
tween them.and us is this: Tigers ne, CT
hold reunions to celebrate their victories
When they have eaten the creature they
have killed, that is the only reunion they
ever hold. Wild beasts never build mon.
uments over their slain comrades Why?
Because there are no ideas behind their
warfare Our race has ideas, and because
ideas are immortal, if they are true, we
build monuments 10 them We hold re-
unions, not for the dead, for there is moth
ing on all the earth that you and | can do
for the dead they are past our help, and
past our praise. We can add TO them no
glory, and can give to them no immortal
ty. They do not need us but forever and
forever more we need them. The glory
that trailed in the clouds behind them after
their sun had set falls with its benediction
upon us who are living, and il is to com
memorate the immortality of the ideas for
which they fought that you assemble to-
day and dedicate your monument that
points up toward the God that leads them
in the glory Of the great world beyond
And around those ideas, under the leader
ship of the Immortality of those ideas. we
assembled to-day reyerently to follow, rev
erently to acknowledge the glory they
achieved and the bencdiction they left be-
hind them That is the meaning Of an as
sembly like this, and to join it, TO meet
you, my old neighbors and constituents, to
share with you the memories that we have
heard rehearsed and the inspiration that
this day points 10, that this monument eel
ebrates, is to me a JOY and for il ] am
grateful to YOU Before | go | want the
pleasure, and to give you the pleasure, Of
hearing a few words from some distinguish
ed gentlemen who are on this platform.
/ would had time TO introduce them all
to You; but | ask you to hear for mo
ment what you will, know, be delighted
TO hear, a word from the descendant Of
that great Ohio man that we so honored
forty years ago this year. | ask you to
listen to Gen. Benjamin Harrison Of In
diana