Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-03-20
| solid Austrian hosts and died that his coun-
trymen and his country might live, to take

trymen and his country might live, to take
Unto his manly breast
The sheaf OF hostile spears, and brook
A path fol the oppressed"
How the memories come clustering
around as we sit with him to-
night. An acquaintance of Lincoln, a
under Grant, comrade
of Sheridan, colleague of Sherman, a con-
Temporary with Hayes, friend of Garfield
Such, then, is our guest.
And now he comes back once more among
us, private citizen, in the full vigor of man
hood, with eye undimmed and strength I'M
impaired. with step firm and elastic, with
mind and heart as pure and unsullied AS when
he went away; with no blot upon his record
with a greeting as hearty and unaffected as
when he knew none except those within the
contracted circle of his birthplace; and,
strange in these degenerate times to say,
when place and power are too often the syno-
nyms Of corrupt and Ill-gotten gain, as poor
in purse as when he entered public life
We welcome the soldier; we welcome the
statesman; We welcome the politician; we
welcome the genial gentleman; We welcome
our ueighbor; We welcome our friend; we
welcome our guest.
On taking the floor in response to calls,
General Keifer was received with tumultuous
applause and spoke as follows:
MR.. KEIFERs ADDRESS,
Mr. CHAIRMAN, My FELLOW CITIZENS AND
NEIGHBoRs-Silence would best become me
now. | can not command words fitting to
express my deep feeling of gratitude and
thankfulness to you for this hattering recep-
tiou-unexpected-and feel in great de-
gree unworthy of it. 1t has been my lot to
have received some honor at the hands Of per-
sons far away from here at the time when
was chosen to high position in the civil
| government of the country. The reception
| then given knew well was largely in con-
sequence of the Office held and the power
| incident TO that ofice-the reception you give
me comes from my fellow-citizens at home
when am with you as private citizen, and
| therefore ! esteem your reception far above
any that could possibly be given me by 9th
| ers.
You know that in some considerable de-
gree | have been party man, and to COM
mand the respect Of my fellow-citizens at
home OF the opposite party, is more than
fattering.
was born in Clark county, near this city.
Here spent my youth; here | entered pro-
fessionsl life under the directions of gentle
men, one of whom, Judge Gocde, is present..
| read law in this city, and whatever OF
professional success | had, came to me here
Here in your cemetery my parents
are buried; here | married, and in
this city my children were born-every
thing that is dear, and has been dear to me
is clustered in and around this city, and here
expect to live 70 the end of my days, and
therefore to have the esteem and friendship Of
my neighbors is to have everything that one
can reasonably aspire to In this world. There
are many things 10 be acquired when you &c
abroad il you have the means to travel anG
travel only to entertain, but at home We are de.
peLding for our happiness and success in Life
on those who are our neighbors.
Ny public life can be summed in this
four years in war; two years in the Ohio
Senate and eight years in the Congress o.
the United States. | will not undertake t
review these years, as there is moi time, but
can only say that both in war and peace
7 gave all the powers, physical and mental, thai
| possessed. Applause. We live in {
period that We are not quite just to our
selves. We have gone through a war tina
was mcst bloody and terrible when com
pared with the wars OF other nations ani
with the other wars OF this country.
held in the army very humble command
but | witnessed more men killed and wound
ed in that command than fell in the sever
years war of the Revolution on the side o
the United States aud speak of that becaus
+ my command was humble and small. shal
| Jr. in hu
allow me to say this with reference to a mem
ber's duties in the Congress of the Unite'
States: We look back to see the great mel
and are amazed at their history, and whs
they have accomplished.
The FIRST House of Representatives had il
it sixty-seven members each representing
about thirty thousand people-the wants o
the people and country were few and simpl
compared TO what they are now-the thing
that came up for consideration were very or
binary in comparison with matters that are in
volved today. There was time for thought
reflection, study, and all these things, to Fl
themselves to perform their duty.
There was in the first fifty years of thi
government s,777 bills and joint resolution
introduced in the House OF Representative
covering twenty-five full congresses-th
most OF these things were of a simple, plail
character, compared TO the present. There wa
J introduced in the last Congress for considera
J ton s,655 bills to be dealt with. Now
member cannot be just to himself when he i
representing l54 900 people with their mul
tiplied interests and complex wants. Tim
is thing be cannot command. He has bu
twen,y-tour hours in a day, and if he accom-
plishes anything in the performance OF hi
, duty he is obliged to spend most OF the TWEEN
ry-four hours out of his bed. What then i
/ accomplished must be done by physical en-
durance AS well as mental application. Now
my friends what little / accomplished ha
been, as you know, under the circumstance
connected with the present day. You know
, too that was 10, trained either tor war o
for politics, but trained as We are in thi
western country, and generally over th
United States, for a private citizen, and thi
would be my excuse to you for any short
comings in my official life.
must not forget my distinguished prede
cessors. They furnish galaxy of illustriou
men-Hon. Samson Mason, of this city; Hon
Moses B. Corwin, of Urbaua; Hon. Benz
Stanton and Hon. VIM. Lawrence, OF Belle
fontaine; and again, Hon. Samuel Shellabar
ger, OF our city. Their careers cover i'm
porIant epochs in this nations history.
There are some pleasant things
be observed that is with ref
erence to our day and generation
We are apt to often hear that we are livinI
in degenerate day. This is grave mis-
take. The people of the United States ar
better, collectively and individually, than an,
other people that live upon the face of th
earth. [Applause. They possess NOR