Western Kansas world. [volume] (WaKeeney, Kan.) 1885-current, 1886-06-05

many other varieties of flowers, number
OF them neatly arranged in rustic vase
cut from native stone. A few feet fur
Their to the east were the pedestals In line
across the room, covered with national
cOlOrs and bearing to the full extent OF
their space, plants and cut flowers, while
the organ to the rear of them also bore q
floral display.
Mrs. L. A. Fisher kindly gave her ser
vices as organist for the occasion, and
the following theirs as choir: Misses
Martin, Smith, Wright, Norton, and Mrs.
Lawliss; Messrs. Bruner, Chas. Norton
and Lee Brown. The organ was gener-
ously furnished by Mrs. Lawliss, and
with its accompanying melody, the
choir lnterspersed the ritual exercises
by giving with much sympathy "Wel-
come to the Brave" Miss Norton, soloist;
Dear Voices that are Gone" Miss Mar
tin, soloist; and "Hallelujah," in adj
dition to other pieces mentioned else
where.
At the close of the ritual exercises the
choir sang toll the Bell, the Brave are
Sleeping" with much tenderness. Com
mander Siebert then introduced the
orator of the day, Mr.. 8. G. Robb, Past
Commander of Collyer Post. No. 1O7, who
prefaced his address by remarking that it
had been composed while following the
pillow, and penned late at night. OF its
freshness, appropriateness and power to
interest, the reader can Judge from the
following:
Feast days and fast days, days of
thanksgiving and days of prayer are as
old, my friends, as civilization itself; but
it has remained to this, our government,
to create and set apart by law this, our
own Memorial Day. A day over which
our national congress, state legislatures
and our courts adjourn, our banks close
their doors, and all public business is
set aside that each and every one may
have the privilege of engaging in the
beautiful memorial service to which we
have just listened, and that the graves of
those who served their country in the
hour of her direst need, and now lie
buried in our churchyards, may be deco
rated and made beautiful with flowers,
and their memories and the memory of
their deeds may ever be kept green in the
hearts of their countrymen.
In looking around for some subject
which might proitably engage our at
tention for a short time this day, it oc-
Cured to me that perhaps it would be
well to examine if the blood and treasure,
spent in the great struggle through
which We have passed, was we'll spent.
When the business man has completed
some great enterprise he opens his
sum of it's columns amount
ing to perhaps thousands or millions
he sums up his column of incomes and
of OUTLAWS, of profit and loss, and carries
the several sums to his balance-sheet,
and thereby receives an intelligent idea
if the enterprise payed. So we may, to-
day, open up the great ledger in which
are kept the accounts of our country's
greatest struggle for life; in one column
of which we will find written the blood
and treasure, and wounds and scars, and
aches and pains; in another national dis
honor, divided and disrupted country,
the curse of human bondage, general
weakness, and endless petty warfare be-
tween the different sections; in yet an
other, national life, and honor, and
strength, and greatness, the great boon
of liberty for all, whether they be white
or black, rich or poor. Add up the
different columns and strike balance
sheet, and if Gas I think the different
items of the account strongly indicated
the balance be greatly in our favor, then
it will not only be profitable to us, as ex-
and the many men and. women
whom we left behind, and who worked
with us and for us for the accomplish
ment of the same great end, and whose
and privations in consequence
were only second to our own, but also to
those young men and boys, who in our
next great struggle must take
from our hands the musket and the
sabre, and receive their baptism of blood,
Of death and sorrow, to the end that they
may hand down to future generations for
prosperous country, such as
we are proud, to-day, to present to them.
What, then, was the condition of our |
country at about the beginning of the
war in which those men served whose |
graves we, to-day, decorated with flowers,
and whose sufferings we commemorate
oy these memorial services?
A nation of forty millions of people,
our and half millions of whom were
slaves. In consequence of q majority |
If the people having said by theif votes
hat the accursed system of human
slavery should be confined to its then
present limits, and the balance of our
erritory should forever remain for the
of free people, we find one
bird of these millions in the South in
,pen rebellion; quite large number in
he North in open sympathy with them;
IN executive whose weakness to be mer-
,ifuD was perhaps his worst fault, but
whose counselors, although they had
worn to support the constitution Of the
United States and obey its laws, were
openly violating the one and trying to
lestroy the other; secretary of war
Who was stealing the government arms
md munitions and putting them into the
lands of it's enemies, and scattering its
title army to remote positions so it
ould be of little use; secretary of the
lavy who was sending it's few ships of
var into foreign waters, beyond the reach
# speedy recall; foreign governments
neering at us as the model republic that
vas advertising itself as the asylum for
he oppressed of all nations, and at the
anne time holding in bondage nearly
i've millions Of men, women and children,
,uying, selling and driving them under
he lash like cattle, and hunting them
With blood hounds; system of currency
# the wildcat order, worth 100 cents on
he dollar to-day, and perhaps not one
ent tomorrow; labor at fifty cents day
nd scarce at that.
But time will not permit, and we need
lot, for our purpose, follow this column
my farther, the sum of it's advantages
laving already dwindled down to mere
ipher.
Now, how was it at the close of the