The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1889-07-04
coEronAL rAxxEa AT rorrkA.
Special Correspondents.

TOPEKA, July =, 1883.
Saturday, June 18th, will be q day
long TO be remembered by the old
soldiers Of Kansas who hsd the
pleasure Of meeting their comrade,
Corporal James Tanner, commits
sioner Of pensions, as the Chau-
taqua assembly, this city. This dis
tinguished soldier Of the late war ar
rived In Topeka Saturday morning
ut 4 O'Clock from Ottawa, where he
addressed the assembly at that
place. From Q o'clock to IL noon he
was busy greeting his old comrades
at the U. 3. pension office. The
afternoon and evening was spent at
Oakland Grove, where he delivered
q mastery address aud participated
In the campfire st night.
Corporal Tanner Il . man Of
slender build, about Eve feet eight
inches tall. He walks with Q cane
aud o perceptable limp, and you
would not believe that both Of bis
legs were left on the battlefield Of
Bull Run. He wears artificial
limbs, one OF his legs having been
amputated above aud the other below
the knee. Over bis tight fitting
shoes he wears rubbers to prevent
him from falling. He jOeularly told
q crowd Of his old comrades that the
rubbers made his feet sweat and
were bad on his corns, but he was
compelled TO endure IL.
At 3 o'clock the great auditorium
was packed to suffocation, fully 5000
people being seated or standing In
the aisles or doorways. Gov. Hum
phrey was introduced a. president
Of the day and after . short, pointed
address introduced Corporal Tanner.
We quote from his address a. fol-
lows:
"In the days when soldering
meant suffering and death, this
government was able to secure the
enlistment OF 100000 men-a
mighty host. Now, I'm the days Of
peace, Il 10 utterly impossible for the
government to fill Its regular army
up to the picayune limit Of $500.
That proves emphatIcally that We
are not o nation OF warriors"
at Is well that the generation that
II rising should understand what u
cost to preserve this nation. I do
not sigh for the good old days that
have passed by. / believe that this
world IL getting better and purer,
aud I say to my old comrades that
we can ask for no greater glory than
that we were q part OF that force
which wrought out Gods will, a. 10
certainly was Gods will. We are
happy In the belief that generations
vet unborn shall rise up and call Us
blessed. Over 1900 battle-felds the
men Of the Union tramped with un-
daunted step; they developed the
characteristics that had yet been
hidden; there never was % thorough
q test Of the inner character Of q
man a. was to be found In army
life. I sometimes think that you
people are exeusable IL you think
the soldier boys glory q little too
much when they get together, but
you must bear in mind that this fair
dag Of ours was not then the flag Of
the free. IL claimed to be the flag
Of the free, but that was q living lie,
and we tore that lie out Of it, folds.
I thank God for myself and my COM
rades that In our day We Tighied
that mighty wrong; thank God 49,
OOO, 600 times that we were able to
wipe out that mighty wrong; We
baOA Nnbt u8H anu
beautified."
The speaker scored the copper
head element In the following terse
language: There were manly foes
I'm front of us; there were manly
foes behind us; there were con-
temptable foes In front Of US aud
there were still more contemplate
foes behind US"
Then came the most interesting
part OF the eorpOral's speech-his
views with regard to pension legls-
IatiOn. He said:
when the alarm was sounded
throughout the land, you said to
these boys that II they would go out
and save this land, the earth and the
fulIness thereof should be theirs.
They brought you q redeemed,
regenersted and purified nation; you
have advanced nightly In wealth.
What shall be the reward Of the
savlOrs OF this nation? No, they
ask no reward; but what does
Justice demand shall be given them
Shall they have their due? Shall
we subject ourselves to the danger
Of having these little ones around
US today see the gallant defenders
pass to the eternal shore through
the portals OF the aims house? A
thousand times no. I am here
solely today ~ q comrade, but am
free TO say that II you don't believe
with me, then I know an Official
who sits In some power who IL
nightly out Of place. I am one OF
those who believe that there 10 no
part Of the taxation whinn Is paid
more cheerfuily than that which
goes to pay the disabled and needy
soldier"
"While I will 20 to the fullest ex-
tent Of my power to do what Is right
by an old soldier, I will also 90 10
the fullest extent to hunt out the
culprlt who attempts to defraud this
government with q fraudulent pen
sion claim.
"As the years advance greater In
the heritage and grander the glory
which rests upon the shoulder Of the
survivor; with an undaunted front,
face the fortunes and nlsfOTtunes Of
this world Of ours; having conducted
ourselves rs creditably In civil life
as we did In military life, then we
shall enter the other shore aud be
under the command solely Of the
prince Of peace"
The camp fire In the evening Was
attended by ten thousand people,
and ct ten o'clock the long line Of
electric cars brilliantly lighted with
lights, a. they pulled
out for the city four miles distant,
loaded down with passengers pre-
sented q beautiful sight. DOM.