Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-05-31

"The measure and magnitude OF that
contest is beyond comprehension.
A century hence the world
will see all other wars sink
into comparatively insigniEcance.
We who were in it do not comprehend its
| magnanimity
''Some think it ought to be forgotten
That it was something like family row
and little attention should be given it. Ii
| I was a member of every church in the
state could not stand up and hear that
| kind of talk. Forget it, Three million
men taken from their homes; three or four
hundred thousand. went down in bloody
graves; nine hundred thousand went home
| crippled by war And this is what we
ought to forget? l stand here to say for
getfulness is treason for the future As
well to tell me the cruciixion Of Christ
should be forgotten.-Cheers."
''Now let US not go to bitterness on this
matter. We never held in our breasts the
the animosity so much attributed TO
u.s. I'VE contended for principal
and not as result OF
animosity. Between battles it was trad
ing jack knives and tobacco between the
soldiers of the north and south and about
the time of danger each would notify the
other. AS we talked traitors then we hate
disloyalty today [CheersI. AS we strew
the flowers today each man should swear
! that treason never again should germl-
nate, and without this, ceremony is a
mockery and unjust to the honored dead.
| This sickly sentmentalism that proposes
to weave the stars and stripes with the
stars and bars and put it around the
monument of Lincoln and Davis. Grant
and Lee; l have no patience with it. The
contest can never be justified unless the
dividing line between right and wrong is
removed. If we were murderers then in
deed, there were never more guilty muir
derers than we. AS we'll bring saint and
sinner to the supper OF the
| Lord as TO put IN practice
such sentimentality. l speak this with no
Malevolence or hate. l speak it with love
and affection for the men we fought. The
duty we performed for them not less valu-
| able than the work we performed for our
selves l hope the time will come when 1t
will not be necessary to remember, for all
will be united and forgetfulness Will do
But that viii never come, for there IS
ever right and ever wrong. 1t is illogical,
irrational nor can it be reached until sthe
milleDial shall come"
Heretofore have not trusted myself to
talk on memorial day without putting on
a literary straight jacket but l come to
you today unhampered. and only ask 1t
will be received in the spirit give it. For
If there is any one here who wants to go
out and lie about it he is entirely welcome
to all he can get out of it. If | say any
T ,at To I Crln n
[Cheers.l
"On these occasions there is a
lesson for the young, and for Us, comrades,
also Have heard about that day when
there will not be a comrade let TO deco
rate the graves. Such a thing as that
should not be possible. Just here l want
to say comrades should devise some way
to cause the grand army to live forever.
Let the Oldest son inherit the membership,
and if he does not attend to the duties let 1t
20 to the next and the next until one is
found who is patriotic enough to attend
to the matter.
Some Of US Grand Army men are at
times disposed to grumble a little. We
get impatient over pension rackets in con-
gress Some people talk about settling
with US, money. He who talks about
paying old soldiers with money
alone, should have his tongue to
wither. There should be some way
devised by which our soldiers can get their
pensions without SO much trouble. My
regiment had no hospital record. in fact
had nothing to do but to fight. Let the
questions in an examination for pensions
for either regular or volunteer be: Was he
good soldier? Was he honorably dis
charged? Is he helpless? If the answer is
yes to all these, then let him have pen
sion-cheers. Its enough to know that he
beared his breast to the bullets OF the
country's enemies and that he did his duty
well and that he is in need of a helping
hand to keep him from want. No union
soldier shall rest in a paupers grave
without bringing the vengeance OF God on
this country"
DON'T BELIEVE 1T.
don't believe any of this talk that the
old soldier is not recognized. You com
mand the respect of the world. No de-
serving old soldier need feel desperate and
declare that no one cares for him. That
symbol expression, mo one cares for me"
1t is the last utterance of the unfortunate
woman; of the suicide man, but DO union
SOlUltI utSQ iIO OilC NdASS AOA AA-S-
The world cares for YOU"
HERO WORSHIP.
sNow as to this hero business. We do
not do homage to men because we want to.
We cannot make heroes. You remember
that was tried during the war and failed.
They put on the stripes and the colors.
but when they should have walk
ed forward they went backward. There
is feeling that compells homage for GER
tain traits of mind, and force you to &C
knowledge them as heroes. No one wears
a Grand Army badge that does not carry
around with him an entree TO the affections
of mankind"
"Once when in great city, in the resi-
dence portion, at the dead hour OF night,
the alarm of fire was given. rushed out
and found great crowd there, and the
flames were coming through the windows
of marble palace. In a moment lady
} rushed out and, pointing to window,
cried: Save my childr Save my child!
The ladder was run up, but where was the
man to ascend and iberate the child from
flames He did not come from
the blue coats and brass but
tons of the fire department, paid fol
, doing such work But in a moment a
man from back in the crowd wearing
shabby clothes appeared and assembled the
: ladder He was soon lost in the flames
but reappeared with the darling child and
placed it in the arms Of its mother at the