Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-04-17

w chief: A. G.. Weis
@ sert. of Wilwau
kee: Colonel VIM. L. Distin, commander
of the Department. of Illinois; Rev
| Hogarth Lozier, past National chaplain
Mrs. Wittenmeyer, National president
and Mrs. Emma Is. Manchester, Nation.
al vice-president, of the Women's Relief
Corps, accompanied the commander-in
chief. General Alger and Major War
ner took seats in the Governors car
riage, and. preceded by the famous
Drummer Boy of the Rappahannock'
(Hendershott), and followed by long
line of veterans, proceeded to the Man
sion.
At four o'clock a procession was
formed in the Capitol grounds and
passed up High street and returned on
| Main street to the place of starting.
| Fully three thousand veterans were in
the parade, and they marched to the
music of half a dozen bands. They
were reviewed by General Alger and
Governor Francis. At night an open
meeting was held in the Hall of the
| House Of Representatives, and the hall
| was crowded. The meeting was called
to order by Commander Phelps. He in
| troduccG Colonel John Clark, of Jeffer-
son City, who extended 2 cordial well
come to the veterans TO the hospitali-
! ties of jefferson City. He was followed
| by Governor Francis. The Governor
alluded to the great civil conflict the
| causes of which were numerous and
varied,'' and the blood and treas
ure sacrificed were frightful and
| incomprehensible. The lessons it taught
were dear and lasting' Continuing, he
! said:
You have earned the gratitude of your
| cOuntrymen, and through out the bitter po-
| litical contests fthe past quarter of a cent
| ury your services have been recognized and
! rewarded by whatever political party has
| been in power At the time the integrity of
| the country was jeopardizcd you responded
| to the call and joined the army of the mill
| ions required for the preservation of the
! Union. When the conflict was over, and that
army was reduced to q naltry %, CO. you re-
turned to the pursuit of peace and devoted
yourselves to rebuilding the industrial
fabric, and have contribut ed your share to
the present prosperity of the richest country
on the globe Now Union and Confederate,
with those who have come after, constitute
a grand army, numbering 1i,0O0,0 900 OF free
men, ready at any time to ii ght for the honor
of their country or to defend its flag. +
The animosities of the past should be for
given and it's conflicts remembered only
that they may serve to guide US in the fut-
ure. appeal to you and to all citi
zens of Missouri to unite and work for the
development and advancement of this great
State. The recuperatve powers of Missouri
do not need to be demonstrated to her citi-
zens. Sister and surrounding States We're
unacquainted 18th the ravages of war Here,
IN this Commonwealth of compromise. our
fields were laid waste, our houses were pill
laged, and arrayed i'll hostile strife Were
father against son and brother against
brothtH Since the close of the war Missouri
has trebled in population and increased
five-fold IN wealth. but her possibilities ex
coed the estimates of her most sangunc
sons.
Major William Warner, past COM
mander-in-chief. was the next speaker.
His remarks were almost entirely of a
humorous nature. Il am here tonight,
comrades" he said, under a great dis
advantage. Upon my arrival here l
was received and became the guest of
the most courteous and polished Gov
ernor in America. To him [ intruSt ted
the keeping of my valise which con-
tanned carefully ten speech
to be delivered here tonight. This
speech has already been delivered by
Governor Francis. If the Governor had
been old enough. he would have been in
the war, and would have been the most
accomplished forager in the army. Now
| might tell many things he contin-
ued, "about what us old, decrepit,
broken-down veterans have done to
save the Union, but ] won't. When you
hear a soldier talking about wanting to
live the old times over again you can
put him down as q second edition of
Ananias. We like to meet and talk
over these times and tell how each one
of rs put down the rebellion, but we
don't want to go through another war
like the last. But | think | may say,
without Boosting, that the grandest
army that ever fought for q principle
was the army that marched to the music
of the Union from 81 to 90" After a
striking illustration of the heroism of
the men who fought that the Govern
ment of the people, by the people and
for the people might not perish from
the earth" he introduced Commander
in-Chiei Russell a. Alger, who was
gret3ed with three rousing cheers and a
tiger. After q few Introductory re-
marks, General Alger said:
We meet in these camp-tires to live over
the past in memory, and if We, in recount
ing the deeds that we performed from 81 to
%, gain pleasure and profit by it. no one
should say nay. 1t renewS our youth, and
if we occasionally add Il little to history
it does no harm, and some of us lots of good.
We.sear old stories over and over until we
think them true whether they not |
We swear to and 81 ign them. and history |
is made. War has its come Ties well as
its terrors and its humorous incidents are !
as much the theme of the veterans remi-
niscences as the stories of battles, disaster
and death. But ap trt from the pleasures of +
these reunions, which alone should be /
we are often asked why this organization of !
the G.. 4. r. and what are is aims and |
objects? Some call us trea~lry wreckers. l
told the people of Washington short time |
ago that if the treasury vaults were thrown |
open and the money p! aced in the hands OF |
the G. A. r. it would be safe as where it is |
now We are not going to sell our patriot |
ism or put price upon it. But we do de- |
mand that legislation be not checked, and |
that the thou sands of veterans who are now |
in the poor houses shall be cared for and at |
once This is our great object and it Is |
worthy of respect. There Is much work for
us to do We must stand united in this |
great effort. We have many suffering COM
raties all over the land and we can help
them. 1t is the duty of the Grand Army to
see that they are not neglected. We must
demand nothing unreasonable, nothing but