Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-06-07


dent and party reached the grand stand.
Fully twenty thousand people had al
ready gathered around the memorial,
although the parade was still in prog
ross; while those who had been viewing
1t from the thoroughfares poured in like
resistless torrent. Little time was
lost in seating the visitors. Mrs Gar
field, who had given reception to the
President early in the day, drove over to
the cemetery in advance of the process
sion and, with her dsughter, Mollie Gar
field Brown, j. Stanley Brown, her SON
in-law; Harry Garfield and j. A. Gar
field, Jr., were seated Immediately be-
hind the orator Of the day, with the
President on the right, Vice President
Morton on the left, the members of the
Cabinet supporting them on either side.
The singing of america" by choir of
five hundred voices prefaced the exer-
cises, and after ex-President Hayes had
succeeded in securing attention from
the multitude which, considering its
size, was remarkably quiet and we'll or
eered, he made few brief remarks as
president Of the Memorial Association.
Prayer was offered by Bishop w. A..
Leonard, of the Episcopal church, and
then the presentation of Hon. Jacob d..
Cox, OF Cincinnati, tho orator of the day,
was greeted with cheers loud and long
repeated. In clear and distinct voice
which could be heard far into the
throng, Ex-Governor Cox spoke as fol-
lows:
My fellow.citizens: We have come here to
dedicate this memorial to one of our country s
worthless. Our task is not the mournful one
which filled the streets of our cities with fu-
neral pageants nine years ngo. II our thoughts
take tinge OF sOlemnity from the memory of
the tragedy which brought the life of Garfield
to an untimely end and shocked the whole ma
tion by the causeless enormity of the crime it
Will only make our retrospect the sober and
thoughtful thing it ought to be. Time heals all
wounds, and it Is our privilege to think of the
departed statesman who was once our friend
and neighbor as of q character already q his
toric one; analyzng his career with quiet pulse,
not tortured by grief too poignant, and recall
ing his great qualities and his big hearted sym.
pathtes in "reminiscences full of real, of sober
pleasure.
This structure and the statue it covers means
that Garfeld's countrymen see in him and
what he did so much that is worthy OF imita.
tion, and worthily exhibits and interprets the
critical period of our national life through
which we have just passed, that they have
wished to embody in impershable stone the
memory of it, They desire that it shall teach
which fitted him to lead in good directions and
to seek that honor in good mems memories
which comes by subordinating selfish ends to
the common good. They have built this me-
mortal in the belief that we all shall be better
for learning well and wisely this lesson. and
that he whose memory It shall help preserve
is q fit teacher of faith in our institutions and
in our country's destiny. The speaker then
traced Gartields life from boyhood up and
after referring to his war and political history
said
His elevation to the Presidency was rather
the evidence OF his countrymen's admiration OF
him as popular legislative leader. than u sig
nihcant part OF his own career. Cut of prema-
turely, his administration had no opportunity
to carry out any large policy The large grasp
and ability he had shown in every other part Of
his life is sufficient to warrant our faith that it
would have been marked by broad statesman
ship and manifest power; but it was Gods will
that his work as legislator should remain the
thing which will ever be diStinctively his. The
rest is among the might have beens''-bg
with many grand possibilities not to ripen into
full fruition.
In conclusion the speaker said Men of all
parties have united to build this memorial and
to place this statue upon its PEDESTAL to com
memorate these virtues and these services. An
tagonisms are here forgotten Cynical carping
has no place here. The good the great the
strong, the wise and the patriotic We're all so
abundant in him that out of them the young OF
the coming generations may construct an ideal
on which to mould themselves. The weak
nesses, the limitations, the imperiections Incl.
dent TO human nature and which every man