Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1891-08-20
VERMONT,S GLORY +.
The Green Mountain State
Warmly Eulogized.
CLOSE OF THE GREAT ANNIVERSARY

President Harrison Makes Two Addresses
and Attends Banquet with Seats for
3,5oO-Presentedw with a Gold Memento
of the Occasion-A Few Words
Commerce and Finances and an Elo-
quent Tribute to Woman-Departure
for Mount McGregor.
BENNINGTON VT, Aug 20-There was
an enormous crowd congregated in front
of the battle monument yesterday when
the presidents carriage, which had
stopped at the reviewing stand to enable
the president to review the procession,
drove through the lines of militia to the
platform erected in front of the monu-
ment, and at his appearance, as was the
case with the other distinguished visitors,
the welkin rang with cheers. The pro-
gramme of prayer, singing and oratory
was executed without delay and without
notable incident, except that the supports
of the stand settled while President Z. J.
Harrison was delivering his brief address,
day, and created a slight panic, soon
quoted upon the assurance that there was
no danger. Mr.. Phelps Grafton was an
eloquent review of the events, leading up
TO the battle of Bennington, and a tribute
to the part Vermont played in the times
that tried mems souls.
President Harrison Speaks.
The Grafton was applauded frequently,
and long-cOntinued applause followed its
conclusion. An ode composed for the &C.
casion was then sung, the audience stand
ing during the singing. \ feature of this
part of the exercises was the heartiness
with which Governor Page, ex-senator
Edmunds and Gen. Aiger joined in the
singing. At 2:l5 p. m. President Harri-
son was announced and was greeted with
three cheers and a tiger, and the cry,
What's the matter with HarIi-
son! He's all right" Addressing
the concourse the president said
there were obvious reasons why he should
not long detain the great audience one OF
which was the scholarly review of Yer
mont's history given by Mr.. Phelps.
A Compliment to Phelps.
He then proceeded: A son of Vermont,
honored by his state, by the nation, by
the profession to which he can do honor,
honored by all his fellow citizens, has
spoken for Vermont, and it does not seem
to me fit that these golden sentences into
which he has gathered the thoughts of
preparation, should be marred by any
thing might add. ! can have no other
preparation for speech today than this
cordial welcome you have extended me,
which makes it uniting that l should
neglect to make the most grateful &C
Acknowledgement of it. Perhaps l may be
permitted as a citizen of a western state
to give a tribute to Vermont. Perhaps as
apublic officer can bring to you a trib-
ute of their appreciation of the history of
this state
Vermont's Glorious History.
The other colonies staked their liberty
on the issue with the assurance that if
they were successful their rights and lib
critics were theirs, and the inhabitants of
the New Hampshire grants alone fought
with the inhabitants of other colonies
alone, unknowing whether, when liberty
was achieved, their homes would be as
sured them by the victory. They had
grave reason to fear that the government
to whose supremacy Vermont had so nobly
contributed might recognize the claims OF
New York upon their homes; and yet
through all this struggle, though assur
ance couldundoubtedly have been had from
the crown, Vermont took glorious part
in securing that independence which was
the ultimate security of the homes of her
people. 1t is glorious and unmatched
history.
Has Kept the Faith Unfalteringly.
"She has kept the faith uufalteringly
from Bennington to this day. She has
added illustrlous names to our roll of war
riors and statesmen. Her represent alton
in congress as | have known it has be-
come conspicuous for influence, and as far
as can recall has been without reproach
to any man. We have occasionally come
to Vermont with call that did not orig
mate with her own people, and those calls
have always been answered with the same
conservation of duty as your own.
found when the difficult task Of making a
cabinet was before me that / could not
get along without a Vermont stick il il.
Laughter and applause The participa-
tion of this state in the war OF the re-
bellion was magnificent. Her troops took
to the field that high conservation to duty
that had characterized their fathers.
Wealth Is Not Greatness.
I'VE are today approaching the conclu-
sion Of a summer Of extraordinary fruit
fulness. How insignificant the stores
gathered in Bennington in ~ compared
with these storehouses bursting with
plenty today. We ought to be a grateful
prosperous people. European def
ciencies offer a ready market for all of our
cereals and we shall grow richer as they
take food from our storehouses. But
after all it is not TIE census table of
wealth that tells the greatness of this
country. Vermont has not been one of
the rlCn states In gOlu or silver, put she
has been wrought out of the strife of com
petition and has the sturdy manhood on
which the security of ofour country rests. "
Applause. In conclusion the president
thanked the audience for its attention
The benediction was then pronounced and
the exercises were over.
FOUR THOUSAND AT A BANQUET.
Closing Incidents of the Anniversary Fes-
tivities.