St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-05-31

verbatim report of
NJ a the Grafton reads
II was the custom of the ancient Greeks to
lher, at the close of each campaign the
;les of their departed heroes and, at the
assic suburb Of Ceramicus, to lay them away
in due honor and appropriate speech.
Nor WAS THIS custom born with Greece. for,
yer since King David poured out his touch
- lament over Saul and Jonathan. and
nelr companions slain in battle mankind
every age and land, has eulogized the
allen brave.
Il Il htlns that in this season of the year
when The face of nature smiles to the re-
ponslVe SKY; when the air is vocal with the
ongS OF birds and fragrant with the perfume
sweet flowers. the nation which was saved
ana blessed should speak its benediction at
ne patriots shrine
And. So the busy world has paused; the
inarts OF trade and avenues of commerce are
'.eserted: the clatter of machinery and the
''nm OF Tying wheels have given place to
NET concourse; the eager strife for gold and
lace aud power has ceased q while and all
ne land keeps holiday.
We meet upon this day. sanctioned by long
observance and, finally, by law, again to lay
"ur wreathS upon the resting places of our
lead, again to pay our tribute to their mem
CRY, anG, from their lives and death and the
great cause for which they fought draw
strength ndinSpiratlon for the days to come
year AFTER year the story of the great con-
sounding verse and lofty panegyric have
been exhausted in the vain attempt to ftly
nortray the heroism and sacrifice of the ma
non delendeIs and to commemorate their
matchless deeds
1t is an oriental proverb that words are the
daughters of earth, but deeds are the sons of
heaVen, ana to you, who took part in those
events, no language can present the picture
Whlch memory supplies. The
Magnetic EIbOw-TOuch
upon the march and in the charge. the
!dmil ar converse around the camp. fire the
comradeship i'll toll and privatiou|+in hos.
ital and III prison pen. have given peculiar
interest 10 all that relates to those eyentful
lays, which others cannot share.
ne Grand Army of the Republic is
iccullar organization. Its Conditions of
membership are so liberal that the humblest
o:dler or sailor who actually served i'm the
mon army or navy, in the civil war is re-
'SlVed with honor and still so exclusive
nat the highest social or official distinction
utsde those lines, has never vet bean obIa
to afford its poSsessor admission to its ranks
It has, and from its intrinsic nstmra
an nave no succession, and when the last
come glorious memory alone. This is n
uiStlhctlon as priceless as it is unioue q DIG.
MY above mltre, robe or crown. Far far
distant lie the day when the Grand Army of
no ieeplluliG shdiI cease to be a real and liy-
hg force throughout the land it's members
have redeemed. " 'ei"
ana such 1t is, indeed. today. It's 5000
camp mes are the affairs from which the in
"a 200 VI loyalty rises INCREASINGLY, and it's
-3o'oOO comrades are the eyaneelists of free.
dom and human rights - -i0e
10 euucate IN the duties of citizenship the
illllliohh VINO come to us from other lands.
.EdoIulst OF our traditions and bewiidered at
- nu ., vi liberty which their experience
! titus tllein 10 confound with license. and to
IiIlpue uhe minds and hearts of the rising
@Sa,;t a.ioI with spirit of devotion to our
INSTITUTIONS is mission scarcely less jmDor-
upon the field. ''''''' ''i"' 'ei ioiiiieu
. ~ ~ ne custom of the ancient Romans at
lile . enc OF successful campaign to portion
out 10 tne surviving troops the spoils of con-
tues: ana the lands of those citizens. how
WV Innocent, who had not marched in the
Train of the Victorious
chief or done his bidding at home. One of
virgil most famous epics was dedicated to
The Emperor Augustus who had restored TO
he poet his estates, which had been Inns
appropriated.
and yet. when those. whose exertions pre-
served all that has given security to life and
value to property. ask the modest recogni-
ton of occasionally serving in civil life the
nation which their valor saved upon the
field, and comfortable provision for the de-
Ginning years OF those of their comrades whom
adversely has made dependent, the objection
is raised i'm some quarters that the soldier
element is asking too much.
ii IS true that the provision made BY the
government in behalf of dependent soldiers
ana thelr families has been characterized by
munificence unknown in the annals of civ
iliZation
In June. 1880. there were upon the pension
rolls 455,SS1 soldiers OF the late war. and the
total expenditure TO that date was Sl.009.-
AGO $50. 1t is believed to he a safe estimate
that recent legislation hasincreased the num-
Der to 100000. and the total expenditure is not
less than Sl,25O OO0.0O0. One republic, at
least is not ungrateful.
1t can hardly be doubted that the appro-
prlation and disbursement of these vast
sums have been accompanied by abuses. and
II Is the duty of every good citizen and of
none more than the comrades of the Grand
Army OF the Rerubllc. to see that the ma
non generosity Is not made the subject of
imposition ard eXtravagance but with such
reasonable safeguards against dishonesty and
fraud as loyal and conservative legislation
s'ould provide, ii is better, for the future
welfare of this commonwealth. that ten nm
worthy objects should receive this benefac-
ton rather than that it should repudiate to
one deserving patriot or his suffering family
the most sacred obligation which humanity
has ever incurred.
In the thirty national cemeteries. where
more than 200.0t0 soldiers of the republ: g
sleep. the government has tenderly provided
the last resting place of those many of
whom like the Athenians who fell at Mara
thon, repose
hSheaIh Inc sea
of the historic field. on which they Welded
up their lives. He who can stand unmoyed
upon that hallowed ground where under
the flag they followed in life. the silent hosts
are bivOuacked beneath the arching skies the
serried columns of their simple headstones
telling to the generations of the fight they
fought the course they finished and the
faith they kept is unworthy of his birthright
and an alien i'll his fatherland
Both nation and state have made this day
legal holiday. The United States govern
ment has provided soldiers homes at many
points, where $4,000 veterans are tenderly
cared for in their age and infirmitv. and
many Of the states have made like provision.
Minnesota. in 1887. appropriated for this
purpose the SUM of S50000 and. for its main
tenance. the first year. $4,000. and $4,000
per annum thereafter; Also an annual fund
of $50, 600 for the relief of INDECENT soldiers
widows and orphans outside the home. At
the same session Sl,Oe0 per annum was ap-
propriated for the burial of hohorably dis
charged soldiers and sailors. At the
session Of 1889 the further sum of S51 600 was
appropriated for the home. $3.50 for monu-
ments and tablets at historic spots. and S12-
OOo for the preparation of history of Mime
sofa troops AT the session of 1891 S1O7. 600
was appropriated Tor the home $40, 900 for a
monument at Gettysburg, Sc. 500 for a second
edition of the history. and $500 for burial
purposes
Until recently no systematic arrangement
existed III our city for the burial of INDECENT
soldiers, but, during the past year, through
the generous courtesy of the trustees of Oak
land, Calvary and Lutheran cemeteries am
pie plats have been assigned in each of them.
to which they have kindly consented to re-
move the bodies of soldiers scattered through
the grounds. Here. those who
Fought i'm Life
for the freedom and preservation of this en-.
tire land may. at its close, enjoy in peace and
without dependence upon charity that little