The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-05-28
A NATIONAL FETE.
THE DAY HAS GROWN TO BE
NATIONAL CELEBRATION.

ers Builded Better Than They Sup
posed--The Whole Nation Is Brought
Face to Face with Its Heroes.
What has Memorial Day done for the ma
tom The present is the twenty-fourth
observance of the festival of flowers, and
all appearances go to show that the people
! do not think the occasion stale by any
means. The veterans made the day, but
the festival is every body's business in these
times, and, contrary to the rule, it is a sur
! prising success. There is reason in the OBJ
servance and principle behind it, and in
| place of giving surprise that it should hold
! its place and grow in favor, it should cause
surprise were it to end in failure. And it
does grow Enthusiastically; grows in impor-
| lance as compared with other national fes-
rivals, and grows in interest and meaning.
The people catch the meaning little closer
| year after year.
| At the outset Memorial Day was an af-
fair of the Grand Army, an order which
when it settled down to the keeping Of the
| day nun bered only 25, 600 or 10000 COM
rades. The annual May Day parade and
ceremonies created no more stir in the
average comm unity than would a funeral
service conducted by some fraternal socie-
| ty or order. Not one veteran liz fifty
scarcely one in hundred-took part in it,
The people didn't even fling Old Glory to
the breeze, and hundreds of thousands of
| old soldiers didn't know what the affair
was intended to symbolic.
To begin with, only the graves of COM
rades who had died in the service were
hOnored by the veterans, and that was
strictly according to the instructions of
Commander in Chief Logan in instituting
the ceremonies. Gradually the graves Of
all Union soldiers were included, and now
the veteran who passed away but yester-
day is enrolled among the elect of dead sol
diers who have made their last march on
earth and joined the long column mar
shaled in the eternal camping ground
above
Nor is it restricted to Grand Army ranks,
or even to veterans of the civil war. All
the known graves of soldiers who fought
at any time for the stars and stripes-in the
Revolution, war Of 1912, the Mexican war
or Indian campaigns, or simply served hon
orably and faithfully in the army or navy
are classed as hallowed ground, the rest
ing places of heroes entitled to the graft
tude of the republic. In this way it be-
comes festival to celebrate loyal heroism,
virtue everybody must respect, and one
to which all pay tribute gladly. Hence
the people have steadily drifted to the po-
sition taken long ago by the thoughtful
and hopeful few who inaugurated the OBJ
servance in a modest, simple way, all the
time building grander than they believed.
The nation needed the day with it's emo
tionS and its lessons Not to disparage
Independence Day, a republic created and
maintained by martial fidelity and daring
owes 1t to those great powers which are
the first to be evoked in the hour of danger
and which have proved to be the ones never
to yield the national life or honor, the
army and navy, to halt once year in its
wild rush for prosperity and stand uncov
cred all to the memory OF the colonel in
his spurs and the man with the musket''
But for these what might be the nations
celebrations at this date? The queens
birthday perhaps or the founding of the
American empire of 1861
Yes, the day grows Grand Army men
in the seventies used to be treated to an
nual sermons from well meaning but mis-
guided people on the folly and worry of
stirring up bitter war memories, and on
the extravaganza of wasting on decorations
and flowers for the dead money that
would do SO much good in buying bread
and meat for the living. But the comrades
have rolled up their relief funds higher
every succeeding year. and Memorial Day
mas proved to me capital and suspicious
time to remind the busy world that glory
doesn't buy bread. The boys couldn't
forget it, but outsiders were II danger Of
doing so.
Memorial Day brings the nation face 70
face with its multitudiDous battle scars,
those touching mementoes that show
where once were pulsations of pain and
now should linger only thrills Of pride and
rejoicing. The larger the scars and the
more of them, the richer should be the
glory today. What soldier but is proud OF
his scars5
The people have shared in the scars aud in
the pride aroused by contemplation Of
them, and are not too cold 10 indulge in a
little honest sentiment about il all when
led to the shrine In such goodly company
as the G. A r.
In another way the observance teaches |
the nation to know itself. Now and then
SOME one counts u = INC eIetAs AS1OCS ot tAc
war and laments that the great old names
of the republic are not better represented |
But every man-at-arrns couldn't be at the |
top and there Is scarcely name held dear
in any hamlet of dozen old families thas
hasn't hero TO answer to IL somewhere IL
the line.
Memorial Day brings this pleasant truth |
70 light The little q. 4 r. marker waves
over family plots where the old aud cruIn- |
bling stones rest against the strong. newly /
polished marble Some day the simple |
memorial records OF the Grand Army vii
have unique historical value as a roster |
of national heroes The veterans OF tie |
different posts search out the neglected, |
the forgotten. the friendless high and |
low, the ancient and the modern, and tie |
stories Of the deeds al al rningie On ooe
common scroll. page OF names ennob4ea
by the So lirne virtue OF patriotism
GEoEGE L KILxEE