Herald and tribune. [volume] (Jonesborough, Tenn.) 1869-current, 1893-09-13
HARRlSON'S ADDRESS
Of Welcome to the Members of the
G.. A. h.
An Eloquent Appeal to all Friends of
the Country.

the visiting veterans, was delivered by
ex-President Harrison:
look into the face of men tonight
who, in their individual service in the
army, have performed deeds of heroism
and cOurage-who, riding with flashing
saber over rebel guns, have carried the
stars and stripes to victory. Applause. J
l look into the faces of men who, at
the hayonet's point have pushed back
their country 3 enemies and have plant
ed the flag on rebel ramparts. look
into the faces of men who have shed
their blood and dropped their limbs
upon the battlefield, and who walk
among us tonight manned, dismember.
ed, that the honor of the flag might be
untarnished and the Union unbroken.
Loud applause.
Can it be possible that while the sur
vivors of this great struggle are still
with us, while they walk our streets,
generation has come on forgetful of
their great achieyementsp Has the
moth of avarice, the canker of greed,
so eaten into the hearts of this genera
ton that they are unmindful of these
menp God Forbid
When the great struggle of the Revo-
luton was over this country was bank
rupt; the notes that it had issued were
valueless; it was without credit at
home or abroad, and too many turned
away from the just claims of the SOL
diers that had followed Washington
from Cambridge to Yorktown. The
army pleaded in vain for justice at the
hands of the government it had saved.
But they had to deal then with a
bankrupt government, without the
power to redeem its pledges, an impov-
erished people who had spent all in
that eight years struggle.
No such excuse can be offered now.
This country is rich in the great re-
sources of these accumulated years.
Our people can find no excuse for in
gratitude toward the soldiers of the
land in their inability to meet his Just
demands.
The American soldier of the civil war
has not been commercially greedy. He
was not tempted to service by his month
ly stipend. If there had been no other
impulse than eleven or thirteen dollars
a month we would have had no army.
The men who went to the front were
not impelled by sordid purposes or hope
of gain. And, when the war was over,
their thought was not of dependence
upon the government but upon their
own right arms. Applause.
i saw that great parade, with the
gallant and lamented Sherman at its
head, sweep by the Treasury of the
United States, and there was not a
greedy eye turned toward it. The SOL
dier has been a workman; his family
have eaten of the fruits of his own toll.
AS long as God gave him strength of
arm he wrought and ate the bread of
independence. Only when he became
the veteran of time, when-as l have
said befOre-the parallels of age drew
close about the citadel of his life and
the arm that had wrought 30 bravely
for his country and so sturdily for his
family lost his strength; only then did
he turn his hopeful eye toward the gov
ernment for relief.
The Grand Army Of the Republic has
rightly claimed that the man who fell
by the way in the battle of life, from
disease or casualty or the advancing
years, lost the capacity to maintain
himself, should be cared for by the
nation he helped to save (applause,)
and not be dependent upon the town
ship poor fund. A presumption will
be INDUCED in his favor.
We do not ask that any who have
fraudulently obtained place upon the
pension rolls shall be kept there, but
we do ask that other familiar maxi
min of the law that fraud is to be
proved, and not presumed, shall be
applied to the soldiers claim. These
general principles-and I can not 60
into details-I think must be accepta.
BILE to every right thinking, patriotic
man. We are impatient only with
those who start with prejudice against
the soldier. Loud and long applause. J
A Hard Times Story.
A man entered a pawnbrOker's shOD