The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-03-23

4
without pay was presented and heartily
welcomed on Thursday, her 62d birthday
She made short speech after which she
was presented with purse of Sl2 as 9
birthday remembrance. 500 delegates were
on the register making it the largest meet
ing ever held. 1t was also the most har
monious; in fact there was no dssension OF
special contest on any question.
Resolutions returning thanks to the de.
partment officers, to the local committee, to
the trustees OF the Congregational church,
members of Quackenbush Relief Corps, ia
Lucius L. Gould, to the press of the state
and especially of the city for favors shown,
were adopted.
The convention adjourned at two o'clock
yesterday.
TUESDAYS CAMP FIRES.
At 1880 Tuesday evening twenty hundred
people filed the armory from the stage to
the back door and thousand more were
ready to go inside but it was an impossibIity
and over half of the number went TO the
Congregational church.
The enthusiasm of the evening was started
by Duff's Grand Army Chorus with the good
old song, Rally Round the Flag Boys"
and this followed by ''When Johnnie Comes
Marching Home" in which M. Roy Osburn
took the solo part. Governor Rich was the
first speaker to arrive and the rousing well
come shows what the G. A. II. think of him
and the vote they will give him next fall.
Stanley 4. Parklll presided and introduced
Rev. Sherwo I'd Roosevelt for scripture read
ing and prayer.
The address of welcome was given by
| Hon. Geo. M. Dewey, who was selected by
the Camp Fire committee to perform that
| duty. The continued applause testified to
the happy effort of the speaker. From
his welcome we take the following:
To me, tonight, is assigned the more than
| pleasant duty, in the name of our honOred
| Mayor and the 5000 citizens whose pleas
ant homes are planted on either side of the
dancing water which gives to us our name,
| of extending to you sincere, heartfelt,
cordial welcome, and TO say to you that
when we say tCetcOme we mean 1t from our
hearts, and in the fullest acceptation of that
term. Yes, we extend to you a regular
| Wolverine welcome, and with our people
| that means much, for we, as citizens of
| OwossO, are proud of our state and nation,
| our hOnOred Governor who, thanks to God.
| is an honest man, our people, our Grand
| Army who made for our state on the tented
| field record as enduring as the page of
history, of which every wolverine is more
than proud, and which today makes our
state the hub around which the patriotic
spirit of the world revolyes.
1t is with no purpose to disparage or be-
little by comparison any other state or peO-
pie that inspires me to say that | believe
that in the wolverine state, the sun shines
brighter, the air is purer, the water clearer,
tI,a mil. ri ha fsol mo-
the grass greener, the snow whittier, the
rains wetter, the babies prettier, the
women lovlier. the soldiers more gallant,
brave and daring than any where else on
Gods green foot stool. As for our men IL Is
hardly necessary for me to speak in this
gathering. History is full Of Michigan men
and Michigan men are full OF history. You
all know that we have claimed for years
past and the world has almost conceded the
justice of our claim, that there is nothing
TOO good for peninsula man, nothing too
great for him to perform, nothing lat least
in his own OpiniOn) that he has not the
ability to do, nothing to high for him to
aspire to, nothing to ardu0us for him to
undertake, even ii 1t be TO the securing of
every Office of profile, trust and honor in the
gift of the people from village postmaster to
president.
But Comrades of the Grand Army of the
Republic, it is not my purpose tonight to
do more than extend this fraternal greeting
and bid you God speed in the philanthr0pic
work In which you as an organization are
engaged. The days of your trial have
passed, your achievements make the proud
est page on our nations history, and while
1t was not mine to be of or with you i'm the
great struggle for liberty, equality and fra
ternity, against slavery, secession, and re-
belliOn, L am tonight with you In fraternal
sympathy, and love you for your heroic
deeds and grand achievements. To you this
nation owes its existence, but for your
heroic deeds there would have been no re-
public today. That you deserve nations
gratitude goes without saying, and think
that man or set of men who would by word
or deed deprive you, or any OF you, of the
mere pittance awarded to your patriot
ism in part compensation for your heroic
deeds and terrible sacrifices deserves pOlit-
ical humiliation. The sum paid for pen
siOns, large as 1t may seem to be. Is an
object lesson in patriotism that will 90 far
and do much toward the education of the
youth of our country in that spirit of patri- |
otto devotion that shall secure to the Re-
public the unfaltering devotion of her sons
for ages yet to be.
Comrades Of the Grand Army, again |
4 cAtcuu W YOU souuiuc WclcOHc |
to our city, to our homes and to our |
hearts, with the wish that your encamp- |!
ment may be in every way success, and
that when your work is done, as well done |
1t will be, you may return to your several |
homes long to enjoy nations gratitude |
with pleasant memories of the days that you +!
have passed as our guests.
CAPT. Il. M. ALLEN.
On account of the numerous duties he |
had to perform Commander Kidd asked |
Capt. Allen to respond to the address of |
welcome and he did so In a fitting manner. |
He said 1t was not the first time Owosso
had opened her homes for the old soldiers
and many thousands remembered as they |
always would the reunion here seven or /
eight years ago. The memories of those |
happy days were engraven on their hearts. |
In passing one of the brothers along the
street at that time he had called for glass
of lemonade and with wink the vender
said he would put something strong In it,
but to the mans great surprise Allen had
refused. He told Com. Kidd of the occur