Reporter and farmer. [volume] (Webster, Day County, Dakota [S.D.]) 188?-1946, 1895-07-04
Wednesdays
Doings.


big pavilion by an address of well
come by his Honor, Frank Sears, who
on behalf Of the city, addressed the
old soldiers as follows:
GENTLEMEN OF THE GRAND ARMY, OLD Sol
DKRs, VETERANS:
1t is with pleasure that | perform the most
honorable duty of my office in welcoming you
to the City of Webster.
feel how great is my good fortune to be
Mayor at such a time, l can look back to this
as the most honorable event in my administra-
ton.
10 event of my life has given me mofinpleas-
ure than to meet so many of the men %,
during the memorable years from 1861 to 1865,
left family and friends at home, and marched
TO the front to meet and defeat the men of the
so-called Confederate States, who had declared
by yoice and action that they would dissolve
the Government, and establish a new one, of
which slavery should be the Corner Stone.
Many of the men who went with you laid
down their lives, and filed graves that are I'M
marked. many lost parts of their bodies, and
many contracted disease.
You are here today as Representatives Of the
whole, and are honored all over this broad and
beautiful land of the free, made so by your
patriotism and bravery.
The war produced many heroes. some gained
a worldwide reputation for generalship, and
the names of Grant. Hooker and Meade, of the
Army, and Farragut, of the Navy. will will live
in grateful remembrance for all time to come
The women of our country were particularly
active and devoted many months to the good
work by day and by night, through weather
fair and foul they stood guard, binding up the
wounds and administering to the sick. They
encouraged the young men to enlist, gave them
their blessings when they went to the front, re-
ceived with open arms those that came back,
and bound their brows with victorious wreaths.
Some of them are here today, and deserve as
much credit as the men who made up the army,
and fought our battles.
1t is said that in commemorat!on of the men
who fought The historic battle of Thermo-
pyle, a monument was erected bearing this in
~scription among others, $50, passer, and
acquaint the Spartans that we died here in
execution of their just commands.
So written on the hearts of the people of our
country for all time, and not upon brass or
stone, is the memory of the men who went
forth in the defense Of the Union, in perpetual
ton Of ont institutions, that it was in execu
ton of the commands of the people and devo-
ton and loyalty TO their Government.
Your deeds shall go down in song and story
which shall be sung and told by a grateful
people to the glad coming time:
when the war drum throbs no longer,
And the battle flags are furled-
In the parliment of man,
The Federation of the World"
A.
assemble here, and as you will assemble in the
future, the great lessons that you teach will be
lessons of patriotism and loyalty; and as long
as you shau move ia procession on our streets
the younger generation catching your spirit
and the heroism which characterized your SER
vice, will be enabled, so long as our government
shall last, to perpetuate our institutions. and
in the name of future generations, if it was
possible, grateful to you for the spirit and for
the lessons which you inculcate, / rejoice with
you in this reunion in the City on the Hills.
1t is here that the general aud the private,
the merchant prince and the laborer, sit side
by side as comrades, bound each to the other
by ties the tenderest, yet the most enduring of
any in this world, outside of the family circle:
"There are bonds of all sorts in this world of
Fetters of friendship and ties of flowers,
And true lovers knots, / ween.
The boy and The girl are bound by a kiss,
4 But there is never a bond, old friend, like this
You have drank from the same canteen.'
] would like to see every old soldier get a
pension sufficient to keep him comfortable for
the remainder OF his days. "A pension given
as a reward for services to the State is surely
as good a ground of property as any security
for money advanced to the State said the
great English statesman, Burke,
You, the survivors of those men! you, who
gave the best years of your life to yoai country /!
you should present your claims to Congress
and in SO doing you should not approach those
in authority with bated breath and whispered
humbleness, but as free men you should de-
mand, asking only that which is yours in jus
tice.
/ would rather have the nation honor you
old soldiers while living than erect monuments
to you when you are dead.
1t does not require words to show you that
Webster is glad to have you here, and that you
arc thrice welcome; the decorations and en-
blems upon our buildings, the cheers and
smiling countenances of our people who are
gathered here to welcome you. are assurance
that you hold a warm place in their hearts.
that they will never forget what you Sid and
what you suffered to defend their homes, and
make it possible that but one flag should wave
over this broad aud beautiful land of oursthe
Stars and Stripes-and that the stars and bars
should be furled and always be among the
things that were.
You will find the latch-string out at every
house, and the right hand of fellowship extend
ed by all, and all, with one accord, extend to
you tho freedom of this our City. Our words
and our flags and streamer but family ex-
press what We feel, and we know that when
Won leave ns we vii Reel .ha. ws hsvs baon
highly honered in having entertained the most
noble body of men in America, or the whole
world for that, The Grand Army of the Re-
public, and when you go 10 your homes may
You reach them safely, be glad you came and
we extend to you a constant invitation to come
again.
You are welcome to every thing that we have
got and il there is any thing that you want
that you don't see, press the button, and the
boys of Webster will do the rest.
You are cordially welcome.