Omaha daily bee., 1895-09-19

occasion or interest q named. The bitter
ness and resentments Of the war belong TO
the past, and its glories are the common
heritage of us all"
Illinois monuments were dedicated on the
site where Widow Glenn's house stood
during the battle. 1t is a few hundred yards
southeast OF the famous bloody pond
The WIDOWS house was burnel during the
fight, but bloody pond is till there. 1t
was so named because is waters were rcd
with human blood after the battle and the
people living in the vicinity say that since
that terrible day animals have refused to
drink Of it's water.
II was 2 o'clock when Governor Altgeld
and his party arrived. Several thousand
people, principally from Illinois or tho G who
served in Illinois regiments, were there to
witness the ceremonies. Colonel II. s. Reeves
of the Illinois commission called the meeting
to order. Prayer was offered, after
which Governor Altgeld was intro luced and
made his address, turning the monument ovtr
to the government.
Responses were made by Colonel Smith
d. Atkins and Colonel G. G.. Everest.
The benediction was then pronounced.
ALTGELD MAKES A SENSATION.
Governor Altgeld of Illinois created a SEN
sation at the monument dedication, the con-
clusion of his speech being as follows:
Instead of an armed force that we can
meet on the field, there is today an enemy
that is Invisible, but everywhere at work
destroying our institutions; that enemy is
corruption. 1t seeks to direct official action,
1t dictates legislation and endeavors to con-
troll the construction of laws. 1t seeks to
control the press, to set factions at vari-
ance and shape public sentiment. 1t has
enasculated American politics and placed 1t
on the low plane of jugglery. The tendency
now Is for political parties to shirk princi-
pie and follow expediency, and their plat
forms are often drawn to evade or straddle
every live issue. The idea now is to cajole
rather than convince, to ignore great wrongs
and wink at abuses; to court the support of
conflicting interests, though it involves the
ing office seeking and office holding in
place of real achievement, and instead of
great careers In public life, we are facing a
mediocrity, which glides into oblivion with
out the assistance of death. To be an
eligible candidate now often means to
stand for nothing in particular and to rep
resent no definite principle. but be all things
to all men, and in the end be contemplate
Ihlrty-four years ago the call was for
men to fight an open enemy in the field.
Today our country is calling for men who
VIII be true to republican institutions at
home. Never before did this republic call
SO loudly as it does today for a strong,
family and dare to do right. For more than
a decade the tendency in this country has
been toward a coloriess and negative di-
letanteism, having the countenance of the
pharisee with the greed of the wolf, and
drawing all its Inspirations from the altar OF
concentrated and corrupting wealth. The
ners while the very pole from which 1t
ioated was being eaten off by corruption
anu ItpuDlltdl INSTITUTIONS are being
stabbed to the vltals. a new gospel has come
among us, according to which at is mean tc
rob a hen roost or a hen. but plunderine
thousands makes us gentlemen"
My friends, the men Of the past did their
to face-you may have to face-calumny
try without being viliied, for all who make
a profit out of injustice will be your enc
mics, but as sure as the heavens are high
and justice is eternal will you triumph
in the end.
The exercises attendant upon the transfer
of the Indiana monuments to the government
took place at Lyttle hill, as the ridge south
OF the Dyer house is called, in memory OF
General lyttle, who was killed there. 1t is
a short distance north of the Widow Glenn
house. General NJ. G. Hunter was master OF
ceremonies. The exercises were opened by
prayer by Rev. DR.. Lucas at Q O'Clock. Hon
ID. r. Mcconnell made the address turning
the monuments over to Governor Claude
Matthews.
General Lew Wallace and Colonel I. N
Walker. commissioning of the Crane
Army of the Republic, spoke. The exercise s
were concluded with a salute fred by IT,
regiments of the Indiana militia that were
present.
Sixteen Massachusetts, monuments were
dedicated at Knob Hill at 3 o'clock this aft
ernoon. The were short, simple
and impressive. Governor Greenhalga called
the assembly to order and made the address.
OF the occasion. He briefly reviewed the par
that Massachusetts took in the awfu battle
and then of the part he took in the grea
rebellion. In conclusion, he spoke Of the ded
ication or the field as a national park In homo
OF the heroes who fell there. At the con
cluslon Of his speech the governor and hi
stan, together with the state commission
went TO the national cemetery and decorated
the graves of the Massachusetts solder!
buried there.