The Iola register. [volume] (Iola, Allen County, Kansas) 1875-1902, 1895-09-20
MAI. WARMERS ADDRESS.


response to the address of welcome by
Henry Watterson of Louisville. Maj.
Warner said:
Col Watter>On and Citizens Of Louisville;
Our annual pilgrimage has brought u 20
your beautiful city 10 hold our national en-
campment. You have received Us as though
we were the princes of the earth Never did L
realize the poverty OF speech as [ realize u
now. IN attempting to convey TO you what L
know to be the heartfelt thanks Of these vet
Grams and myself for your royal reception and
unstinted hospitality You possess the rare
faculty. peculiar to southern people. Of max
The stranger within your gates feel that ne Is
az home and that he Is in the house OF MS
friencs- Foremost among those 10 welcome
the veterans Of the blue to the commonwealth
of Kentucky. the state that gave to the nation
that great cOmmOner. Henry Clay. and that
greatest Of Americans. Abraham Lincoln nave
been the veterans who wore the gray.
II may have occurred to some OF you that We
are here on business. II so. you are labOrlng
under a deIusion. We are here bent on pleas
ure. determined. in q reasonable. orderly ana
Semi-SOber way. TO have a good time True 10
the Soldierly instinct We expected TO do some
foraging. but TO send out fOraging parties we
find would be an unnecessary waste Of energy,
for you have not only anticipated. but have
beautifully supplied every want Of the inner
man. 1 am convinced that Kentucky raises
more and tenderer chickens than any other
state in the union. and that no color line IS
drawn at the legs Of the fowl a hungry man
is more affected BY depleted henneFy than oy
a deficit in the treasury.
Nv friends. you may have noticed that some
OF the bows ore slightly bent; that the heads OF
many are wearing the gray. and here and there
one that is t.tle unsteady Of step, but TO each
tonight We are the boys Of 1851 and 1865 with
hearts as Young. forms a. erect. heads as
black. steps as steady, a. when We marched to
the front thirty-odd years ago 20 fight for
home. country and God Nav these boys. God
bless them
Always be youthful aud happy and gay.
TIL the last uear companion drops smiling
away
At our camphres We sing the old army songs
as We used to sing them as We were marching
from Atlanta 10 the sea With feelings of COM
radeship toward the brave men against whom
We iostled from Fort Sumter TO Appomatox,
we recount the suTeringS Of the frozen camp,
the hardships Of the forced march. the dangers
OF the battle and horrors Of the prison pen. and
again drink from the same canteen-
The Grand Army of the Republic Is an or
ganiZation that has had no predecessor and
can have no successor. II was born when the
first union recruit was enlisted in 81; il will
die when the last survivor Of the union armies
and navies i gathered TO his fathers
which are fraternity and charity, woven in the
loom Of loyalty In the post room the strong
and the weak. the rich and the poor, the Jew
and the Gentle. the white and the black. the
general and the private, touch elbows as COM
radeS.
It Is political. but a non bipartisan orgsniza-
ton: its comrades are not divided by party
platforms. They stand united on the broad
plain Of AmericaniSm In the highest and best
sense it is political. II demands that the rights
of an American citizen shall be protected st
home and abroad. in every land and on every
sea: it demands respect for Old Glory where
ever the sun doth shine; IL demands obedience
20 the constituted authorities: it believes in
the enforcement OF law. il believes in liberty
without license; II believes in religion without
bigotry: it demands a loyal support to free
public schools. and that they shall forever be
kept non-sectarian: it believes that church
and state should be kept separate; it demands
honest elections and purity in public affairs:
it believes in q free ballot. a free press and
free speech; II demands from the government
the fulfllment Of its pledges to him who has
born the battle, his widow and orphans.
The Grand Army Of the Republic is a rellg-
iOus organization. free from sectarianism- 1t
teaches charity. without which all forms OF
divine worship are but as a sounding brass
or a tinkling CymbaL" When the old broken
veteran falls by the wayside under the burdens
of life, the cOmrade does not phariSaically
pass by on the other side The charity OF the
Grand Army OF the Republic i human. II is a
charity that throws the mantle Of forgiveness |
over the shortcomings Of a cOmrade. rather !
than turn upon him the sea &c hight Of criti- /
cism.
In faith and hope the world will disagree.
But all mankind's concern i charity.
All must be false that thwart this one great |
end
And all Of God that bless mankind or mend"
The Grand Army OF the Republic is a patri-
otto organization. Its members are imbued /
with a love Of country. They know but one
lag flag which they are sworn to maintain
unsullied. flag which. ere long. trust. the
patriotism OF the whole people will unfurl to
be kissed by the breezeS OF heaven as IL floats
over every public building and over every
school house in the land When that glad day
shall come. as come it will the old veteran,
With feelings Of noble exaltatiOn. may exclaim:
Thank God. helped put Old Glory there"
The Grand Army Of the Republic is q nation
II organization. Its members fought for the
preservation OF a union in which every citizen
II the United States Is guaranteed equal rights
With every other citizen on every inch Of
American soil They have begotten q spirit Of
't3lwart Amerlcanism
Never since the time when the cornerstone !
Il the republic was laid has national pride
,eeu more pronounced than now: never since
4 nationality. was first unfurled has il been
more revered than now.
The union OF the states is no longer likeued
70 a rope OF sand: the constitution is no longer
as covenant with hell To SET
lie for all time that this is an indissolubIs
inion Of indestruetible states. the baptism Of
Hood was a necessity.
The God OF nations led US through the de-
curing flames Of the furnace Of the civil war
o the end that we and our children might work
ut upon this continent the perfection Of hu-
han government
The fires Of patriotism burn brightly unon
he altar OF liberty, states are not pinned to- ,
ether with bayonets." the union Is enshrined :
a the hearts Of the people and from the SEN
nels upon the watch towers Of the nation |
ONES the cry: All is we'll"
In our government all start equal in the race ,
( life: in it to the man OF intelligence and hi9h
urposes, the greatest Of all boons. absolute
reedom Of opportunity, is guaranteed In this I
overnment By the people there is no prefer I
lent TO which the man Of brain, industry and .
OneSty may not aspire. For the man pos
essing this trinity Of virtues, although born
! howell and reared in poverty, the highway
I fame has been blazed by the immortal Lin
Din.
We would not dim the luster OF the achieve '
tents. or forget the heroic. struggles OF the -,
len Of 81 and IS. but as American citizens We
ave buried every thought OF bitterness and
very feeling Of Sectionalism in the tombless Il
rave Of oblivion.
The time is coming, IS almost here" said
enry WatterSOn. kenrucky's gifted son,
when hanging above many a mantle board in l
ir New England. clarifying many a cottage 1
tie sunny south shall be seen. bound to-
sther in everlasting love and honor. two cross
gords carried to battle respectively BY the
who wore the blue and the grand | r
ther who wore the gray. " that senti- :
ent the members Of the Grand Army OF the l.
epublic say amen n
In a spirit OF fraternai love We entreat the
ave men who fought on the other side and ;
leir children 70 join Us and our children in q
nging the words and in drinking In the spirit | :,
American patriotism 50 elOquently ex-
-sssed in the Centennial hymn: