The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1895-09-20
MA6. NwAaNek's N6pagss

MAJ. NMARNsR's AdDHEss
Respouss to tho Welcome Of Henry Water
son BY tho Past Chief Of
the q. II.
One of the best speeches at the recent
encampment of veterans at Louisville,
KY, was that delivered by Maj. Will
liam Warner, of Kansas City, No. in
response to the address of welcome by
Henry Watterson of Louisville. Maj
Warner said: 5IiJ ~
Col Watterson and Citizens OF Louisville:
Our annual pilgrimage has brought US &c
your beautiful city to hold our national en-
campment. You have received us as though
we we're the princes OF the earth. Never did
realize the poverty OF speech as realize 1t
now, IN attempting to convey to you what I
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 maxi
the stranger within your gates feel that he is
at home, and that he is in the house Of his
friends. Foremost among those to 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, have
been the veterans who wore the gray.
1t may have occurred to some OF you that We
are here on business II so, you are laboring
under delusion. We are here bent on pleas
ure. determined. in a reasonable. orderly and
semi-sober way. to have good time IRE to
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
oountifully supplied every want OF the inner
man. 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 a depleted hennery than by
deficit In the treasury.
NV friends, you may have noticed that some
OF the boys are slightly bent; that the heads Of
many are wearing the gray, and here and there
one that is little unsteady Of step, but to each
tonight we are the boys Of 1851 and 1865 with
hearts as young. forms as erect, heads as
black. steps as steady, as when we marched to
the front thirty-odd years ago to fight for
home. country and God May these boys, God
bless them
Always be youthful and happy and gay.
TIL the last GEAR companion drops smiling
away"
At our campfres we sing the old army songs
as we used to sing them as we were marching
from Atlanta to the With feelings OF COM
radeship toward the brave men against whom
We jostled from Fort Sumter to Appomatox
We recount the sufferings 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
ganization that has had no predecessor and
can have no successor 1t was born when the
first union recruit was enlisted in 81: it will
die when the last survivor Of the union armies
and navies is gathered to his fathers.
1t is organization, the warp and wool of
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
1t Is political. but non partisan organf1a-
ton: its comrades not divided by party
platforms. They stand united on the broad
plain of Americanism. In the highest and best
sense it is political. J. demands that the rights
OF an American citizen shall be protected at
home and abroad. in every land and on every
sea: it demands respect for Old Glory where
ever the sun doth shine: it demands obedience
to the constituted authorities: it believes in
the enforcement Of law: it believes in liberty
without license it believes in religion without
biRotry: it demands 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 a free ballot n free press and
free speech: it 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 q rellg-
iouS organization, free from sectarianism. 1t
teaches charity, without which all forms of
divine worship are but sounding brass
tinkling cymbaL" When tie old broken
veteran falls by the wayside under the burdens
of life, the comrade does not Enthusiastically
pass by on the other side The charity of the
Grand Army OF the Republic is human 1t is
charity that throws the mantle Of forgiveness
the shortcomings OF comrade, rather
than turn upon him the sea rchligf1t of criti-
cism.
I'm faith and hope the world will disagree.
But all mankind's concern is charity;
All must be false that thwart this one great
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 love OF country. They know but one
nag, q ias which they are sworn to maintain
unsullicd, flag which. ere long, trust, the
patriotism of the whole people will unfurl to
be kissed by the breezes OF heaven it floats
every public building and over every
school house in the land. When that glad day
shall come come it will the old veteran,
with feelings of noble exaltation. mayexclaim:
THANK God. helped put Old Glory there.
The Grand Army of the Republic is a nation
al organization. Its members fought for the
preservation of a union in which every citizen
OF the United States is guaranteed equal rights
with every other citizen every inch OF
American soil They have begotten a spirit of
stalwart Americanism
Never since the time when the cornerstone
of the republic was laid has national pride
been more pronounced than now: never since
the Gay wnen the stars ana stripes, the emblem
of nationality. was first unfurled has it been
more revered than now.
The union Of the states Is no longer fkened
to rope OF sand: the constitution is no longer
charac terized as q covenant with hell. To set
tie for all time that this is an indissoluble
union of indestructible states the baptism of
blood was q necessity.
The God of nations led Through the de-
vouring flames of the furnace Of the civil war
to the end that we and our children might work
out upon this continent the perfection Of hu-
man government
The fires Of patriotism burn brightly unen
the altar OF liberty, states are not pinned to-
Rether with bayonets." the union is enshrined
in the hearts of the people and from the SEN
tinels upon the watch towers OF the nation
comes the cry: "All is WE'LL
In our government oil start equal in the race
OF life: in it to the man Of intelligence and high
purposes. the greatest of all boons. absolute
freedom of opportunity, is guaranteed In this
government by the people there is NO prefer
ment to which the man of brain. industry and
honesty may not aspire. For the man pos
sessinu this trinity OF virtues. although born
in O howell and reared in poverty the highway
OF fame has been blazed by the immortal Lin
coin
We would not dim the luster Of the achieve
ments, or forget the heroic. struggles Of the
men of 81 and IS, but American citizens, we
have buried every thought OF bitterness and
every feeling Of sectionalism in the tombless
80 >k,ls xvfD