The Globe-republican., 1896-06-04

covered. we pledge anew our devotion
to the cause for which they died, the
cause Of justice and Of freedom.
Our fathers had given US q govern
ment that we love, that made US free
in political life, N the choice of our
avocat;on. in the selection Of our own
mode Of worship. All these blessings
were secured by war. The mother
country being unable to subdue the
spirit Of liberty and local self-govern-
ment gave US recognition as a free and
Independent nation. But, the one stain
on our constitution. the bondage Of a
human being and his treatment In law
as a chattel was the sowing Of tares in
the wheat, they lived to be pulled up
ard removed from the field. There
was another doctrine that gave eracour-
agement to the secess:onists. and
threatened the pillars Of the republic.
the doctrine that all sovereignty was
lodged in the state, that We were not q
nation, but merely a partnership or a
confederation of states, any one Of
which might lawfully withdraw from
the partnership at acy time one of the
partners concluded that the concern
was not conducted satisfactorily. That
a state whose people became disEat:s-
fed with any provision OF the consti-
tuition or laws Hereunder might peace
fully withdraw. In 1860 We had thirty
three states. with an aggregate popula-
ton OF thirty-one and half millions.
Since that time our growth, prosperity.
and progress have been wonderful. We
now have seventy million popula ton.
t., =
railroad. We now have over one hun
dred and eighty Thousand miles.
Within the last generation the value
of our property has increased 400 per
cent; we have added twelve free states
to our bright constellation. And will
soon add three more, of which your
neighbor and kinsman, Oklahoma, is the
most important. In 1860 our public
school system was unpopular and poor
ly supported In the south and west; now
We have school house in every distr:c:
for the free education Of the children
Of the land. Ignorance, the promoter
Of vice and crime, the tool of oppres-
sion and misery, is falling before the
steady march of the public school sys-
tenn, which is the pride of the people and
The flag Of our country. proudly floats
from the top of the school house aid is
a beacon to point the children to the
road to patriotism. What a mark.
what a happy change since March, 1861.
Comrades, the end cometh and no man
can work, you are thirty-one years older
than you We're when Lee surrerdered.
Many of you left your homes in the
eastern ard middle states, leaving your
employers in the hope of soon return
ing, and taking your places, after driv-
ing the rebels into the Mississippi river
or the Gulf of Mexico. This proved
to be delusion. And when you re-
turned four years later, battle SCARED,
bronzed and stiff from exposure your
places were filed by the stay-at-homes.
You were paid in deprecated paper
worth less than silver bullion now is.
you paid from so cents to 81 for such q
meal as you can now get for 25 cents:
you paid for a bushea of wheat as much
as you can sell SIX bushels for now.
Some of you had no property, your sup
ply of money was fast becoming ex-
hausted, the thought struck you, Abra
ham Lincoln did not veto the homestead
law as his predecessors had done. He
was not able to pay the boys ja anything
but greenbacks, which were worth only
40 cents on the dollar, but they could
go west and get a quarter section of
land; you came west. You are the pion-
GERS, you have built houses, school
houses and churches and colleges. mills
and roads and bridges, planted orchards.
raised and educated your children.
You have built up the great state of
Kansas, and old as you are. you have
come down and are helping US to build
and organize and make fruitful a great
state out of the territory Of Oklahoma,
and your influence against isms in poll
tics which find fault with and bel;ttle
and oppose the time honored principles
of republican government and Sdvo-
cate doctrines pertaining to the confis-
cation OF property fairly acquired, is
an influence exercised for the common
good and is highly appreciated by our
country. We invite more Of you people
to come.
Comrades, our work is not yet fb.ish-
ed; we who shouldered the musket and
fought in the war of the great rebellion
know the value of the Union of all the
states. we know something of the bless
:ngs Of q united country, no one more
than old soldiers deprecates the sent;-
ments recently exposed NJ q public
speech in the state of Colorado. that
there should be a partit:on:ng of our
great country. We must teach patriot
ism; We must teach our children that
there is not room here for two govern
ments. The truth of history will show
that to the fanatics of the north and
south We owe this great deliverance.
JEFF DAVIS said, we demand a slave
oligorchy. a confederacy based On unre-
Quilted tolls. no abolition. no free soil.
Lincoln answered, We must have q
free nation, all free soil. The
gauge of battle was thrown
down by the south and taken up by the
north.
Lee and jackson. Mcclellan, Long
street and Hancock. Bragg and Scofield
Price and Curtis and all the men living