The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1896-09-30
TO "MY COMRADES
Major Mckinley Delivers Feeling
Address to Old Soldiers.


When. the visitors from Sandusky were
seated in the Tia abernacle Sergeant Hopkins
made a congratulatory address in behalf
of the soldiers, and l.. w. Hull spoke for
the citizens of Sandusky. Mr.. Mckinley
replied in these words:
My Comrades, Ladies and Gentlemen-I
wish l might be able to make fitting and
suitable response to the gracious words of
congratulation and good will which have
been spoken in your behalf by Sergeant
-Iopkins and Mr.. Hull. 1t is, indeed, "a kind
and generous act of comradeship that
brings on this unpleasant day the members
of the Ohio Soldiers and Sailors Home of
Sandusky to this city to pay me a visit.
My comrades, / fully and heartily appre-
ciate it. No body of men which has Wis
tied me in the last three months has given
me more pleasure touched me more
deeply than my old comrades of the San
dusky home. When you entered the service
you were younger than you are now. Thir-
ty-five years ago most of you enlisted and
thirty-one years ago most of you were mus
tered out of the service You were then
fresh and young, with the red of wine of
early manhood mantling your cheeks. You
older now, but your heart warns to the
country and the old flag just as it did in
tered not for fame: you entered not for
the pittance that was paid you; you en-
but you entered the service from the pur-
est and highest motives of patriotism that
no harm should come to our co,intry. That
was the motive of every old soldier. Think
what the great army of which you were
a part was willing to do. They were will
ing to give life and health and strength:
they were willing to die that the American
Union might be saved.
SO nigh to grandeur is our dust
So near to God is man;
When duty whispers, 10. thou must
The youth replies / can
And so nearly two millions of men when
duty called no matter what the exactions.
were ready to answer to the call of coun-
try and defend their country'S free insti-
tutions. There are now on the pension roll
of the government more men than were
enlisted in the war of the revolution, the
of 1912 and the war with Mexico With
in about fifty thousand as many men are
on the pension rolls Of the United States
to-day as were in all the wars in which
this government was engaged from the rev.
olution to the civil war. | have always
been in favor of pensioning the deserving
and disabled soldiers of the Republic: / am
now in favor of having their pensions paid
in money whose value does not depend
upon mere fat and which cannot be depre-
ciated: | am opposed to cutting down pen
sions in that way | want the pensioners,
who are among the largest creditors of the
government to-day, as | want all the cred
itors of the government. great or small to
dollars worth 100 cents every day and
erywhere.
am glad to have this large body of veteran
soldiers declare as your spokesman has de-
clared. that they are still in favor of the
country and the countrys honor. A color
bearer during the war. while in front of
the enemy, in his anxiety to accomplish
something. with two or three hundred men
marched in front of the lines and on to-
wards the enemy's works. The general
commanded from the rear and called out:
Bring those colors back to the line The
sergeant answered promptly with the voice
of command that went back to the general
quicker than minnie ball: Bring the
line up to the colors.' We are carrying
the same old colors to-day that we carried
thirtyfive years ago. Boys, bring the line
up TO the colors
My comrades. | thank you | appre-
ciate this call. Other delegations are com
ing. | beg that you convey TO those dear
old comrades who could not come with
You on this inclement day my best wishes
and warmest regards and nv sincere pray-
ers for their health and contentment and
| also beg that you convey TO that dear
old commander. General Force nv sincere.
respect and best wishes. and | hope thai
you will take back with you pleasant mem
ories of your visit to Canton