Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1896-08-13
THE MAJOR IN REPLY.
Is Greatly Pleased with the Call of His
Old Comrades.

Is Greatly Pleased with the Call of His
Old Comrades.
When storm of applause had subsidized
Major Mckinley responded, saying
among other things: This call of the sur
viving members Of the old regiment with
which l served for more than four years,
at my home, is u most gracious act upon
their part and brings to me peculiar and
special qualification. As look upon this
little body of men assembled about me
and remember that this is but the rem.
nant of the cid Twentythird that thirty
five years ago had 1910 sturdy young men
on its roll ready for duty, and that it was
twice recruited to the total number of
nearly 900; that here is gathered possibly
less than 100, and that is onefourth of the
surviving members of our glorious old
regiment, l am wildly reminded how rap
idly the years are passing and with them
are passing our old associates of the war. "
After paying an earnest and eloquent
tribute to the regiment in which he served
| SO gallantly during the war and to the
worth and fitness of its officers which
called forth great applause from those as
| sembled before him, Major Mckinley con-
tinucd: was glad to note in the elo-
| Quent speech of my comrade Captain
| Ellen, that the old Twenty-third Ohio
| stands in 1896 as it stood in ls6l-for the
country and the country's flag Great
| applause and cries for Mckinley, too.
| Nobody could have doubted that, know
| ing the metal from which this old regi-
ment was made. My comrades you are
| just rs loyal to country now as you were
loyal to country then, and, as you stood
from 81 to '65 for the preservation of the
| government of the United States, you
stand to-day just rs unitedly for the honor
of the government and the preservation of
its credit and currency. Cheers do
not know what you think about it, but l
believe that it is good deal better to open
| up the mills of the United States to the
labor of America than to open up the
minis of the United States to the silver of
the world. Great cheering and cries of
| You are right"
| Washington told US over and over
| again that there was nothing SO import
ant to preserve as the nations honor No
government can get ON without it pre-
serves its honor. No government is great
enough TO get on without it. In the dark
est days of the revolution Robert Morris.
| its financier, went to one of his friends in
Philadelphia after he had involved him
self as a debtor for a large sum Of money
on account Of the government, and said to
him: i must have 8, 500, go for the Con
tincntal army His friend said: VIVA,
security can thee give, Roberts He an
swcred: My name and my honor Quick
came the reply: Robert, thou shall have
| it Applause. And from that houI
until now the countrys honor has beef
our sheet anchor in every storm.
Lincoln pledged it when in time of wa,
we issued paper money. He said: Every
dolA J.. Of that money shall be made a
goo as gold. And IL WAS left to Ruu,er
ford B. Hayes, your old colonel, as presi
dent ( the United States, to execute thai
prom sc in the resumption Of specie pay
moi Is in 1879. Cheering and applause.
When Robert Morris said that they Ia;
nothing 10 i've tut they had nothing &
give but their honor, there were behind
his word 3.Oco,voo Of struggling patriots
Today behind the nations honor are ~.