The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-10-01
RAIN CAUSED FOUR DELEGA-
TONS TO POSTPONE THEIR
VISITS.
M'KINLEY TALKEk 70 OLD SOLDIERS
Comrades of the Soldiers and Sailors
Home Of Ohio-Another Delegation
of Railroad Men From Indiana
and Ohio Call

! Canton, o.. Sept. 29.-Rain fell inccS-
sanity in the early morning and demon
STATIONS on the Mckinley lawn were
out of the question. -Four of the visits
announced were postponed. The soldiers
from the home at Sandusky and resi-
dents of the vicinity arrived on q special
train of seven coaches soon after noon.
They were taken to the tabernacle.
where Maj. Mckinley met them Adj
dresses were made by Sergeant Hopkins
on behalf of the soldiers and by l.. W.
Hull on behalf of the citizens.
Maj. Mckinley responded as follows:
My Comrades, Ladies and Gentlemen
I wish | 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 Hopkins and Mr. Hull. 1t
is. indeed. kind and generous act of
cOmradcship that brings on this unplcas-
ant day the members of the Ohio soldiers
and sailors home of Sandusky to this
city to make me Il visit. My comrades,
| fully and heartily appreciate it, No
body Of men which have visited me with
in the last three months have given me
more pleasure or touched me more deeply
than my old comrades Of the Sandusky
home. When you entered the service
you were younger than you are now.
'rhirty-tive years ago most of you en-
listed. You were then fresh and young,
with the red wine of manhood mantlinS
your checks. You are older now, but
your hearts warm to the country and the
flag, just as they did in 1861. When
you entered the service you entered, not
for fame, not for the pittance that was
paid you, but you entered the service from
the purest and highest motives of patriot
ism, that no harm should come to our
country That was the motive of every
old soldier. Think of what the great
army of which you We're then part was
willing TO do. They were willing to
give life and health and strength, that
the Union might be saved. There are
now on the pension rolls of the govern
ment more men than were enlisted in
the war of the revolution. the war of
1872 and the war with Mexico. Within
about 10000 as many are on the pension
rolls of the United States today as were
in all the wars in which this government
was engaged from the Revolution to the
Civil war. | have always been in favor
of pensioning the deserving and disabled
soldiers of the republic, and favorng
their pensions, | am now in favor of
having their pensions paid in money
whose value does not depend upon mere
fiat and which can not he deprecated.
| am opposed to cutting down pensions
in that way. want the pensioners.
who are among the largest creditors of
the government, | want all the creditors
of the government. great and small, to
he paid in the best money of the world.
| am glad to have YOU here today. L
am glad to have this large body of vet
cran soldiers declare that they are still
in favor of the country and the country $
honor. \ color bearer during the war
while in pursuit of the enemy. in his anX-
icty to accomplish something, with 200
or 300 men marched in front of the lines
and on towards the enemy'S works. The
general was commanding 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
a minnie ball. Bring the lines up to the
| colors'
1--WE are carrying the same old colors
today that we carried thirty-tive years
ago Boys, bring the line up to the
| cOlors,"