The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-09-30
He Says Their Visits Always
Please Him.
He TALKS OF MONEY.
Says That Silver Would Reduce
Their Pensions.
That It Would Cut Them
Squarely In Two.

Canton, o., Sept. s0-In his address
to the delegation of old soldiers from
Sandusky, who called on him yesterday,
Major Mckinley said:
My Comrades, Ladies and Gentle
men: I wish I might be able to make
fitting response to the gracious words
of congratulation and good will which
have been spoken by Sergeant Hop
kins and Mr.. Hull. 1t is indeed a. kind
and generous act of comradship that
brings on this unpleasant day the
members of the Ohio soldiers and sail
ors home of Sandusky to this city to
pay me a visit. My comrades, I fully
and heartily appreciate it. No body of
men who have visited me in the last
three months have given me more
pleasure or touched me more deeply
than my old comrades of the Sandus-
ky home. When you entered the ser
vice you were younger than you are
you enlisted and thirty-one years ago
most of you were mustered out of the
service. You were then fresh and
young with the red wine of early man
hood mantling in your cheeks. You
are older, but your heart warns to
the country, the old flag just as it did
in 1861. When you entered the SER
vice you entered not for the pittance
that was paid, not for applause, but
you entered the service for the high
est motives of patriotism, that no harm
should come to your country. That
was the motive of every old soldier.
Think of what the great army of
which you were a part was willing to
do. They were willing to give life ana
health and strength; they were will
ling to die that the American union
might be saved.
So nigh to grandeur is our dust
So near to Cords man;
When duty whispers 10, thou must,
The youth replies 4 can"
And so nearly 2,OOO0 900 men, when du-
ty calied,no matter what the exactiOns,
were ready to answer to the call of
country and defend their countrys
free institutions. There are now on the
pension roll more men than were en-
listed in the war of the revolution, the
war of 1872 and the war with Mexico.
Within about $4,000 as many men are
on the pension rolls of the UnitedStates
today as were in all the wars in which
this government was engaged from the
revolution to the civil war. I have al
ways been in favor of pensiOning the
deserving and disabled soldiers of the
republic and favoring their pensions,I
am now in favor of having their pen
Sions paid in a money whose value does
not depend upon mere fiat, and which
cannot be deprecated.
Il am opposed to cutting down pen
sionS in that way. 1 want the pension
ers. who are among the largest credi-
tors of the government today, as want
all the creditors of the government,
great or small, to be paid in the best
money in the world, dollars worth one
hundred cents every day and every
where. I am glad to have you here to-
day. I am glad to have this large body
of veteran soldiers declare as your
spokesman has declared, that they are
still in favor of the country and the
country's honor. A color bearer during
the war, while in front of the eneny,i in
his anxiety to accomplish something
with two or three hundred men, march
ed in front of the lines and on toward
the enemy's works. When the general
commanding called out: Bring those
coIors back to the line the sergeant
answered promptly with the voice Of
command that went back to the general
quicker than a mimic ball, Bring the
line up to the cOlors.' We are carrying
the same old colOrs today that we car
ried SO years ago. Boys, bring the line
up to the cOlors.
My comrades, I thank you, I appre-
ciate this call. Other delegations are
coming. I 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 my
sincere prayers for their health and
convey to that dear old commander,
Gen. Force my sincere respect and best
wishes; and 1 hope that you viii take
back with you pleasant memories of
your visit to Canton"