The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1897-09-15
VETERANS NIGHT.
R.p. cUMMINs POSTS GREETING
TO COMRADE MCKINLEY.
speeches by ths President and
Attorney-General.

4 tNtbih- Fe' fttEihiN nfEul NJ
the Mckinley residence. At eight
o'clock in the evening one hundred or
more members of X. Z. Cummins Post,
| No. 2i0, q. A. r., assembled in front of
their post room, where they fell in line
and, headed by fife and drums. marched
down the street TO pay their respects TO
the Commander I'm Chief of the Armies.
Among the veterans in line were a
number who had travelled distance of
many miles in order 10 salute Comrade
Mckinley and bid him a soldiers well
come to the soil of Somerset county.
When the veterans massed on the pave
ment in front OF the house, Capt. c. j.
Harrison called for 'three cheers for
Comrade Mckinley and they were
given with yell such as soldiers only
give in honor of superior and respected
officers.
The old soldiers were surrounded by a
crowd of three thousand ladies and gen.
tlemen. anxious to witness their greeting to
the President and hear the remarks he
would make to them.
After the cheering, Comrade Harkey
stepped on the platform before the piazza,
on which the President and Attorney
General McKenna and other gentlemen
were sitting, and addressed him in the
following language:
REV. HARKEY's INTRODUCTORY.
81 have been delegated to greet you
this evening on behalf of the veterans
here assembled. This gathering to- might
has a peculiar sentiment attached To it.
There are not many of Us. We left too
many at Bull Run, and along the Rapidan
and Rappahannock over whose graves the
night gulls chant their solemn requiem,
known and unknown. We come as rep
resentatives of the plain citizen soldiery,
men who know what loyalty means. for
they were tested in fire and field and one
of our numDer-the venerable Jacob
Heinbaugh-S0 years old, who carried
the flag OF battle is with us we come
simply To pay our respects To one who is
a comrade, who is high in official posi-
ton in the Nation, 10 whom we pledge
our loyalty, asking that you greet us by
a shake of the hand as one of our COM
rades.n
The President was visibly affected at
the address of Comrade Harkey, and
hesitated for period of full two minutes
before he spoke:
CoNRADE MCKINLEY To THE VETERANS.
Comrades, nothing can be more CRATE
ful to me than to receive this honor and
compliment from my old comrades of the
war. | never look into the faces of the
old soldiers who braved the dangers of
that time that am not touched deeply,
and it gives me peculiar pleasure TO meet
and greet those gathered here tonight.
| shall be very glad To shake the hand Of
.aac Oh on Al of IL la r.la
| discover that the population of Somer-
set Is constantly increasing" daughter
and applause.l
At the conclusion of the Presidents re-
marks the old veterans filed up the steps
from the side walk to the platform, where
they were introduced to Comrade Me-
Kinley by Comrade ID. J. Horner. The
President gave each of his old comrades
hearty hand clasp and a word of frater-
nal greeting.
MRS. NCRINLEY's GREETING.
Mrs. Mckinley occupied chair before
one of the parlor bay-wiudows and smil-
ed pleasantly at the veterans as they
passed her, as ifin review. A little incl
dent that escaped the attention OF nearly
all but the alert newspaper man, was a
remark made by Mrs. Mckinley, who in
her wifely solicitude for the comfort of
her husband, standing bare headed in
the evening air, said. "Put on your hat"
After the handshaking there were re-
peated calls for Attorney General Me-
Kenna. The distinguished Californian
was greeted with round of applause
when he advanced to the platform.
ATroRNEY-GENERAL McKENNA's SPEECH.
Fellow citizens, Ladies and Gentle
men-The President calls this taking a
rest lie thought, possibly. if he invited
me up here few days that / could help
him take the rest. | atn not usually a
speechmaker, and have only come for
ward tonight to response TO your greet
ing, To acknowledge it with thanks. /
have some little feeling for Pennsylvania.
have had the honor of being born in
your State tapplause), and naturally
have feeling for il. met Gov. Lowndes
as | came up, and he said: 'Mckenna,
you will be expected to make speech to-
night, they caught me last night. | have
got of all the local gags and | don't
know what is left for you to say.
talked about Jere Black, and you can
talk about him. But il seemed TO me
when those old comrades came up to-
ptSscu Oy the there
was some work left for Us and there WAS
something more 10 say. There is some
thing peculiarly touching in the reference
of the gentleman who made the intro
ductory remarks, " hen he spoke of the
night gulls chanting their requiem over
the graves of the comrades that are
gone. Thought that while il is a splendid
thing To be President of the United
States, that, ybe, the Presidents high
er title was in the fact that he WAS Major
Mckinley. (Great applause l have
often thought, foolishly, perhaps. that
would have liked to have been in the war
We must necessarily all have regretted
the cause of the war, but / would almost
give anything 10 have the memories that
those gentlemen have, some of whom
tottered up those steps to shake hands
with the Chief Magistrate of this nation,
and whose old comrades died for the
country. They have risked their lives
for it, have since lived for it, are yet liv-
ing for it, and they are an example, it is
to be hoped, for all the members of this
community, and if you follow the princi-
piles for which they fought, and their un
selfish devotion, there will be no fears for
the Republic"
General w. III. Koontz was called for
and spoke for fifteen minutes. After
three cheers had been given for the Pres
ident the veterans returned to the post
,l.