The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1897-06-16
HER CENTENNIAL.
Tennessee Celebrates Her Admis-
sion to the Union.
Appropriate Ceremonies and Exer.
cises at Nashville-Presiden Nc
kinley II the Guest of Honor
His Speech.

|
Nashville, Tenn, June 12-At eight
o'clock Friday morning the presiden-
! tial tour merged into the centennial
celebration of the admission of Ten
nessee into the union. AS guard of
honor to the president mounted de-
tachment of ex-confederates command
ed by Capt. George F. Hager ranged
themselves Immediately in front of his
carriage. They wore the old-time gray,
but the buckles of their belts bore the
insignia "United States" In the rear
of the line of carriages marched the
battalion of the Sixth infantry under
the command of Col. Miner, sent from
Fort Thomas, and headed by their fine
iDand. State troops and a particularly
| good-looking body of Cincinnati police
under the command of their chief made
up the uniformed part of the parade.
AS the head of the procession turned
into the main entrance of the exposi-
ton grounds battery of artillery
doomed forth the national salute of 25
guns.
Above the boom of the national salute
and the hum of thousands of voices
in the great auditorium rose theItrains
of ''DiXie" from wandering band on
the outside. Exactly at noon President
Mckinley walked down the main aisle,
on his arm the stately Mrs. Van Leer
Kirkman, president of the woman's
board. The president was greeted with
! hearty cheers. Gov. Bushnell spoke,
and then the president was introduced.
He spoke in part as follows:
The Presidents Speech.
"Of1cers of the Tennessee Centennial Ex-
| position, Ladies and Gentlemen: Amer
| can nationality, compared with that or
| Europe and the east, is still very>young,
and yet already we are beginning to have
/ age enough for centennial anniversaries
| in states other than the original 10.
| Such occasions are always interesting,
| and when celebrated in practical way
| are useful and instructive Combining
retrospect and review, they recall what
| has been done by state and nation and
| point out what yet remains for both to
| accomplish in order to fulfill their highest
] destiny.
This celebration is of general interest
to the whole country and of special sig
| niicance to people of the south and west.
| 1t marks the end of the first century of
| the state of Tennessee and the close of
| the first year of its second century. One
| hundred and one years ago this state was
! admitted into the union as the sixteenth
/ member of the great family of American
| commonwealth. 1t was welcome adj
dition to the national households COM
| munity young, strong and sturdy, with
an honored and heroic ancestry, with fond
| anticipations, not only of it's founders but
/ faith in it's success on the part Of far-see-
! ing and sagacious statesmen in all parts
/ of the country.
| "Tennesseeans have ever been volunteer,
/ not drafted, patriots. In 1916 when 2,4OO
soldiers were called for, $4,000 loyal Ten
! nesseeans offered their services; and amid
| the trials and terrors of the great civil
/ war; under conditions of peculiar distress
! and embarra ssment, her people divided
/ on contendng sides. But upon whichever
side found they fought fearlessly to death
and gallant sacrifice. Now, happily, there
| are contending sides in this glorious
commonwealth or in any part of our COM
| mon country. The men who opposed each
| other in dreadful battle third of CEN
| fury ago once more and forever united
together under one flag in never-to-be-
| broken union.
1.-THE glory of Tennessee is not only alone
i in the brilliant names it has contributed
| to history or the heroic patriotism dis
played by the people in so many crises of
| our national life, but its material and in
/ dustrial wealth, social advancement and
| their growth and development. Thirty
| five thousand settlers in this state in 1890
had increased to 100000 in 1860, and to-
| day it has population closely approx
mating 100000. It's manufactures, which
| in 1860 were small and unimportant in
1890 had reached $72,O0O,0O0 in value, while
it's farm products now aggregate more
than $62000,000 annually. It's river COM
| merce on three great international water
ways, it's splendid railways operating near
Jyy Of dc
of uncalculable value. form splendid
augury for the future. I am sure no better
workmen could be found than the people
of Tennessee to turn these confident
promises into grand realities.
Your exposition shows better than any
| words of mine can tell the details of your
wealth of resource and power of produc-
ton. You have done wisely in exhibiting
these to your own people and to your sister
! states, and at no time could the display
be more effective than now, when what the
country needs more than all else is re-
stored confidence in itself. This exposi-
ton demonstrates directly your faith and
purpose, and signifies in the widest sense
your true and unfailing belief in the ire
| pressible pluck of the American people, and
Is promising indication of the return OF
| American prosperity
'"The knowledge which this beautiful and
novel exposition gives will surely stimulate
competition. develop your trade, increase
Jouf oulpul, eHidrse your HeIuS OF en-
ployment, extend your markets, and So
eventually pay for all it cost, as we'll as
justify local sentiment and encoura ge state
| pride.
Men and women I see about me from all
parts of the country, and thousands more
| will assemble here before the exposition
is closed. Let ourselves and let them al
/ ways remember that whatever differences
about politics may have existed or still
| exist, we are all Americans before we are
| partisans, and value the welfare of all
the people above party or section. Citi-
/ zens of different states we yet love all
| the states. The lesson of the hour, then,
| is this-that whatever adverse conditions
may temporarily impede the pathway of
| our national progress, nothing can perma-
nently defeat it."