The Somerset reporter. [volume] (Skowhegan, Me.) 1868-1909, 1898-06-02

"a me
Who has ever heard veteran soldier
say that he regretted having fought for
his country: Ask the thousands Of
martyred men and women who gave
their lives az the stake or upon the rack
for conscience .ake.-ask the tens Of
thousands Of fallen heroes from Bunker
| Hill TO Appomattox,-ask these. their
comrades, who day by day are fast drop
/ ping from the ranks.-ask all these. II
/ they regret the sacrifices they have made
i for conscience, liberty and right, for
country, home and native land. aud read
/ your answer in the sight Of the thou
sands of sons aud daughters of those
martyrs still carrying Christian religion
to the uttermost parts Of the earth -
read your answer il the action Of these
same old battle-scarred veterans within
the last few weeks Offering their services
in the war with Spain read your
answer in the sight OF the brave union
boys of today, union,-your BOYS,
offering their lives to strike tyrant',
hand from the throats Of suffering
people, who inspired by the light Of
liberty reflected from that glorious
monument purchased with our fore.
fathers blood and preserved BIZ your
'''oA ~ u lux - Al'N liA' II HIN Ielhhh
home from Spanish oppression.
Your grand old organization. the
Grand Army of the Republic, is swiftly
marching by. and soon the last of your
number will have passed into the
eternal bivouac. Think not, that after
you are gone, you Will he forgotten
The same loving remembrance which
has caused you this day to dedicate this
! hpanfiful IN tho ~
your brave comrades who sleep in I'M
known graves, will always be yours.
Your deeds have erected monument to
your memory in the hearts of your
people, more enduring than that granite
shaft. And when in the enterna city
the reveille shall have sounded and the
Grand Army of the Republic once more
stands with unbroken ranks, if it be per-
mitted you to look down upon this spot,
once so dear to you, on each recurrence
of this Memorial Day, as long as that
banner floats and time shall last, you
will still see the flowers scattered over
the soldiers graves as you have done this
day,you will still hear the songs of loving
praise ascending from the lips and heart
of grateful people
In Coburn Hall.
The exercises in Coburn hall, Monday
evening consisted of reading of orders
Roll of Honor by Sergt Mai. Varney
singing two selections, "Gloria" aud
"Soldier's Chorus by chorus made up
of about Is members of the Skowhegau
Choral Society, with Mr.. Maxim, leader
and Mrs. j. X. Frost, accompanist; in,
vocation by Rev. A. \. Dairy; singing by
chorus of masters and misses from the
schools under direction of Mrs. J. W
Steward; reading of President Lincoln
Gettysburg address by Geo. w. Cover
ESD; memorial address by Hon. S. j
Walton singing, America, by the audi
+ enee; benediction by Rev. Geo. +
: Leighton.
The audience was large one, Coburr
hall being filled comfortably in every
part, floor, galleries and stage, by al
| interested audience of representative
Skowhegan people.
The Grafton by Hon. S. j. Walton wa
one that held the close attention of tn,
audience and was particularly valuable
historically. From this address W,
quote
in the history of the world and o
the nations there have been great epoch
, or eras periods of time that mark tn,
ages and leave their impress on futur,
generations aud leave a lasting and Al
important influence upon the people VIII,
came after.
Thus 1898 years ago the Star OF
Bethlehem shone out over Judea,
little country in Asia, betokeniug III,
coming Of the Messiah and this is termed
the Christian era by the Christian world
This epoch in the history of the worlC
is so marked that from that date ",
have since reckoned time and today ",
are living in what is termed AnuC
Domin 1855, or in the year Of our LoiC
ls9S,'
The speaker graphically recounteC
various epochs in the history of tn,
world and noted their effect aud traced
their influence among the nations anc
upon civilization, among which were
the appearance of Mahomet, the adyen
Of Martin Luther, of William the Con
queror, the defeat of the Turks by
Charles the Bald. the destruction Of the
Spanish Armada, the wrestling OF Magma
Charta from King John of England, the
discovery of America, the landing OF
the Pilgrims at Plymouth, the war of
the Revolution, the war of the Rebellion
aud the present crisis, the war with
SPAN.
sit would seem that in the Declaration
of Independence of the l3 colonies of and
from the mother country, England, in
l776, those men who drew up that
declaration, that must become immortal,
must have been inspired, every word of
that document is sermon.
Let US see what few words mean of
the beginning of it, We hold these
truths to be self evident, that all men
Are created equal and are endowed by
their creator with certain iualenable
rights, among which are life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness
But having made that declaration our
fathers were obliged To fight for il and
/ for seven long years the feeble colonies,
/ of barely three millions of people, suS-
/ tanned bloody contest with the mother
/ country, one of the most powerful
nations of the world but the battle Of
Saratoga when Burgoyne was captured
/ spectacle and the capture of General
/ CORVALLIS at Yorktown settled the
/ question of our independence. In this