The Bellefontaine Republican. [volume] (Bellefontaine, Logan County, Ohio) 1855-1905, 1898-10-28
IT is LIKE
COMING HOME
Said President Mckinley In
Speech at Columbus
TO HIS FELLOW OHIOAMS.
Words of EIoquence and Devotion to
Country That Brought Forth Tre-
mendous Cheering-vote to
Sustain Him Gave Them
Utterance.
TO HIS FELLOW OHIOANS.

NoIuAAuuS, w., OcC. Z4.-1no VlS1C OF
President Mckinley to Columbus in 1898
will not soon be forgotten. Though
there had been steady downpour of
rain for "a hours, an audience of 1000
people had gathered at the Auditorium
to give him greeting, and had patient
ly awaited his arrival, though his train
was two hours late. AS he entered
the hall he was given such an ovation
as is seldom accorded to any official.
In responding to the calls for a speech
he was visibly affected at times, and
his eloquent tributes to the people of
his home state, to the army and navy,
as also his references to the nation s
growth and future possibilities, called
forth round upon round Of applause.
Ee spoke as follows:
The Presidents Speech.
Mr.. Mayor and Fellow -Citizens-It
is not in the unconstrued language OF
compliment, but with deep emotion,
that l undertake to make response to
the warm ard generous welcome ex-
tended on behalf of the city of Colum-
bus by your honored mayor. 1t seems
to me like coming back home. [Great
applause.1 The familiar faces l see
about me, the familiar songs I have
heard, all make me feel that 1 am
among my old friends with whom fer
four years I lived. [Renewed applause.
l recall no four years of public service
| that gave me more pleasure than while
serving this state, and not the least
of that pleasure was the kindly
friendly social relations I had with
the people of this capital city. IRE
newed cheering.]
Very much has happened since last
met you in public assembly. The ma
ton has been at war. Not because il
wanted war, but because it preferred
it rather than to witness at it's very
door the sufferings and death of an
oppressed people. Tremendous cheer
| ing.] We entered upon it with nc
purpose but that Of humanity. Nc
desire for new territory, no motive o1
aggrandizement, no desire to extend
our trritory, but that we might
Stop the Oppression
of neighboring people whose groan:
we could almost hear. Happily fol
us, with our splendid army, and oul
no less splendid navy, the war was
concluded in little more than 10'
days. Nothing like it in the militar!
annals of the world. [Great Cheering.
We sent our troops 1000 miles by Sc:
in the east; we sent them more thai
900 miles to the west. We had oul
squadron in Manila and our fleet il
Santiago, and in a little more thai
three months our foe asked for sus
pension of hostilities that terms o
peace might be arranged. [Renewet
cheering.1 All honor to the army ant
navy of the United States. [Tremen
dous yelling.] All honor to the regu
lars and the volunteers [renewet
shouting and cheering] and to tn
marines, the black and the white, an
of every nation, that marched unde
the glorious banner of the free to
victory for God and civilization. [Mor
cheeringl All honor to our peerles
navy. [Cheering.] We had altogethe
too few ships, but they had might
armament, and behind them were mer
[Renewed applause.] They have don
their work. They have wrought wei
1t remains for us now to dedicate our
| E,,ic facly tO riOl
in public treaty the fruitage of tn
strife. more applause.]
Nor Do L Forget
that short as was the war many c
our brave boys went down in the bal
tie never to rise again. They fell un
der the holy banner of the free, fight
| ing for humanity, whether in the cam
or in the field, in the battle line, l
the trenches, or the forecastle. The
gave up their lives for their country
cause; nor do 1 forget, standing
this presence, that that rugged old so
dier. Colonel Poland [tremendou
cheeringl, and that other rugged SO
der, Colonel Haskell [vociferous al
plausel,
Brave Commanders of the Seyenteent
infantry continued cheering], gay
all they had, the best that any ma
hath, his own life, for the honor {
his country. The brave boys fell 1
Santiago making the charge on Sa
Juan hill, at Ell Caney, at GuanIan;
mo and at Manila.
| They fell devoted but undying,
| The very gales their names seem sighin
| The woods are peopled with their fame,
| The waters murmur their name;
| But beyond, silent pillars lone and gray
| Claim kindred with their sacred clay.
Their spirits wrapped the dusky mountai
Their memories sparkle in the fountain;
The meanest rill the mightiest river,
Roll mingling with their fame forever.
Tremendous cheering.1
Nor do l forfeit the promptness Wi
which the
Brave Boys of Ohio
responded to the call Of the preside
[renewed cheeringl, and I do not 70
get that within 48 hours Ohio's quo