The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1898-12-18

men shall dwell?
MY fellow citizens, whatever cove
nants duty has made for us in the year
1898 we must keep
Previous to the Presidents speech
cordial welcome had been extended to him
by ID. G. Purse, President of the recep-
ton committee, and by the Mayor OF
Savannah, p w. Meldrim. Secretary
Gage followed the President replying to
the toast of Commerce"
Secretary Alger, in responding to 'The
Army" said:
"One hundred and twenty-five thou
sand of our volunteers have already been
mustered out and returned to their
homes. One hunderd and fifty thousand,
including the regulars-fully armed and
in excellent condition-still remain in
the field ready for service. Shall they
be ordered to further conflict? Let us
hope not, but their presence, at least ID
large part, will be indispensable, unless
peace is ratified and the regulars are in
creased in numbers to take their places.
Il would say to those still in the field,
patience. While your sacrifices may be,
and with many no doubt the great yet the
glory of your lives will always be that
you wore the blue while your country
needed you.
THE lessons we have learned, and
largely from the navy, are, in time of
peace prepare for war An old saying,
but forceful and true. How little mate
rial the country had to equip it's great
army with when called into service. you
know. How WELL seemingly an impossi-
bic task was met, impartial history of
the war will show. While we met an
army well armed with the best of mod
rrn weapons, and skilled in the use of
them. the navy fully prepared for
war i'll advance. we'll skilled in gun
nery, met the Spaniards and destroyed
their fleets while they We're hopelessly
trying to adjust their range finders p"
Postmaster General Smith, following
the President, spoke in reply to 9Th"
Press and was followed by Secretary
Long, on "Ihc Navy"
Secretary Wilson. in the course of q
speech upon agriculture, said
THE American farmer is the best
educated, best clothed, best housed, best
fed and the most independent culti-
vator of the soil upon earth. partly be-
cause the farmer feeds the artisan cheap
~ and feeds him well.
'The best craftsmanship Of our times
is that which wisely considers the ease
of the laborer in field and snop 20 the
end that the greatest possible good may
be the reward Of toll. The old South
reduced the fertility of its haldts for
century in producing raw material for
the factories of other sections and other
nations. The new South is jiversifyins
it's industries. adding skill to iield crops
and greater value TO the product of its
mines The young farmer of the South
should study soil rather than the dead
languages; he should learn OF the plant
in preference to ancient history, end
the feeding of animals before giving time
to bellies letters. The study of the
movement of moisture in tho s@il will
pay better than the study OF oratory.
Barn yard poultry offers greater rewards
for their intelligent care than county
Offices"
General Wheeler, amid intense enthu-
siasm. replied to the toast Of .'Woman"
with a glowing. chivalrous tribute which
though very brief, touched tie hearts OF
his Southern audience.
The banquet then concluded To-mo2
row will be day of rest for tlin PrcSi-
Dental party at the De Soto Hotc,
They leave for Macon at midnight to-
morrow.
When the Presidents train reached
Guyton, Ga, this morning, 80 miles out
of Savannah. the reception committee
of Savannah boarded it and accompanied
the party on the rest of its journey from
Montgomery. ID. G. Purse. chairman Of
the reception committee, greeted Mr..
Mckinley warmly.
When the train reached Savannah at
IL a. m., the Georgia Hussars, rcsplend-
ent with silver facings. were drawn up
to receive the President. and a salute
was fired from guns captured ut York
town and presented ID Savannah by
George Washington.
In u carriages drawn by white l@rsas,
the Presidential party was driven
through streets black with cheering thou
sands to the city parade grounds, where
reviewing stand had been erected. Ten
thousand troops were drawn up opposite
where the President ana members Of tho
Cabinet stood on the outskirts Of the
parade ground. Held back by sentries
about ten thousand sight-seers pressed
forward to get a glimpse of the soldiers
Mrs. Mckinley remained in a carriage
near the reviewing stand. In the shadow
of towering monument TO the Confed
crate dead lay the left of the long line
of the troops. Major General Keifer
in command, gave the signal for the
march past to commence. A sheet of
steel flashed out against The grcen
background of trees as the bayonets of
the men rose to their shoulders and the
line began to form. After passing the
President beside whom stood Major
Generals Wheeler, Shafter and Lawton.
each Colonel came upon the stand ard
witnessed the march past of his own re-
giment. Brigadier General Whcaton
commanding the First division of the
Seventh corps. followed General Keifer
Behind him came the following Infantry
regiments:
Second South Carolina. Ninth Iliuos
Fourth Illinois, Third Georgia Third
Nebraska, First Texas, Forty Ninth
Iowa, Sixth Missouri, then with their
coats on, the red flaps turned back, came
the Second artillery (regulars), the First
Maine battalion of heavy artillery, and
light batteries of the Second, G. and i
of the Third, p of the Fourth, and ID
of the Fifth (regulars) artillery.
Every regiment was headed by its
band. The men marched in splendid
alignment and looked in excellent condi-