The San Francisco call., 1898-08-25
ZEE FINALLY WITHDRAWS

are at war to live among them in the enjoyment of all the blessings of peace without disturbance of any kind? Is there a people on the face of this earth as EagnanimouS as the American peo- pie? History presents no record of such a nation, and we shall go on until the great war for commercial supremacy that within the next ten years is to in- volve this nation, because the difference in exchange is getting to be so vast in favor of this country, for we sold the world a billion of dollars more last year than we bought, and five years of such differences will bankrupt the world. (Cheers) What will happen? They will attempt-and cause of war is always easy to be found-to check the AmericanI commerce, and then war will come again. And I hope to God that when it does pared than when this war began. (Cheers) That we shall not send troops to camp barefooted, shirtless and ragged.
 I shall never forget the day l stood in the streets of San Francisco and saw that regiment from Tennessee, under that splendid old Confederate Colonel w. c. some hatless, some almost in rags and some as nearly shoeless as the army of Washington in the winter at Valley Forge; but every face lit up with the light of patriotism, and all singing and shout ing as they went to fight for the flag of their country. (Cheers)
 It was shame. It was a shame that these men ever suffered as they have. What touching scenes have occurred in these camps. I heard the other day of a gentle, lovely boy, his fathers and mothers only trust and hope, who en- listed and was sent to sleep upon the damp sand at Camp Merritt, drilled in the day time until the precipitation ran from every pore and then turned loose without coat to shiver In the cutting fog. and the afternoon northwest wind. At last came disease. He lay waiting for the hour of his death Beside him the captain of his company. the chaplain and the surgeon of the regiment; In wind cxxrn for1t rhar ha nj crh k cred the light of the candle, that young soul ebbed away, the victim of misman- perhaps until taps come" said the cap- tain. 'He will not" said the surgeon. But he did and the last melancholy note of the soldiers goodnight hoated over the camp. As it ceased the boys breast gave one last heave and the convulsions of death ran through his limbs and his eyes closed. As the breath went out forever the sentry halted in front of the tent;
 brought his piece to port and said ''1O
 o'clock and all is we'll"
 Ayei So it was all well with the suf-
 ferer But it shall never be well until
 the American Government has learned
 that the life of a single soldier is worth
 as much as the life of the United States. Never shall we do our duty until, when we have a call for men, we shall send
 them out equipped and ready for the dis charge of the great duties of war, and not keep them imprisoned in such sinks of misery and fniGUity as that which lay on the edges of San Francisco. where fog, sickness and horror reign and where on the range of the cemetery of the Presidio are 130 graves of American boys murdered before the battle by neglect, carelessness and want of proper attention. Let us learn this lesson and to those who are legislating, whether here or at Washing ton. let the lesson be inculcated that from this hour out this army is the army of
 civilization, equipped and prepared for
 any event: that our navy is not the seventh but equal to the first. and that we shall so fully equip the boys that they will always
 be ready to fight for the flag, the heritage
 of our fathers and the hope of mankind. Cheers and prolonged applause)