The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1898-12-17
PRESIDENT IN ALABAMA.
Given Enthusiastic Reception at State
Capital.

He AlIu DIES To Need of a Larger Stand
ing Army Secretary Leng Makes q
Hit In His Speech.
Montgomery, Ala, December 16.-The
President and his party were given a
magnificent welcome in the Confederaoy +
first capital today. The President
train was escorted from Atlanta to Tus-
kegee and thence here BY the state as.
sembly, Governor Johnston, Chief Justice
Mcclellan and party of ladies' At the
Union station the Presidential party was
met by the Governor, committees OF the
assembly, the Mayor and city council and
the Commercial and Industrial associa.
tions.
Mayor Closby received the President
with well-worded speech at the station.
The whole party was then taken in car
riages to the old Confederate capitol
The entire route was ablaze with
national colors, while crowds lined the
streets. When Governor Johnston escorted
President Mckinley into the hall there
was tremendous demonstration. GOV.
Johnston made brief speech in which
he said that Alabama had nothing to take
back for what she did in 1861, but that
she was back In the Union to stay and
that she welcomed the President of the
reunited country to this historic spot.
The President said:
To the General Assembly and Citizens:
The warm hearted welcome which has
been given to me by the citizens Of Ala
bama has deeply touched me and in re.
turn for 1t, cam OF find language to ex-
press my gratitude and appreciation. To
be welcomed here in the city of Mont
gomery, the first capitol Of the Confeder-
ate States, warmly and enthusiastically
welcomed as President of q common
country, has filled and thrilled me with
emotion Once the capital Of the Con-
federacy, now the capital of a great and
glorious state, one of the understandable
states OF an understandable union.
The governor says he has nothing to
take back. We have nothing to take back
for having kept you in the Union. We
are glad you did not go out and you are
glad you stayed in. Tremendous ap
plause)
Union, North and South, has been loya
to the flag and steadfastly devoted to thu
American nation and to American honor
There never has been in the history of th'
United States such demonstration o
patriotism from one end OF this country
to the other as In the year just passing
and never has American valor been NOR
brilliantly illustrated in the battle lin
on shore ana on the battleship at sea thar
by the soldiers and sailors Of the Unitet
States. Every body Is talking of HobsoI
and justly so, but want to thank Mothe
Hobson in this presence.
Every body is talking about Genera
Wheeler, one of the bravesb of the brave
but want to speak of that sweet Httl
daughter that followed him to Santiago
(great applause) and administered to the
sick at Montauk. CHEERS s2
like the feeling Of the American PEG
pie that we ought NOT to have lnrg,
standing army; but it has been demon
stratsd in the last few months that VIZ
need the standing army large enough tx
do all the work required while we ar,
at peace, and only rely ON the great body
OF the people in an emergency to help III
fight our BATTLES. (Applause.
We love peace. we are not military
nation, but whenever the time of peri
comes. the bulwark of this people rests in
the patriotism Of the citizens and thi.