Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1898-06-15
FIFTY YEARS A STATE
CELEBRATION OF WtSCONSIN'S
SEMl-CENTENNlAL-
The State Capital Given Up to Re-
joicing and Festivity for Three Days
-Giauoe at the Official Proceedings
Distinguished Speakers Are Heard.
Ceremonies al Madison


| admission of Wisconsin to the Union was
very appropriately celebrated at Madison,
the festivities continuing for three days.
Gov. Bushnell of Ohio and his staff were
The guests of the State during the cele-
bration, The attendance was large.
Tuesday afternoon the official exercises
were held in the great hall OF the univer-
sity gymnasium. The principal address
was delivered by Gov. Scofield, and he
| was followed by Mayor Whelan with an
| address of welcome to the people Of the
State and to the Ohio party. Gov. Bush
| nell of Ohio responded and was heartily
greeted.
| In his addrss Gov. Scofield referred to
| the great progress Wisconsin has made
in material prosperity, and to its political
| and military record He said In part:
To-day and for the two following days.
| IN this, the capital Of the State, we shall In
various forms of celebration, express our
| thankfulness to The power which rules
the nations for His care over Wisconsin
during the half century which has just
closed, and try to gather from our own
| record some inspiration which will aid US
in making the succeeding half century
greater in accomplishment and nobler in
the general effort for good than the one
which has just closed
we have not solved oil the problems of
statehood, nor cleared yet for ourselves of
| brush ali the by-paths OF good govern
| ment. but we may congratulate ourselves
to-day that Wisconsin has intelligently,
honestly and patriotically sought 10 solve
these problems and is coming nearer the
solution as each year passes. Human
| nature Is the same here as In other States,
and we have our partisan ,ealousies and
chickering's, but when there is presented
to us some great question all these things
| sink out of sight and we are one people.
If one can scarcely keep from boast
ing when speaking of the material pros
perity OF Wisconsin,, how much more diff
cult is It 10 repress pride when consider
ing he moral status Of our people-a great
| law-abiding community, TO whom moral
| appeal Is never made IN vain, where the
moral vigor of the puritan Is toned down
TO the kindly liberty Of the foreign cav
| alier Certainly we have what historians
might well have described In the past as
an ideal people,"
| Coy. Bushnell of Ohio responded for the
party from that State TO the addresses of
| welcome, and referred in touching terms
| to the late Secretary Jeremiah Rusk, who
was three times Governor of Wisconsin,
| as 0 product Of Ohio
| Early in the evening the boat race be-
tween the crew OF st. Johns Military
Academy and the University OF Wiscon-
| sin freshmen crew was rowed on the two
mile course on Lake Mendoza. The Wis
consip freshmen won by tep lengths. If
| ter the race the semi-centannial grafton
was delivered by ]. V. Quarles Of Muwau-
| kee to an audience Of about $500 In the
university gymnasium. His address was
| devoted TO review Of the growth Of Wis
consin in both material and intellectual
| lines.
| The banquet of former members Of the
| Legislature took place in the basement
corridor Of the capitol. Former United
| States Senator w. +. Villas presided as
| toastmaster. The State Press Associa-
ton held its banquet in the Presbyterian
| Church the same evening and adopted n
resolution thanking Queen Victoria and
tho British Government for their attitndn
| IN the war between the United States and
\ Spain. A toast was drunk by the asso-
citation to the Anglo -Saxon-A alli-
anCe. The resolution was drawn up and
sent to London.
| In addition to the celebration proper
there were In session ON Wednesday
number Of State associations which had
| selected this time for their annual conven-
| tions; the congress Of women's clubs the
| Wisconsin Press Association and the
| State Bar Association, many Of the regi-
| mental organizations of the Grand Army
Of the Republic being In the number.
While thpao OrpnniZnti ions vprn In session
the regular features of the official pro-
| gram were carried out. The FIRST event
| wns the legislative reunion in the Senate
chamber. beginning at 10 o'clock. At noon
there was . display of day fireworks in
| Capitol park. and an hour later there was
| an official reception at the executive mnn-
| sion which many women attended. Regi-
, mental reupions v,ere held during the af-
ternoon at Camp Randall, and the prevail
| ing war spirit made them unusually inter-
| egting.
The parade of the veterans OF the war
of the rebellion showed 800 mcn ~ line.
II started at the east entrance OF Capitol
park Qnd the route was down Monona
| avenue. Department Commander Gray
Of the State Grand Army Of the Republic
was the commanding officer, and the Gov
ernor reviewed the veterans as they pass
ed the west entrance to the park.
Official exercises were held Wednesday
afternoon at Armor7 Hall, the Governor
presiding. There was a large attendance,
and SIX addresses were made, the speakers
being e. s. Elliott of Milwaukee, o. ii.
Fetbers Of Janesyille, y. r. Bryant OF
La Crosse, i. &. Kennedy Of West Supe-
rlor and Il. X. Hicks Of Oshkosh.