Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1898-12-17

THE CHIEF ExECuTIvE.l WHILE
THE PEOPLE OF THE FIRST CAP
ITAL OF THE CONFEDt ERACY
TURN OUT EN- MASSE amp GIVE
Al TRUE SOUTHERN WELCOME,
MKINLEY. WITH RARE TACT
AND DISCRETION, LAUDS HOB
SONS MOTHER AND GEN. Joe
wHEDLERrS DAUGHTER AT JUST
THE RIGHT MOMENT.
Montgomery, Ala, December 16.A
The President and his party were
given a magnificent welcome in the
Confederacy's first capital to-day. The
Presidents train was escorted from At
lanta to Tuskogee and thence here by
the State Assembly. Governor John
ston, Chief Justice Mcclellan, and
party of ladies.
The Assembly's train came in ahead
of the Presidents. AT the Union sta
ton the presidential party was met
by the Governor, committees from the
Assembly, the Mayor and City Council,
and the commercial and industrial as
sociations. Mayor Clisby received the
President with a we'll worded speech
at the station. TIE whole party was
then taken in carriages through the
leading business and resident streets to
the old Confederate capitol. The entire
route was ablaze with national colnrs,
while tremendous crowds lined the
streets as far as the eye could reach.
No such gathering has been seen
here since President Cleveland's visit
here during his first term. Capitol Hill
was one mass of humanity when the
line of carriages, escorted by the local
military companies, reached it at 8
O'Clock. When Governor Johnston
escorted President Mckinley into the
hall, there was a tremendous demon
stration. Governor Johnston made a
brief speech, in which he took occasion
TO say 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
the historic spot around the assem-
blage.
The President said:
The warm hearted welcome which
as been given to me by the citizens of
0abama has -dlaS..Yl 10. ii,r1 language
9express my gratitude and apprecia-
ton. To be welcomed here in the city
of Montgomery, the first capital of the
Confederate States, warmly and en-
Enthusiastically welcomed as the presi-
dent of common country, has filled
and thrilled me with emotion. Once
the capital of the Confederacy, now the
capital OF a grest and glorious State,
one of the understandable States of an
-ndestrictible 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 staid in.
tremendous applause.)
Alabama like all the States of the
union North and South. has been
loyal to the flag and steadfastly de-
voted to the American nation and to
American honor. There never has been
IN the history of the United States
such a demonstration of patriotism
from one end of this country to the
other as in the year just passing; and
never has American valor been more
brilliantly illustrated in the battle line
On shore and on the battleship at sea
than by the soldiers and sailors of the
United States. Everybody is talking
of Hobson. and justly so, but l want
to thank Mother Hobson n this pres
ence. Everybody is talking about Gen.
Wheeler, one of the bravest of the
brave, but speak | want to of that
sweet little daughter that followed him
70 Santiago (great applause) and min
istered to the sick at Montauk.
CHEERS }
| have spoken in many places and at
mary times of the heroism of the
American army and the American
navy, but in our recent conflict the
whole people were patriots. Two hun
dred thousand men were called for and
million rushed to get a place in the
ranks. Great applause.) And mil
lions more stood ready if need be.
prolonged aprause.)
I like the feeling of the American
people that We ought not to have a
large standingA army, but it has been
demonstrated IN the last few months
that we need I standing army large
enough to do all the work required
while We are att peace, and only rely
on the great body of the people in an
emergency to help us fight our battles.
(Applause)
We love peace. We are not mill
tary nation, but whenever the time of
peril comes, the balwark of this peo-
pie rests in the patriotism of it's citi-
\, 2ens, and this natiln will be safe for
all time by seventy-fve million of PEG