Evening star., 1898-05-28
WITH RARE ELOQUENCE
Stirring Address of Mr.. Mckinley lively,
Years Ago.
Decoration Day Exercises Mt Cuya-
hOEn Falls, Ohio, Recalled by an
Old Correspondent.

'In the country villages of Ohio Memorial
day, or Decoration day, as almost every
one calls it. is the biggest day of the year,
said an old newspaper correspondent yes
terday. Months in advance, sometimes a
year, promises are exacted from leading
speakers, who are usually referred to by
the rural folk as big guns
1T is not uncommon thing for the
governor of the state to make a Decoration
day address in some town of few hundred
inhabitants. The towns that are SO for
tunate as to get senator a representa-
tive to address their people naturally look
down with naughty disdain on sister towns
that are compelled to put up with a Judge,
editor, lawyer or the village preacher
The summer of 1886 found Major Will
liam Mckinley back at his home In Ohio
from Washington looking after his interests
Tor return to Congress- To use an ex-
preston now common, and which originate
with the recently retired premier of the
present administration John Sherman, he
was liking up his fences A democra tic
ieelslature had redistricted (gerrymanderel
Is the ohlo name for iD the state and Sum-
ihit county had been added in place of a
county which had been set off for another
district
The same summer found me nress aeent
LOT tented exhibition. l made it a point
70 De at least three weeks ahead of the
SHOW, ana now and then during the sea-
son, when l could gain a day or tu,o
would take a jump back for a day with IN.
Sho" ana a conference with the manager
Always looked forward to such visits with
great pleasure Rut to tbs a,. i.s win
story: p'iii' VI 'his
kecalling that the show was billed for
C9gahoga Fails On Decoration dav. I de-
ciuea TO Join the show there, and at the
which viz uas pay p, brief visit to my home,
when was In an adjoining district Soon
after my arrival in Cuyahoga Falls & nrn.
cession of old soldiers and citizens had.
eu py the village brass band, passed the
and marched over toward the denot
In little While back came the process
SION, and at its head with a rerantion
eonfnlttee' s1aT,' recognized the face Of Major
M -1ch lnley. He shook my hand cordially
ana wanted to Know what l was doing
mere. should say right here that | had
met the major number OF times before
In conventions and conferences ~ ra
puDllcans, particularly during one vear
when a near relative of mine was chair
man man or The republican state COMMITTEES in
roao,ti Uiiio anu was ms private secretary. The
Isceptlon committee just then engrossed
the majors attention. and he did not catch
my answer to his question
tuyahosa rails Is the second town of
Importance In Summit county, Akron tho
county seat hustling city is only y few
miles distant. The major had come over
from canton to meet his constituents ami
20 10. ADDRESS them. In order that he might
get good train connections home II vas
arranged that the exercises should he haiS
at l2;iO pm. This made an early nnchN
eoi necessary We sat at the same table
and discussed the political situation he
asking many questions regarding sections
or the state and other states throngb
which had recently travelled
Il told the major that 1 did NOT w.n+
the show to conflict with the EXERCISES at
the cemetery or with his address and vol
unteered the services of the band to ioin
the procession to the cemetery. This SEEM
n 90
the performance to be delayed an horr-
and, with the manager of the show whom
introduced to the major, Joined in the
procession.
was up rather sharp incline and through
large vacant lot to the cemetery A rough
platform had been improvised and from
s1 snls Major mckinley made one of the
strongest speeches / ever listened to- I
had heard him q number of times before
and l have heard him many times since
having reported many of his speeches, but
never did one of his speeches have more
of the true ring of patriotism
The audience was not one that would
tend to 1nspirit, scarcely thousand per
sons being present but it was the beaut-
full ceremony of decking with flowers and
firing volley over the grave of each dead
soldier that aroused him to such eloquence
and oratory. I have often wished that I
had taken his words down.
well, to make a long story short the
delaying of the performance and the ap-
pearance of the show people at the exer-
cises was an advertisement, and the can.
vas was packed both afternoon anu even
ing. Several times since. when we have
met. Major Mckinley has recalled that
pleasant summer day In 1885 While re-
turning from the Minneapolis convention
in 1892 he jokingiy told a coterie of friends
on the train how I had used his speech
as an advertisement for a circus and
there was much laughter at my expense
II you want anything, try an ad in The
viii get an answer. -ss's Eg7'--s-.-