Union gazette. [volume] (Corvallis, Benton County, Or.) 1899-1900, 1899-08-18
FRIDAY, AUG. IS, 1899.
A BADGE OF DISTINCTION.


Thefollowipg high tribute to The
character of the Second Oregon is
from the San Francisco Call, and
every Oregonian's heart must thrill
with pride when he reflects on the
grand record the boys have made
for the state. To the boys them
selves it will be badge Of distinc-
ton during the coming years to
: haye belonged to the Second Oregon:
"Oregon has good reason to be
proud of her boys. San Francisco
can and does bear witness to their
worth. During their stay in this
city they won golden opinions from
all sorts of people, and now that
they have returned to their homes
we send after them the best of
good wishes and the fullest praise
for their conduct not only while in
the service but during the brief stay
they made with us after being mus
tered out.
"The straightforward conduct of
the Oregons while in the service
may have been due to the effective
ness of their discipline as soldiers,
but their orderly course after being
mustered out and paid off, exposed
as they were to the full tempta-
tions which large city offers to
young men away from home, can
be attributed only TO natural
nobility ofcharacter and a careful
home training. Oregon's volunteers
have borne witness not only to the
patriotic valor of the state but to
the sterling qualities of its virtue
and the nigh standard of manhood
inculcated in it households.
Some fears have been felt in this
city that the disbanding here of the
volunteers on their arrival from
the Philippines would result in the
turning loose upon the community
a large number of idle men, who,
instead of going home, would re-
main here to spend their money
and thus in the end add to the un-
employed and probably to the dis
solute, idle class of the city. Ifany
such fears were ever felt concerning
the Oregon men they have been
dissipated. All the members of
that regiment stood as steadfast
by their colors after being mustered
out as before, and in a body they
left us to return to the welcome
that awaits them at home.
The course taken by the sons of
our sister state is another illustra-
ton of the character of the men
who make up the volunteer armies
that respond to the call of the I'm
ion. The men who are first to raj
ly for the flag when the war breaks
out are not the vagrant idlers and |
tramps of the city and countryside.
They are the earnest young man
hood of the nation. They fight for
love of country and not for mere
love of adventure. Their hearts
are with their homes as well as /
with the banners of their regiment,
and as soon as they have accom-
plished through war an honorable
peace with victory they gladly lay
down their arms and return mod
estly to the work they left unfnish
ed in their offices, their. snops and
their farms.
Oregon, we repeat, can welcome
her boys with a Just pride. They
have reflected honor upon her in
peace as in war, out of service as
we'll as in it. They were good men
in the Philippines as well as SOL
diers, they were good men in San
and gentlemen at all
times. They have been faithful to
the best aspirations of Oregon homes
and they merit every honor the
proud state may see fit to give
them.