The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1899-10-20

N NUMDEh ..
consideration to the American flag and
what it stands for.
About fifteen months ago, yes, seven
teen months ago, think yesterday,
you boys with over thousand of the
bravest cons of South Dakota started
on your journey westward, carrying
with your steady step the musket and
emblems of war. We bade you Cod
epsed on your journey, many OF us with
almost bursting hearth; you were our
instances, the only QUE perhaps, and
yet we laid you on the altar of our
country and said: boys and mon per-
form your duty, and tonight we have
the honor OF welcoming you back again
to your homes in Dawson county, and
We congratulate you upon the match
less record you have made.
| read, some months ago, in a Jour-
nal that do not recall, statement to
the effect that our boys were guilty of
horrible atrocities in the Philippine
Islands, desecrating homes, and
churches, and about all the crimes in
the catalogue or decalogue were
charged up against our boys. 1 did not
believe it. I knew some OF these boys,
knew their families, and l did not
believe it. AS adjutant general for
nearly four years, l have had the hon
or and pleasure of knowing a large
number OF the national guard, many of
whom went across the waters. I knew
many OF them personally; knew them
in private life as honorable, high prin-
cipled citizens. Could you make me be-
oh
their natures and become barbariansa
No indeed. And I want to read Just q
word from Col. Frost, the one who
brought or carried these brave boys on
in their battles, he made this statement:
Saturday morning the Minneapolis
Journal gave magnificent record of
the daring deeds and unparalleled
| ota regiment, and l want to read just
q brief word; no, can almost quote it:
they said that the record made by the
First South Dakota regiment of l26
days on the firing line was unparalleled
in the history of warfare, either
ancient or modern. just think of it;
1926 days without chance even to
change your shirt or to take q bath,
but simply to meet the enemy day and
night, and, as the Journal eloquently
says, they did not meet them en-
trenched, our boys were not in en-
trenchments, but they were meeting q
foe as willy as the Indian, who knew
every pine tree in this country, and our
| boys were forced to leave all protec-
tion and rush out and tackle them from
their entertainments, and the First
South Dakota has made such a record
that President Mckinley paid them, at
Aberdeen, a very high compliment on
their bravery and Secretary Gage, of
the treasury, told me on the train CO.
ing TO Huron, that he had not paid 30
high tribute to any regiment of SOL
diers that had returned from the Phil
ippines.
Ever since the dawn of creation,
wars and rumors of wars have existed.
Some wars have been fought for con-
quest; some for the qualification of am
bilious men; some for Christianity and
civilization; some for home and native
land. I do not know whether any or
all of them are justified or not, but il
seems to me, my fellow citizens, there
are times in the history of man when
nothing but the bloody hand of war can
bring peace to people and bring them
their rights, and [ want to say to you,
my fellow soldiers, that I believe you
have been waging in the Philippine
Islands, war for humanity and human.
ity's cake, just as much as the war fol
, independence in 1776, just as much Al
, the war from 1861 to IS, when we OLD
, vets fought to free downtrodden
race. I believe in the providence o
God and that you have performed {
duty that will send to the east the lib
3 erty and Christianity that this peopl,
, enjoys, as no other nation on earth.
congratulate you that you have beer
; honored by this great distinction
' while upholding the flag.
g The old soldier of '61 to '65 is some
! what chestnut, but my friends, whel
we came home from the war, Ou
friends met us with as warm hearts AM
i as firm grasp of the hands we ar
8 giving these boys tonight, and I wan
o. to say to you, my comrades, we kno,
. something about war. Wedid not rea
. it in history, as translated or describe
r by the historian, we got it at the car
d mons mouth, we got it amid the ha!
h storm Of bullets, we got it where tn
% boys were dead and dying, as you hsv
70 done, and we appreciate what war
> and we knew too we'll the stuff that
required to make brave soldiers, an
% we are proud to know that in all you
!. conduct, even in Hawaii on the wa
over and in Yokohoma on the wa
\. back, magnificent reports came bac
of your gentlemanly conduct, and th
ID same story came across the waters I
4, all times of you.
N After one of the brave victories yC
N had won New York paper said: ever
o. South Dakotan has right to hold b
10 head little higher today for the gre'
ia achievement won by the First Sout
n, Dakota. And boys, if you notice '
se seem to have grown few inches tale
"a. you will know we are standing erec
I'd sometimes we burst a button off o,
as vests, as we swell with manly pride,