The San Francisco call., 1899-10-15
MCKINLEY TOURS
SOUTH DAKOTA
Prairie State Greets the
President.
PRAISE FOR THE VOLUNTEERS
THEIR DEVOTION TO DUTY
COMMENDED.
Soldiers Just Back From the War
Participate in Demonstrations
in Honor of the Chief
Executive.
Special Dispatch to The Call.

ABERDEEN, S. D.. Oct. H.-Presi-
dent McKinley's special arrived in this
city over the Milwaukee line at o'clock
this morning. At the depot a large crowd
gathered to see the first President of the
United States who had ever visited the
Dakotas since their Statehood.
The First South Dakota Volunteers, who
arrived to-day from the Philippines, fell
in line behind an escort of G. A. r. vet
Grams, who followed Immediately after
the carriage OF the President and Cabi-
net. Colonel Frost rode at the head OF
his regiment and as they passed down to
the reviewing stand and the Grain Palace
the 5000 inha of Aberdeen cheered
and were reinforced by several thousand
visitors from other parts of the State.
Addresses were made by President Nc
Kinley and members of the Cabinet, Gov
ernor Lee and others. The President
said:
Mr.. Mayor Members Of the First Dakota Vol
unteers and Fellow Citizens: 1t gives me very
great pleasure to join with your fellow citizens
of South Dakota, your friends, your families,
your neighbors, in this welcome to your home.
We are not a nation of hero worshipers and
vet we are a nation Of seventy millions OF
grateful people, who love valor and reward rie
heroic deeds of soldiers. and. think. 1 ap-
preciate quite as much II not more than most
of my fellow citizens the value of the services
this regiment, with its associates of the Eighth
Corps rendered the country in its hour of great
emergency
l am here to speak not for myself alone. but
for the American people in expression of graf
itude and thanks for your heroic action in the
island of Luzon 1 have with this morn
ing "A dispatch just received from your COM
mander the major general commanding in the
Philippines, telling me OF the gallantry of
Colonel Frost and his First Regiment-telling
me that from early in February until late in
June you stood on the firing line and no enemy
could resist your onslaughts upon them.
Nor l forget, soldiers of the republic,
that when the treaty of peace was pending.
when negotiations being conducted in
Paris, when the ratification Of the treaty was
awaiting the action OF the Senate, and, finally,
when we were awaiting the exchange of the
ratification with Spain-I do not forget that
when that time came every one Of you was
entitled to be mustered out of the service of the
United States, and can never express the JOY
you gave my heart when you sent word that
you would remain until a new army could be
formed to take your places That members OF
the First South Dakota, example of
personal sacrifice and public conservation rarely
known in the annals Of war, but 1t Is just like
the American soldier. No matter where he
comes from, he never lays down his arms in
the presence of enemy, and he never lowers
the flag of his country until he has triumphed
over enemies who assail It.
"a voice-We will never leave there until they
are all licked.)
1 glad to see the veterans Of 1861 with the