El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1899-01-19

i
that tho flag needed defending, the sons
and the grandsons of veterans of the
civil war regardless Of north or south
would be found ready to take it from
the ramparts whore the veterans
had planted it and bear 1t
to any part of the world that
the American army was called. How
we'll that promise was kept haC been
told already by the department. COM
teers of 1898, which he had just heard,
be said, would indicate that the sons
of old veterans had not main tanned the
reputation of their fathers for patrio-
tism. He defended the volunteers of
1898 and said that no words of COM
plant had been heard from them while
at the front to do battle; that the COM
plants came from the garrisons in this
country where the volunteers had been
penned up and not allowed to fight;
they had volunteered to do battle with
and wage an unequal conflict with dis
ease. The old heroes of the war of the
rebellion, said Mr.. Smith, we're rapid
ly passing away, but be knew that the
flag OF the country would be safe in the
hands of their sons.
1.-THE press" was responded to by
]. D. Ponder Of the Times. Mr.. Ponder
said that there had been great deal
of talk of fight by the army and navy
but he did not know of anything as
capable of giving these bodies q chance
to show what they could do IS 1.-THE
press" He said that there had been
many causes given for the declaration
of war but that there WIS no doubt
that 1.-The press" was responsible for
our war with Spain.
"The press is the mouth piece of the
- fl {o nj 20
on guard. If the peoples rights are
imposed upon at home it demands that
the wrongs be righted at 'he ballot
box. If abroad it demands that redress
be made If 1t takes the power of our
army ana navy to do it.
''The press is no respector of rank.
It gives the soldiers and minor officers
credit for their part in war as it does
the commanding general;
"Americans will fight for what
| they think is right. 1t was this spirit
that prompted the soldiers of both the
| federal aad confederate armies in TIT
civil war. The former overpower
| the latter and the latter responded by
coming back to the old flag and like
the old darkey in the story of the pr O.
| digal's return at once asked 'Whar'e
dat veal?' The whipped confederates
showed their good will to step in and
eminent and when the country's flag
needed defense little Fighting Joe
Wheeler and others who had fought on
the losing side many years ago we're
Smong the first to offer their services
to the united country"
Editor McCutcheon, of the Graphic,
was also called upon to speak on "The
press'' but he said that as the subject
had been so we'll covered by Mr.. Pom
der he would say word or two on the
fraternal feeling which now existed.
He said that he was too young to know
anything about the war and had heard
but little about it from his folk. The
old veterans had made history. He
had read it. AS it read to him there
were in those southern battlefields
two mounds.a blue and q gray. Beneath
these mounds all animosities
of the civil war had been buried and
there stood before US now q united
country. He had read q great deal of
the man behind the breastworks and
his deadly fire but in the late war the
American soldier had stOrmed the
breastworks and it was in the trenches
that the major portion of the dead were
away.
The addresses were interspersed
with army songs and all joined il with
q hearty good will in making the hall
ring singing the old songs which the
old vets had stng so long ago.
At midnight the little party broke
up wishing each other good night,
complimenting Mrs. Elder for the nice
meal, and the visitors praising Emmett
Crawford Post as q handsome enter
tainer.