The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1900-10-06
TO The OLD SOL DIERS
Governor Stanley Made an
Eloquent Address Yesterday
LARGE CROWD PRESENT
Corporal Tanner Gives the
Veterans Interesting Words.

| The greatest old soldiers reunion ever
held in the city in point of numbers and
enthusiasm closed at Riverside park yes
terday evening. From early morning
until late in the afternoon the street car
| system was unable to accommodate the
crowds desiring transportation and the
| streets to the park were mass of people
walking. In spite OF the fact that there
| were attractions at the carnival and Mid
way, the attendance could not have been
better under any circumstances.
The program of the afternoon in the
large tent was opened by Governor w.
E. Stanley. The tent was packed to
almost suffoca ton. The trees on the out
side were surrounded by people seeking
their shade, yet trying to hear what the
governor was saying. No speaker could
have had a better audience than Cover
nor Stanley and il it were possible to es-
innate in numbers, 1t would reach the
thousands
The old soldiers were there with all
their old time fire and enthusiasm. No
carnival or it's doings could detract from
their attendance They were there with
cheers and hurrahs for the governor and
when the occasion presented itself. they
gave them with a will.
Governor Stanley gave one of his
speeches characteristic of the man and
the old soldiers after its close, crowded
the platform to do him honor. For
time it seemed as though the man
would be swept from the pla form by the
rush and crowding of the people.
Governor Stanley was followed by Cor
poraI Tanner Of Illinois, IN stirring adj
dress. Throughout the entire speech
the audience was enthusiast and did
not withhold It, for at times the applause
was splendid.
Governor Stanley spoke as follows:
my fellow-citizens: am glad, greatly
delighted to meet such a goodly number
Of the citizens Of this country, and
especially as those who are known as the
Grand Army of the Republic.
For more than a generation the audi
tor, the historian, the sculptor, the poet
have been vieing with each other to ex-
toll the virtues and exalt the deeds Of
the soldier of the republic. 1t would be
idle for me at this time, to attempt to
find language in which to eulogize the
deeds Of men whose deeds themselves
are their greatest eulogies.
at would be useless for me to attempt
to find language in which to describe the
sympathies and the devotion of the
wives and the mothers and the sisters
and the daughters and the sweethearts
who stayed at home and lived through
those awful four years, waiting and
watching for the time Of final victory.
No words that I could use; no words
that any man can use add to or detract
from the deeds of the greatest heroes
that this country or this world has ever
seen. I will not attempt It.
But IN these days when we hear so
much about the soldier, and when there
is so much said and done and done by
the citizens of the country, I want to
talk little while about the place the
soldier has occupied in the advancement
Of our civilization and the advancement
of the race.
1.-The brightest pages of history today
are those that record the deeds, the he
roism of men, and tell of the place where
men struggled for the mastery. The
most shining names in history today are
names like Leonidas, Charles Martel,
Kosiusco, Cromwell, Warren. Washing
ton, Grant Sherman, Sheridan, and the
whole army of names of men who helped
in that wonderful march that ended in
the washing out from that flag the stain,
the only stain that has ever rested
upon it, in the blood Of patriots.
81 was admonished that wanted to be
careful in talking politics today. Oaugh-
teri said to the man who spoke to me
If he would give me chart and make a
dividing line between patriotism and poll
tics. I would try to follow the line
Qaughter.) The places in history around
which the attention Of the people of this
day rests and clusters, are names like
Thermopylae, Marathon, Bunker Hill.
and the March to the Sea and Appetite
matax. I am not afraid Of the place that
the soldier will occupy in this country.
Had it not been for the soldier we
would never have had a nation Of the |
people in this country. Had it not been /
for the soldier of the revolution this I
free, popular government would never
have had existence. Had it not been I
for the best in people from 1851 to 1855 /
it never would have been preserved.
1.-THE soldier has been the forerunner !
in every great march that humanity has 1
made along thu line OF its advancement (
and betterment.
When We were suffering from the I
wrongs. expressions and injustices OF
our statesmen, our politicians,
our reformers argued the question and
they presented petitions for redress Of
their grievances; but it al had no avail
The walls OF prejudice; the walls Of
wrong: the walls of injustice have ever
been too strongly entrenched 10 give way
TO theories or arguments Of preachers
and politicians. 1t was not until the
soldier OF the revolution took I'D his
musket ard under Warren. reen and the
other soldiers Of that time put on the
yarb OF the American soldier and went
put 10 battle all the way from Bunker
Hill to Saratoga II vas not Unit the
soldier under Washington. the soldier
with bloody feet az Valley Forge, II
was not unfit these soldiers had driven
England's oppression from this govern
nent and compelled the surrender %
CORVALLIS that IL was possible for -
20 have this government cs the people.
DO you think. my friends. there IS
much danger from the descendants C.
the people who formed this government;
hat there Is much danger that their de-
scendants would De TIRE very first %
eopsrdize or destroy K? No. Tbs was
s-oved some years afrsrwsrd
You vfl remember that Ts rad n
MS country FOR long while 2 great evii
hat was overtarov- By one man We
lad the MANY. fhe crlrne II hErnsr