The Guthrie daily leader. [volume] (Guthrie, Okla.) 1893-1996, 1900-05-31


ever be reared to perpetuate your names
and deeds; you may not gain eternal
fame like Hannibal, Ceasar Napoleon,
or Wellington ;and your names may not
be familiar to future generations, as will
the names of those great generals who
led you to victory You are nevertheless
heroes. Without your efforts victory was
impossible You stood bravely at your
posts, performed well every duty to you
assigned, and deserve the highest praise
that human heart can feel, or that human
| language can express.
! Indeed, words fail me, when I attempt
to offer an appropriate eulogy to the
battle-scarred veterans or the late civil
war. My words cannot magnify the
glory of their deeds My sentences can
not illuminate their characters nor add
luster to their names. Their fame is
undying; their glory is unfading; and
their names will be embalmed in the
hearts of a grateful people In that
mighty conflict their forms lowered like
pyramids above the masses, and with
muskets in their hands and valor in their
hearts, they led this nation in to a bright
er age Of truth, progress and freedom,
and carried the old flag to glorious vic
tory.
To the nation, Decoration Day is Of
inestimable benefit. This is a republic. 1t
rests upon the will Of the people This
government can endure only so long as
the people love and cherish it. In every
way possible, the people should be taught
to appreciate the priceless privileges
guaranteed by the constitution Every
one should know what it costs in blood
and treasue. TO establish and maintain
the union Of our fathers. Our people
cannot be too often reminded Of this 1t
cannot be too deeply rivited upon their
minds. Decoration Day affords annually
an excellent oportunity to tell over and
over again, the story of what il has cost
to establish this republic and preserve it
from destruction.
More than this, the power OF example
Is one of the most effective emthods of
influencing men TO noble lives 1t paws
to hold up before the public, the lives
OF the good, the true, the brave, the he
roic, the virtuous and patriotic. This is
especially important, when we consider
the number Of foreigners who come TO
our country every year. and realize how
Quickly grow to manhood and be-
come influential in directing the affairs of
our government
We love Decoration Day for the lessons
it teaches; for the opportunities it affords
to bring our citizenship to a higher s and
ard, along the line of true patriotism The
exercises and demonstrations Of this day,
all inspire love of country. The orations
the songs, the recitations, and the reports
In the public press, reach nearly every
citizen in the community. The decora-
tions Of four public buildings business
houses and private dwellings, the process
sion on the street the solemn march TO
the cemetery-the strewing OF flowers
all these are object lessons, conveying to
the public the thought expressed in the
language of the lamented Garfield: God
reigns, and the government at Washing
ton still lives"
On this occasion, it is Appropriate to re-
fer to the growth, and grandeur of our
country. Every old soldier certainly takes
Just pride in our unparalleled conquests
OF peace. You enlisted to fight the bat
les OF a country that had but 81, 900, 900
poulation, and one-third Of this number
had rebelled, roganized an independent
government, and were marching under a
new emblem. The wealth OF the entire
country amounted TO but $4,000, 900. Only
soldiers is rapidly decreasing. Every
year the ratio Of death must necessarily
$4,000 miles OF railroad had been con-
structed. The manufacturing industries
OF this nation were comparatively insig-
nifcant. There were no telephones, no
electric lights, no self-binding reapers
and no sewirs machines IA common use
There were but thirty-four states In the
union Behold the change! Our pOpO-