The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1900-05-29

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more on our beloved land. The most
important of all civil wars was ended
and the question settled whether this Is
a nation or confederacy, whether sla-
very should be tolerated or not.
The crisis came and 1t was met by
hundreds of thousands of men who
could keep rank. We honor their MEM
ory in this service and on the coming
Wednesday will strew their graves with
flowers. They deserve It. They were
brave men. No braver men fought on
the field of Marathon. no braver men
shouted for liberty among the Alps of
Switzerland, than those who marched
from the quiet homes Of the North to
fight the battles Of their country, and
many Of them to lay their bodies in
southern graves.
"Cover them over with beautiful flow-
ers,
Deck them with garlands. these broth
ers Of ours,
Lying so silent by night and by day,
Dreaming the years Of their manhood
away.
Give them the honors they won in the
strife,
Give them the laurels they lost with
their life;
Crown in your hearts these dead broth
ers of ours,
Cover them over with beautiful flow
ers."
| We shall never forget these heroic
men. The flowers we strew over them
may fade, but their memory will be
green forever in the kindly thoughts
and tender affections Of their country
men.
| We need such men now, men who In
case of emergency will rise in solid
front against the foe. Crises in a ma
tion's history are liable to come at any
time. Should such q crisis arise at the
present would we have the fifty thous-
and men to keep rank, men with one
heart? verify believe we would. The
men Of today IL put to the test would be
as brave as their fathers. Their pat
riotism would rise to any emergency.
Let some ruthless hand lay hold Of our
liberty, or some foreign foe invade our
territory, and there would be an upris-
ing equal to that Of '76 or 81.
We are not martial people. We
have not cultivated the art of war to
any great extent. We have hithey&o
had the smallest standing army Of
any great nation of the world. This is
greatly to our credit. We do not want
a large army, only sufficient for reas-
enable defense and to, inspire other ma
tions with respect, but'not to change us
from a peaceful to a martial people.
There is a certain peril connected with
large armies. Where nations arm them
selves to the teeth 1t indicates willing
ness to fight. When a man carries a
chip on his shoulder he will find some
one to knock 1t off. When a man walks
around with a bludgeon In his hand It
is easy to find occasion to use 1t. A
nation that is fully armed is in danger
Of having to fight. AS Shakespeare
says:
"How oft the means to do Ill deeds
Il Make i'll deeds DONE"
We do not want vast armament.
We are peaceful people. Yet in spite
of comparatively modest equipment we
would be equal to any demand. We
have been in the past. Yankee ingenu-
ity and Yankee skill have prevailed
against odds greater than any that are
liable to confront us now. In the war
Of the Revlution our "continentals, who
were mainly farmer boys, poorly equip
ped and often poorly clad, successfully
fought the we'll trained red-coats and
finally destroyed the hated domination
of Great Britain. Eighty-eight years
ago there was fought terrific battle
on Lake Erie. Commodore Perry was
in command of the meagerly equipped
fleet Of nine small vessels, some OF
them not much larger than canal boats
! Yet with this improvised fleet he met
and defeated the superior forces Of the
British and then sent to Washington
the laconic dispatch: 1--WE have met the
enemy and they are ours" That dis
patch could be used again. We hope we
shall never have occasion to, but IL we
|, were to meet that nation under similar
circumstances and with like odd,
against us, the result would be the
same.
IT have often heard 1t told
That the British seamen bold
Could fay the tars Of France so han
dy. oh!
But they never found their match
Till the Yankee gave them catch,
For the Yankee boys for fighting ar,
the 'dandies.' oh!." ."edF
!, In closing his address the speaker re-
Ierreu 10 the IHetnouS oI tne dTpilTdtioi
court and the various important ques
tions which in years past have been am
icably settled thereby. thus avoiding
, strife and idoody wars and interna
, tional difficulties. He advocated sucf
| modes of procedure at all times between
, nations, and said that they were moral
i ly the most effective and satisfactory
ways of settling disputes. The address
was intensely patriotic and 1t was lis
j tened to with most jealous interest.
!, Rev. o. B. Milligan, who also occu
| pied the pulpit, spoke Of the excellen
, manner In which the soldiers cared fo
their infirm and aged comrades, and an
, nounced a collection. which was taken
|, The doxology was then sung, and afte
II closing services on the part Of the post
D they reformed in line again ant
marched to'itheir respective places o
TIN AZ r n