The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1900-05-31

"As fer war, call It murder,
There you hev 1t plain and fat;
don't want to go no furder
Than my testyment fer that."
Think OF the financial strain Of war.
Our Revolutionary war cost Great
Britain six hundred and eighty million
dollars. Our civil conflict cost more than
three thousand miliiors. Think what
these sums would do toward developing
the latent resources Of our land, uilding
school Is and libraries and feeding the
hungry. See England today pouring out
millions n bullets for South Africa,
when 1t ought to be transformed into
bread for sixty starving millions In
India. But who can estimate the value of
the lives that go down In war. They are
our best and ablest. Statistics tell us
that from go 65, ITO ,07o were actually
killed in battle, 249, 4s5 died Of disease.
ETC., and 275, l75 were wounded, making
total OF 1916 And / suppose II we
should go over the battlefelds OF the
world we would find that many times the
present population of the globe has gone
down by spear, and arrow, sabre,
howitzer, rife, cannon, and shell into the
vawning trenches Of war. Is & not time
for those who love humanity to cry stop?
But, IL a ruffian enters my home tonight
to lay hands of greed on my Treasures or
Of violence on my family he will find the
muscular portion of that household on a
war footing. II 1 have right to defend
my home have a right to defend my
r. I,,tx 49, afar1 INV hnftR
/ am In duty bound 30 defend my flag
Such time came to his land forty
years ago. For long years actual trouble
was avoided only by compromise after
compromise on the part OF the North.
As we look at 1t now we wonder at the
patience; are almost ashamed OF the ex-
tent Of the concessions to the hateful In
stitution. When one thinks OF the fugis
tive slave law, til Missouri compromise,
the compromise Of 1880, and squatter
sovereignty, one is not surprised that the
South concluded that the North was
cowarily, and would not fight anyway.
But when that first gun doomed against
Fort Sumter its echoes were heard from
Maine to California and the great North
awoke. Men who had loved peace and
had been counted lukewarm turned pale
with rage and swore they would never
lay down their arms until the old flag
fioated again from the battlements OF
Sumter. And they never did Oh yes
we love the sunny South today. We have
buried the Ratchet, handle and all, but
we do not forget that they were wrong.
| They Were brave, but 10y were wrong.
There were conscientious leaders and
brilliant commanders, but they were
wrong-totaIly wrong ..Welhad right TO
pour out our hottest lead on the South
then for hand black with treason and
red with the blood of the slave tore down
our flag Days like this will teach the
rising generation that the life Of the ma
ton is a sacred thing and must be de-
Tended at any cost.
Again: We are here today to honor
courage-bavery. From earliest times
men have delighted to honor courage. We
speak of the Boys in Blue" but Gettys-
burg, South Mountain, Chickamaugua
were not play grounds. These were the
| brainiest, mightiest bravest Of men. Men
| of heart, conscience, conviction. They
were not unwilling conscripts, but brave
| men who heard the call of duty and went
without a culver. Honor their courage.
Is this not the very quality most sorely
needed In our land today! There is no
call to arms but there are evils as fatal to
1 our national life rs those met In the
/ sixties. Men as hostile to the highest
ideals of America us ever JEFF Davis was
are today grinding the masses under the
heel of monopoly and trusts controlling
politics, nullify ing plain laws, proving
false to oath of office, and presiding over
the interests of our cities.
\ We want brave men In politics. Jravt
men to defend imperiled liberties.
think 1t takes as high an order of courags
to be conscientious mayor as TO sail in
to Manila harbor. We shall honor oul
fathers best by showing their brave spirit
In meeting the perils that confront us to-
day.
God give US meni A time like this de
mands
Strong minded, great hearts, true faith
and ready hands.
Men whom the lust OF Office does not
kill;
Men whom the spoils of Office cannot buy
Men who possess opinions and n will;
Men who have honor, men who will moi
lie;
Men who can stand before a demagogue,
And damn his treacherous batteries with
, out winking,
To all men, sun-cro wned, who live allow
the fog
In public duty and in private thinking;
For while the rabble, with their thumb
worn creeds,
Their large professions and their littl
deeds.
Mingle in selfish strife, loI Freedom
weeps,
; Wrong rules the land, and waiting Jus
, tice sleeps!
The address was punctuated with ap'
plause throughout. At its conclusion
there was more music, the band, quar-
tette and audience united in singing th'
, National Anthem and Rev. Mr. Shepher
delivered the benediction.
| -rr, nv