The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-31
Triton AT OSBORNE.
Former Editor of the Farmer Delivers
Decoration Day Address.

Osborne May 3I-Decoration day was
generally observed here by the g. A. r.
organizations, in which the business
houses displayed their patriotism by
closing their places half a day and dec
Grating their stores with the stars and
stripes. There was a parade. headed by
the cornet band, followed by company
G of the Kansas National guard. Capt.
Y. E. Cunningham, commanding, school
children. Ladies of G. A. R., and the
O. NJ. Mitchell g. A r. post, followed
by a. long line of vehicles and wagons
filled with guests.
The committee in charge were for
tunate in securing Col. W. S. Iilton, Of
Beatrice, Neb., for orator. For six
years he was associate editor of the
Osborne Farmer, and two years editor
and publisher of the Downs Times In
the last three years he has been editor
Daily Times. Mr. Tflton was accom-
panied by his wife and daughter, Miss
Mercy, who are the guests of Colonel
and Mrs. G. NJ. Cunningham.
Colonel Tilton's Grafton was delivered
in the presence of one of the largest
audiences that ever assembled in the
opera house. He said
The object of Memorial day is to
keep glowing the enbers of national
patriotism. The principle of national
union was established on more than
two thousand bloody battlehe1ds The
warriors who esta blished it should
SUdE0 II VIII jealousy TO Lu6 emu DL
their lives, and appeal to their friends
to take up the work and prosecute it
with fidelity. Upon the principle of ma
uonaI union are based certain funda-
mental laws. To violate these laws is
to invite anarchy to encourage an
archy is to invite war. The veterans of
the union army were back of the de-
velopment of the new west. All the
way from Fort Sumter, April II, 1861,
to the surrender of Kirby Smith, May
26, 1865, they had fought that the fun
fruitage of national union might be
gathered. In the might Of their pa
triotic manhood-some with wives, 9TH
ers in state of single blessedness-
they came west to carve hon es in the
wilderness of grass or on alkaH lands
where the boon Of grass was in great
measure denied.
'sThey came. for the most part. with
out Thought of pensions. They saved the
cities and farms and mines and trans
portation systems and the wild lands of
the republic, and themselves chose to
reclaim the latter from the grim clutch
es of nature. The sturdiness of their
work recalls the Roman sentinel who
was found at his post in Pompeii after
the lapse of LOO years.
I'VE talk of the terrible cost of our
civil war. We talk coolly of the six
and a half billions of dollars in treasure
which were expended by our govern
ment in it's prosecution. We warm UP as
We recount the 10000 lives that fell in
aetion-of the other Al 600 deaths from
wounds received in action, and of the
222, 900 who died of disease to swell the
fatalities of the Union army to $50. 900
souls We may go from this to the pen
sion roll. which is equal to a yearly tax
of nearly two dollars on every man, wo-
man and child in our land. But we are
prone to stop before reaching the moth
ers wives, sisters and sweethearts Of the
men who saved the nation. They suf-
fered beyond compare. How could ii
be otherwise when the social fabric of
our country was so violently disturbed
as to be rent in twain? The growth of
population was arrested. Homes were
destroyed for all time.
IF the Union was of such unspeaka-
BILE value as to justify all these sacrl-
fees in its defense, where should there
be a limit to the employment of peace
ful means to preserve it in its integ-
rity?''