Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1902-06-04
HONOR COUNTRY'S DEAD.
DECORATION DAY PRoGRAa WELL 0B-
SERVED IN VlRoQuA
The Day Was Delightful and Attendance Good
Fine Procession Marched to the Cemetery, Where
Services We're Conducted Captain Silbaugh'S Ad-
dress

! tuelr usual euSG1ln, and Tor that aSOil
attendance FROM ontside WAS not, arge
! ON Friday, Nature gave her hlessi ~
I was an ideal day. Th proc4sst %
'rme consist Of the city band q lo"l,
/ Grand Army Spanish war enldier4 Re-
lief Corps, officials aud citizens i1i car
rlages. he marc h was to the eam terry
under command of Cant. I. Fl 'rate.
/ On arrival flower girls etrewed the
mounds in which rest the homes oi sol
dierS, neat flag marking the sr, OF
each The regular q A r. ceram 'nies
We're carried through with salute to
the desd, decoration of monument 10
unknown dead by Relief Corp
Inc Memorial address was bv Captain
Jackson Sllhaugh and was listened To
with unusual attention On svery hand
the address was complimented as bsiug
among the most practical and patriotic
our people have had the pleasure of lis
tening 20, IL was delivered in splendid
voice, In speaking of the dav itself the
orator dwelg upon the fact that Amer.
lea alone of all the nations honored tho
soldier without regard 10 his rank. He
said We do not forget thaindividual
greatness of the man whose name lives
in history, bur without brave 1d loyal
army hack Of him the plans of the great
est genius comes to naught.' Numerous
incidents We're cited where monuments
have been built at enormous cost in hon
or not of any one man, but of the sol.
dlers and sailors of the rebellion In
a discussion of the citizen duty 10 hon
or the soldier Captain Silhaugh said
IL the American republic should live
TO be two Thousand years older it can
never repay the debt of gratitudeit owes
20, thsA rt0 rfu1roA Ill -
from disunion during the dark DAYS of
the COS That man who does not appre-
eiate the preserveis of this republic does
not deserve the protection of this starry
banner God forbid that the time should
ever come when the people of this
country get so far lost TO the first prin-
ciples of the heaven-born gratitude that
should find Judgement in every human
breast as to fail TO appreciate the soldiers
of the civil war When citizens of
republic refuse to fight for its preserva-
tion or fail to honor those who do that
republic is doomed to speedy decay and
disintegration. He paid q glowing
tribute TO the women of this country
during the war detailing at some length
the part they took in the conflict wheth-
er at home caring for the loved ones and
suffering in lonliness during the awful
days, weeks and even years of uncertain
ty, or suffering the hardships of the field
to administer to the wants of the sick
and wounded.
Some of the results of the war he
mentioned area united country with a
flag loved at home honored, respected,
and by its enemies feared, in every conn
try and IN every CLINE. A constitution
that is understood by every citizen and
declaration of Independence that does
not say All men are created free and
equal with certain inherent rights among
which are life, liberty and the pursuit
of happiness" and then allow four mil.
! lion people to be deprived of their liberty.
Several instances of the change of sen
timent ia the south were referred to,
especially one in his own observation,
| the draping of the old confederate CAPT
| tol at Richmond with the national
! colors when be was there last season.
Our ancestors, he said with empha
! sis, alarmed at the tendency 10 mon
archy had unconscionsly sown the seed
which was cause Of disturbance for
| years and finally ripened into the rebel
/ lion that required the sacrifice Of 300, 900
! of the flower of American manhood TO
crush!
In addressing a word to the Spanish
| American war soldiers the speaker called
| their attention 10 the fact that one of
the standing orders dui Z their service
/ was to salute alll1'A. 4. men the same
! as a superior officer hesaid that while
| in civil life they would not be expected
| to give the military salute he hoped the
| lesson Of the order would not be forgot
| ten but that they would never cease to
! look upon the old soldier with respect
and Difference felt for no other citizen
| of this republic. He further said in
| part. "You volunteered your services
and rbeyed every order and no soldier
could have done mo'e; You had the
merest taste of the bardships OF war and
army discipline but If in that brief per
iod vou learned to love these old veter-
ans and appreciate their services more
and 10 be more loyal and patriotic citi
zens of this great republic, then your
| time was not wasted If as you watched
the old flag lowered at sunset, saluted
! il as in passed and followed it day after
day on dress parade and on marches YOU
| learned to love it more, then your time
was well spent, and when you look upon
its graceful folds as it fsutters in the
breeze never cease 70 remember that
For every star in its field of blue,
| For every stripe Of stainless hue,
Ten thousand OF the tried and true
Have lain them down and died "
Further he said: Every year adds
IN fine number Of graves to decorate.
Every year the step is more limp and
tbe hair more gray. By and By there
will be none of the boys In blue left to
decorate the graves Of their comrades.
When that time comes it will be your
duty 10 lead in the effort TO see that
their graves are kept green and decor
ated with the flowers of May.
He paid tribnte n the army ho' h past
and present Mr.. SiiUaugh SSH a sub
stance: we must not forget the loyal
mer,. some Of wAcm gave their lives in
the struggle. who abored IN the balls OK
congress for the success If tbs uniOr
army. but at the same time there are
those who spoke never "a word of encoar.
agement for the boys in blue, who ac-
cnsed them of cruelty aud belittled their
efforts but the men who followed the
Aag in those dark days have consolation
! in knowing that while they are more
( bonored and appreciated as the years 90
! nv. the men who scoffed at their suffer
+. ings are forgotten aud their memory a
y reproach. That the American army
/ wherever placed is the most humane
2 and brave of any in the world and while
r IL is an easy matter for men surrounded
2 bv every iuxury and thousands 0t miles
4 from danger 70 pander 10 misguided
2 constituency or bid for cheap not0riety
? bv calling the boys in the bitches anc
= swamps fighting treacnerous Zoe
".