Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1902-09-23
THE PRESIDENT
Attends Reunion Of the Spanish
War Veterans.
A Rousing Welcome from the Boys
With Whom He Fought.
Speeches at Encampment and at Even.
ing Banquet.

and gray uniform of the Spanish wa
veterans. whose third annual reunion
| is being made memorable by the pres
| ence of President Theodore Roosevelt
| is seen at every turn in Detroit, to
| day. thousands of people from near
by cities and towns began arriving
on early morning trains. The secont
day of the Presidents visit here dawn
ed warm and pleasant. The President.
sleep, last night, was interrupted onl.
once. when, about . o'clock this morn
ing, he was serenaded by an enthusiasts
tic delegation of veterans who had jus
arrived from Saginaw and Bay City
headed by band.
| At breakfast the President was join.
ed by Il small party of friends.
| The delegates began gathering il
| Light Guard armory, the convention
hall. soon after o'clock When Act
ing Commander-in- Chief Urell called
| TO order. the floor of the armory was
| crowded With veterans and the gal
| leries were packed with spectators. A
| background of Maple trees formed d
| canopy over the platform from which
| the speaker addressed the assemblage
From the center of the canopy hung
Il large, ilag-draped picture of Presi-
dent Roosevelt. Festoons of green
hung from the trusses of the hall and
suspended from the center trusses was
a great eagle with outspread wings
made from greenery.
President Roosevelt was greeted
with tremendous cheering when he
stepped into his carriage to begin the
drive to the armory. Washington and
Michigan avenues We're jammed with
people who made the air ring with
their cheers as the President drove
briskly away. Mounted police rode be-
fore his carriage and squad of officers
on bicycles circled about it. When
the President arrived at the armory
the entire assemblage rose and stood
while great shout went IN as the
President walked down the main aisle
to the speakers platform. Again and
again the veterans cheered the Presi-
dent and he bowed his thanks repeat
eddy.
When quiet had been restored Gem
eral Urell. acting commander in chief.
introduced Mayor Maybhry. who well
coined the veterans to the city. When
the mayor had concluded General Urell
stepped forward and said as he turned
to Mr.. Roosevelt:
Il have nothing to say. Mr.. Presi-
dent"
Every man on the floor was on his
feet cheering and waving his hat as the
President arose 20 speak. SmlllnGly
bowling his thanks to his former com
rades the President expressed his
pleasure at having the chance of being
l.: Il it,fr
them in return He spoke of the late
war and said that the only complaint
heard was that there was not enough
war to go around. The spirit that
drove the men or in this war was the
same spirit that made the memorable
meeting of Lee and Grant at Appomat-
tox possible. One of the first lessons
all had to learn was that there was an
enormous amount of hard work that
preceded by any chance of heroism.
The President said the spirit he want
ed to sec i'm man was that spirit
which made him do his duty. great or
small He liked particularly the way
in which our young men went into the
ranks to do their duty as they saw it.
He thought it a good thing that men of
different callings should be asked the
ground to learn the lessons of equality
ard brotherhood among Americans. He
told of the needs of the state militia for
better weapons and said he hoped in
the future to see them armed with up
to date guns. In conclusion the Presi-
dent said:
Our people went forth in the Span
ish war. went forth to free Cuba. to
give Porto Rico a happiness it has
never had and to bring the light of
civilization into the dark places in the
Philippines. We are proud of the men
who did that work. We intend that
their work shall be done beneficiently
and for IA good purpose. Through the
advice and the help of the civil ana
religious teachers of civilization among
cur people and in the islands we are go
ing to get the best results for the peo-
pie of the islands and of what has been
done.
we are going to make them more
prosperous than they ever dreamed OF
being during their recorded history and
now we grant to each man his life his
liberty and his pursuit of happiness as
he never could have had it If he had
been under the domination of a cruel
of Katirnnan.
II don't make any apologies for our
soldiers on the score of good citizenship
and don't make any apologies for the
Spanish war or the war in the Philip
zines. There have been occasional
wrongs committed. There were 10.St1
men there and some of them did not be-
have as they ought. Have we always
been immaculate at home? applause
ana laughter). II "A. man does wrong.
punish him of course. hut don't make
the mistake of fixing the eye on the
unimportant and losing sight of the
great blaze.
1--WE have no apologies to make for
What the country has done in the past
four years. We are proud of it. We
are proud of the great work for hu-
manity and civilization that has been
done alike in the islands of the tropic
east and in the islands of the tropic
west. We aresprOud of what our troops
have done; we are proud OF what our
civil authorities are doing out in the
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