The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1902-05-30
IN MEMORY OF
NATIONS DEAD.
Day is Observed More Generally
Than Ever Before.
Thousands Gather at the Gene
terry at Arlington
nv rtn nOOCEVETW
TO HEAR ROOSEVELT.
Flowers Strewn on Graves OF
the COnfederates Also.
Business Suspended and a Big
Parade in Chicago.

Washington, May so-Decorration DAY day
was observed here today perhaps mort
generally than ever before. Inc an
nouncement that President Ro9ses R ~
would deliver the OratiOn at arms eoii
brought to that historic city OF lhe 49, 49,
a vast concourse OF people, ailioil -
whom were numbered lhousailu9 -
veterans who journeyed TO the celilseSls 5'
to honor the memory OF inner - -
rades who had died in their country
cause or who. having survived lhe T
struggles of 1851 and 1898, had passse
since into the great unknown Ing
local ARRANGEMENTS were in cnafse % {
the Department of the Potomac and m {
cluded a parade OF all the - a. l.
and other patriotic organizations, the /
decoration of monuments ana graves, +
and addresses by men prominent III 'iis
affairs Of the government
At Arlington, where the prlnclpaI eA-
ercises were held a national salute was
fred at II o'clock by the Fourth battery
fnited States field artillery MUSIC Ma7
rendered bv the Marine band and by
the Memorial choir. Upon arriving az
Arlington the procession marched 10 tle
tombs of the unknown During re
decoration Of the tOmbs by the speclal
committee chosen from the different u
A. r. organizations the Marine band
plaved an appropriate selection Inc
procession then broke up and the deco
ration Of graves began. A touching 1ea-
ture Of the work Of decoration was Ehe
strewing of flowers over the graves OF
the Confederate dead who lie buried lh
a section of the cemetery.
in the meantime a large crowd nad
assembled at the amphitheater, Wnere
the services were conducted. Ihe Ia
miliaT strains OF N carer My God TO
Thee" by the Marine band marked the
beginning of the services. which had
been most elaborately planned. Presi
dent ROosevelt's arrivel was the signal
for an outburst of applause which con
tinued for some time after ne had taken
his seat ON the platform.
After the Invocation and the rendition
of several numbers by the band ana
choir, f. 3. Hayes read Lincoln's Get
tysburg address.
President Roosevelt followed. and as
he arose he was again greeted with
cheers and the plaudits of the immense
audience. which stretched far outside
the limits of the amphitheatre. His re
marks We're given the closest attention
and he was frequently interrupted by
bursts of applause. The president spoke
as follows:
THE PRESIDENTS ADDRESS
Tt is good custom of our country to
have certain solemn holidays in comneTn-
Grafton of our greatest men and Of the
greatest crises in our history. There
should be but few such holidays To
Washington and Lincoln-the man who
did most to found the Union, and the
head and shoulders above all our other
public men, and have by common consent
Won LlE llEnl TO lfl- plt-G4tIlilElANe
Among the holidays which commemQraue
the turning points in American history.
Thanksgiving has a significance peculiar
birth of the nation: on this day, the 3Jth
of May, we call to mind the deaths Of
live, who wagered all that life holds dear
for the great prize of death in bat
tie, who poured out their blood like water
in order that the mighty national strue-
ture raised by the far-seeiug patriotism of
Washington. Franklin. Marshall. Hamil-
ton. and the other great leaders of the
Revolution. great trainers of the cOnsti-
tuition. should not crumble into meaning
less ruins.
You whom I address today and your
comrades who wore the blue beside you
I'm the perilous years during which strong.
sad. patient Lincoln bore the crushing
load of national leadership. performed the
would have meant destruction to every
thing which makes the name America a
symbol OF hope among the nations of
mankind. on ald the greatest and most
necessary task which has ever fallen to
snbere 0l 49,. Ss men on 1ils WesIeIh he1i
passed since the waters of our coast were
whose chlloreh chldren were to inherit
this fair land over century and a half
Of colonial growth followed the settle
ment' and now for over a century and a
SAVING THE UNION.
During our four generations of national
life We have had to do many tasks. and
some of them of far-reaching Importance.
but the only really vital task was the one
YOU did. the task of saving the Union.
There were other crises in which to have
gone wrong would have meant disaster
but this was the one crisis in which to
have gone wrong would have meant not
merely disaster but humiliation. For fail
ure at any other point atonement could
have been made; but had YOU failed in the
ron days the loss would have been ire
parable. the defeat irretrievabie Upon
your success depended all the future Of
the people on this continent and much
of the future of mankind a whole.
You left MS reunited country You
left us the right of brotherhood with the
men in gray, who with such courage. and
such devotion for what they deemed the
right fought against you. But You left
us much more even than your achieve
ment, for you left us the memory Of how
It was achieved. You, who made good
~ your NaloE ana patrlQtlsm the states
mauship of Lincoln and the soldiershr
OF Grant, have set as the standards fOl
our efforts In the future both the way
you did your work in war and the way in
which when the war was over you turned
again TO the work of peace In war and
Ihe WlseSt OF lessons to us and our chill
oren and our children's children.
SMALL BUT DIFFICULTY
Just at this moment the army of the
United States. led by men who served
70 compleu0n small but peculiarly try
ing and difficult war i'm which is involved
not only the honor of the flag but the tri
ufnpn or clNlllzaIlon over forces whicl
stand for the black chaos of savagery anf
DarDarism- The task has not been Al
difficult or as important as yours. but OH
my comrades. the men in the uniform o.
the United States who have for the las
three years patiently and uncOm planning
Philippine islands. are your younge
brothers, your sons, They have shown
themselves not unworthy of YOU ans
they are entitled to the support of al
men who are proud of what you did
These younger comrades Of yours hav
received terrible provOcation from yer,
cruel and very treacherous enemy. Unde