The Washington times. (Washington [D.C.]) 1901-1902, 1902-05-31

fury since Appomattox set the seal OF
blessed peace and fixed for all time a
unified national existence. 1t Is even
a third OF century since the brave
Logan. whose honored name Is borne by
this post. issued. as commander-iu-ch!ef
OF the Grand Army OF the Republic, the
first Decoration Day order. and how
faithfully all these years you old vet
Grams of the great struggle have kept
the memory OF your fallen comrades!
If other eyes grow dull. said your
commandcr-in-chief in that frst order.
other hands slack. and other hearts
grow cold In the solemn trust. ours
shall keep 1t well as long as the light
and warmth OF life remain TO u.s. And
you have. nobly and sacredly.
Ranks Growing Thinner.
Your ranks are growing thinner. your
steps fecbler. but your strength ot pur-
pose. your vcncration for the dead. your
iealty to the living. and your loyalty to
the cause for which you fought are
sturdier and stancher as the years bring
you also nearer the last day. lou have
made Decoration Day, this sacred spring
service, an established thing. IL Is as
firmly fixed in the hearts of the younger
men about to succeed you as II Is in
yours. You have given 10 posterity
day in the midst of the most beautiful
season Of all the year. when nature is
in her pleasantcst mood and with myr-
lad new leaves and Drcfusion Of flowers
tells the story again and again, there Is
no Gsath. This spring Is more beautiful
than the last. and the last more beauti-
full than the one that went before 1t.
because today stands on the shoulders Of
yesterday. and yesterday shares in the
Slories and achievements OF today.
These men who are buried here belong
to yesterday. but they live todar in
deeds and hearts made better because
of their sacrifices.
Men CT Glorious Period.
Tomorrow. old veteran. you may be
called hence to take you place aincus
those whose grassy sepulchess are be-
fore US. In what respect will your
status be different then from those OF
your comrades who died last year. the
year before, or who gave up their lives
in the midst of The war whose heroes
you are? A philosopher has said: What
is yesterday when It is past, or 10000
when they are past. or
three times 10000 yesterdays when
they are past?' You each take your
place and part in the sameness of that
all eternity which we are ever leaving
behind us. But there is a distinction.
There are groups and classes and epcchs
and cons in that all eternity. and it
was your great fortune TO belong to the
most glorious period which has yet
come in the worlds history.
you who are living have witnessed
since the close of the civil war a de-
selopment in this Republic which
marked period of gigantic and stu
1andous progress for the human race.
fou have lived in time when single
;ears have been as pregnant with great
.hings as whole centuries before.
q Wrought Revolution.
"Our inventors and men Of genius
have wrought a revolution. There is no
longer any such thing as distance. You
dine one day at the Capital and the next
day at Chicago. Men now talk with each
other over the mountains. under the
rivers, through the forests. across the
plains. hundreds Of miles, recognizing
the true tones Of each others voices
as easily as they do when they sit face
to face. There is now scarcely such
thing as pain. for ways have been found
10 avoid or soften human suffering. The
gloom OF night has been conquered, and
the intelligence of man has even sue
,eeded in making subservient to him the
elements of the air as means OF COM
We seem to be on the
verge of the fulfillment of Tennyson's
prophecy:
FOR dipped into the future far as human eye
could see.
aw the vision Of the world and all the Won
der that would be.
aw the heavens fill with commerce argosies
OF magic sails,
'ilots Of the purple twilight, dropping down
with costly bales.
IF we may Judge the near future by
he near past. may we not look forward
o still more marvellous growth and
hange. as with Tennyson again, we see:
fen. nv brothers. men, the workers, ever reap
ing something new.
hat which they have done but earnest OF the
things that they shall do
Doubled in Population.
when the war was brought to an end
re numbered about 100000 people.
single generation has more than doub-
ed our population. While the popula-
ion has a little more than doubled, the
ational wealth is six times what it was
\ 1855. The national debt per capita
as decreased from SIS to s13. and we
ave grown thrifty. In 1865 there were
oundly 1000. 900 depositcrs in savings
anks Today there are more than g.
DO 600, while the population has a lit
le more than doubled; and whereas in
SOS there were $3.50, 900 on deposit,
here are now ten times that amount In
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