Herald and news. [volume] (West Randolph, Vt.) 1878-1943, 1903-06-04
MEMORIAL DAY.
Hon. kittredee Haskins Traces ORR
gin OF Rebellion and Defends
Expansion.

4
the town came out in large numbers to do
honor to the old soldiers and enjoy the
exercises. Flags were flung to the breeze,
and bunting decked the business blocks
and the private dwellings along the line
of march and on the streets Of the village
generally.
In the morning details from U. s. Grant
/ Post visited the cemeteries outside the
village and decorated the graves of de-
ceased comrades. After their return
/ dinner, TO which over one hundred sat
down, was served in Edson's hall to the
members of the Post and Corps.
AT 2 O'Clock Ia the afternoon the pro-
eession left the High school grounds and
marched through Main and Maple streets
to Southview cemetery. There were 40
veterans in the line, escorted by the Green
Mountain band, the Randolph Hose, Hook
and Ladder company and children OF the
/ graded school, and followed by the
/ speaker, the officiating clergymen, the
/ Relief Corps and a long line OF citizens in
carriages. NJ. b. Rumrill, mounted, acted
as marshal of the day. Evergreen wreaths
and punches OF flowers instead OF muskets
were in the hands Of the veterans, and the
flags, the uniformed band and fire COM
pany, the children with their flowers and
the patriotic Corps and citizens made
procession worthy Of the day and its
memories.
The exercises at the cemetery were held
about the grave of the late A. A. Smith,
where the ritual service was read by the
chaplain Z. n. Rising, and the command
er OF the Post, John Hatch, W. W. Tyler
being officer OF the day. AT its close the
soldiers sought the fiag-marked mounds
in all parts Of the yard and placed upon
them their wreaths and flowers. The line
then reformed and marched to the w. X.
{. urn, where a memorial service for the
unknown dead was held and flowers scat
tered. A beautiful poem, "Dirge TO a
Soldier" was read BY Mrs. Brown +.
Smith, and the salute to the flag was
given. The president Of the Corps, Mrs.
| ID. r. Lewis, was unable to be present on
account of illness, and her place was
taken by the senior vice president, Mrs.
4 X. +. Parker.
Reforming, the procession left the Gem
eterv and marched down. South Pleasant
street to Dubois q Gays hail, which a
committee from the Post and Corps had
decorated in a very tasteful manner
Bunting was stretched along the walls,
and flags decked the stage, on which guns
were stacked, and in the center hung a
4 picture Of General Grant, while on either
/ side Of the stage arch were the pictures OF
( Corporal Tanner and Col. j. b. Mead OF
I Randolph.
on The platform with the speaker Of the
/ dav. Congressman kittredge Haskins OF
l Brattleboro, were seated Hon. v. j. Spear,
| Hon. James Hutchinson, j. ID. Denison,
/ ESQ. DR.. j. p. Clifford, Rev. Fraser Metz
ger. who offered prayer, Rev. Brown =.
Smith, who pronounced the benedictionl'
and the presiding officer, Capt. j. u.
Eldredge. quartet-Dr. A. {. Bailey, A.
/ IA. Beedle. Miss NJ Blanche Sparhawk and
/ Mrs. J. p. Gifford-sang delightfully."- three
/ selections in harmony with the spirit OF
the day, sDroop, Weeping Willows"
| 'sDecoration Day. and Low IN the
Ground They're Resting" Miss Abbie
Clark accompanist; and SIX Iiltle girEts Is
Ida Rand, Una Allen, May Dumas, Eva
Greene, Mildred Goodwin and Edith
Blanchard-with Ruby Allen as accom-
PIANIST, gave the touehingly appropriate
song. sin Memory OF the Unknown
Grave" which they seemed to decorate
| with the flowers and wreaths IN their
hands. Master Fred w. Granger captured
the old soldiers and the rest OF the
audience with a well committed and well
delivered recitation, 1.-THE Old Grand
Army Boys
Capt. Eldredge happily introduced the
speaker by saying that Nermonters are 9
peculiar people in that when they have q
good thing, they are inclined 20 keep II;
when they have very good thing, Ihey
are certain 10 keep it. Although Con-
gresham Haskins may not be very wen
known in Randolph at present and lives
as far away as he can-at Battle-Ground
vet be in the second congressional district,
1 we make his acquaintance today ana We
shall continue to know him for long,
long time. At the conclusion OF the
speech Capt Eldredge cast little sus-
4 picion on Col. Haskins well-known tenn
/ perance principles by relating an incident
4 that happened not long ago. In the pass
/ ing Of pension bills a certain senator has q
habit Of blocking business by questions
and objections and on this occasion MT.
4 Haskins. anxious to have the pension
machinery keep on moving, managed 70
oct this senator's ear and in short time
! 1ured him of to the Capitol cafe, where
he kept him an unconscionable time by
some method which he has never seen nj
TO fully explain.
COL. HAsKINs' SPEECH.
The Grafton by Congressman kittredge
\ HaskIns was very able one and no bet
Ter one was ever delivered in Randolph on
a similar occasion. IL would have done
credit 10 the u. 5. House Of Representa-
tives Of which the orator is aworthy MEM
Der.
He traced the origin Of the rebellion 70
the Virginia resolutions offered by james
Madison and passed by the legislature oil
VIRGINIA i'm 17aS. These resolutions taught
the doctrine OF state rights as against the
centralized power Of the Federal govern
ment. and they led astray such men as
u Gen. Lee, who sincerely thought their al
legiance due to their states rather than 70
the general government. But the wal
demonstrated that the United States Is
nation and not loose confederacy OF IN
dependent states. Madison lived TO see
the folly OF the resoluHons through ths
livht thrown unon them by the logic anu
eioauenee OF Daniel Webster, but be was
not able to counteract their baleful effects
-Four years OF bloody war and the loss o.
3n0.OOO noble lives was the only remedy tol
this political heresy. -
The speaker denied that the Rebellion
was war between the states, as II Is oi'el
called, but declared it to be war made by
persons in certain states against the gov
ernment and life OF the nation. He paid