Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-12-18
vETERAhSAI BANQUET
Annual Funstioa Of the Union
SOLDIER kllianoe.
LOCAL ORGANIZATION
ADDRESS BY aaEoRGE P. DAVIS,
PREsIDENT-ELECT.
Endorsement of the Governments Posi-
ton in Panama - Toast to
President Roosevelt.

The Union Soldiers Alliance, local
organization, the membership of which Is
limited to one hundred, held its twenty
fifth annual banquet at the Ebbitt House
last night, where for many years 1t has
not only held it's annual banquets, put us
quarterly meetings and quarterly banquets'
at which there are no special guests Inc
function took place in the red parlor' OF
the hotel named.
The alliance is social and fraterna1 in
character. one of its benefits being that
upon the death of a comrade as soon as 1t
is known to the officers, $500 is placed In
the hands of the widow, or with other
DESIGNATED beneficiaries 1t was organized
in 1879 with eleven charter members, OIL
whom only Messrs. William p. Seville
known as the Father of the Alliance, ana
John L. Heupel, who has served as us
secretary since its Incorporation, remain.
Upon it's rolls are the names OF soiuiers
and sailors known the world over for their
gallant deeds, but all former or present
rank Is waived at it's meetings, and all are
comrades.
A considerable number have been dropped
from the honora BILE rolls for various rea-
sons "by request" by death and for other
causes What is regarded as the most nota-
BILE of designations was that or the saliaht
Col William Adams Olmstead, J9th New
York Infantry, brevet brigadier general,
H. s. w. who commanded the LIST Brigade,
I'd Division, I'd Corps, In the AppomattoA
campaign and was in every battle Of his
corps, who resigned from the alllance 10
become Catholic priest.
The guests of members were: NJ. A. Miller,
assistant secretary of the interior; harry y.
Perdue of Ohio; w. w. Brown. auditor for
the navy Treasury Department; H. F. H.
Holt, Treasury Department.; Wallace ID.
Hills Treasury Department.; Thomas W.
Dalton, Department of Interior; Frank D.
Currer, New Hampshire; Clay u. Caliette'
RAYMOND w. Barr, w. b. Andrews, au-
ditor of the treasury; Arthur Hendricks
Treasury Department; James Kennedy,
Ohio; Commander ]. NJ. Hawley, U. 8. NJ;
Horace De Hart, l. w Bell, $. l.. putnam
and Archibald NJ. McI4achlen.
The music of the evening was by de-
tachment of the band of the U. 8. Marine
Corps, in charge Of Second Leader Walter
F. Smith, and was superb number OF the
pieces being encored:
The Addresses.
When the "Virginia quail and cham
pagne were reached on the menu the out
going president turned the command over
to Comrade Geo. P. Davis presldent-elect
for 1904, who, upon taking charge, SAID III
part:
Integral bodies of one hundred gallant
and true men like this Creferring to the al
uance) formed the great Union army when
in time effectually swept back the tidal
wave of secession, wiped out the Dilg nuns
curse of human slavery and estaonshed IIe
doctrine that under the Constitution, this
is a nation one and indivisible, and not a
confederation of states bound together by
a rope of sand. The acquisition OF
the philippine and Hawaiian Islands mas
opened for us highway to the great posi-,
bilfties of the east where We nave ana
will continue to have responsible Wollu
duties to perform. The building ana control
of the isthman canal is another world duty
now deyolying upon us, and l, for one, am
proud of the fact that we nave jack
sonian President who had the Sagaclty allo
courage to recognize the new repuoidc ~
Panama, thus making possible the early
construction and completion OF that much
needed and important waterway.
"All honor to our President, VINO hao
the nerve and keen, far-reach1ng percep-
tion to grasp the real, true situation OF
affairs on the isthmus and was not too
legged to let slip the golden oppor-
tunity of the twentieth century. wish
tn emphasize the fact that for our great
ness and glory, present and prospective
the nation is, and ever Will be, largely
Indebted to the valor and hero1sm OF our
ex-Union veterans, whom we In part rep
resent here tonight.
Capt. Davis remarks were applauded
to the echo by all the comrades and
guests present.
Toast, "The President"
The toast to THE President" was then
responded to most particularly by Com
rade Doolittle, and Our Country, by
George C. Ross. Our Surviving Com
rades" was responded to by Benjamin F.
Leighton, and the last toast to our
Comrades in the Silent Land" was drunk,
all standing in silence.
Speeches were made by Corporal Tan
ner, w. E. Andrews, auditor for the
Treasury Department.; Representative
James Kennedy of Ohio, Samuel 8. Bur
dette, Wallace H. Hills, esq. chief clerk,
treasury; Washington Gardner, Repre-
of Others, and 1T was well into the wee
small hours" before the assemblage dis
persed MY Country IT'S Of Thee" was
sung in closing, and each succeeding an
nual banquet was voted to be greater
success than it's predecessor, and resolv-
ing that they must be continued until the
last member of the alliance has crossed
over the river