Milford chronicle., 1904-06-03

OF the United states treasury To lSSu
O000O,000 worth of bonds for ma
tional defense, all the ultimate outcom
of the Spanish-American war was de
cided, except how the treaty of peac
should be signed. The outcome of til
terrific conflict of 1861 to 1866 woulC
never have been the maintenance o
the Union if congress had not loyalll
supported President Lincoln during
that eyentful period. Aye, there Were
giants in those days. But the giants
upon Capitol hill, whose moral courage
! and answering loyalty were tried anC
proved deserve our honor as much al
do the giants fighting at the front.
Which Most Deserved HOnOrR
! Place side by side, if you will, those
| two master personalities, John Sher
man and William T. Sherman. They
were brothers; they We're both gen
fuses. As we look over the pages OF
4 history it is very debatable question
which should be honored the more and
who did the more valiant service for
his country, John or William. One
was a giant in guiding and creating
patriotic legislation, the other a giant
in military strategy, yet today in al
most every city you can see fifty pic
lures of William 4. Sherman where
you will find one of his patriotic broth
er, who was senator of the United
States from 1861 to 1877. The vital
Importance of the work done by our
national legislators can never be bet
ter illustrated than in the life Of james
\. Garfield. He was one of the most
brilliant volunteer soldiers of the war.
From the presidential chair of Hiram
college in 1861 he stepped into the mil.
itary camp and donned soldiers uni
form. Within two years he wore the
shoulder straps of major general.
Yet Abraham Lincoln placed his hand
upon the brilliant chief of ROsecrans'
staff and said: Garfield l need you
more in congress than l do in the field.
Resign your soldiers commission and
as Il congressman come and help NE"
Thus today l not only honor the sol
dier, but also the legislator. l honor
James a. Garfield the general. l also
honor James \. Garfield the Ohio CON
gresham. In both positions he did
valuable and heroic service.
On this Memorial day the brother
who stayed at home and worked the
farm should be praised as we'll as the
young man who went to the front and
was mentioned for heroic deed in the
commanders dispatch. The young
man who sank his personality in the
more commen but equally needful du-
ties of home life might have been even
Drawer and more unselfsh than the
soldier boy who marched down the
main street Of his native town or city.
keeping step to the strains of martial
music, and whose train pulled out Of
his home depot amid the shouts and
huzzas Of admiring friends who came
to bid him goOdby.
The Boys Who Stayed at Home.
Let me illustrate what | mean by
praising the boy who stayed at home
to work the farm. Some time ago !
was attending a soldiers reunion. 1t
was most impressive spectacle, that
assembly of aged men. Yes, the
ranks of the old soldiers are thinning
very rapidly. We shall not have them /,
with us long. But, though these veter- I
ans were very old when they began to |
tell their campfire stories. as their mar !
rative proceeded they seemed to be-
come boys again. Among the stories !
told was one l shall never forget Did |
you have any brothers in the army?" |
l asked an aged soldier. "Yes, one" I
was the answer. There were three |
boys Of US. We all wanted to go, but |
father and mother were getting old, |
and some one had to stay at home and |
look after the old folks and our youn-
ger sisters. So one night we had fam
lily convOcation. After the family talk
we three sons and mother and father
decided that two Of US boys could go
to the war. but that one should stay at
home and work the farm. Who were
to 30? Who was to stay at home?
We all wanted to go and fight and so
we decided to draw lots. Mother held
tie look and put in the three slips Of
paper with one marked Stay at home
We drew. John and myself went to
the front Harry stayed at home"
Did your brother regret that he had
to stay?" "Oh, yes. But some one had
10 stay, and so he simply swallowed
his disappointment Yes, we two boys
could never have gone to the front but
'or Harry's faithfulness to the old
'olks" Was he not just as patriotic
is the two who went forth to battle?l
Let US, then. place a flower over his
grave as well as upon the graves Of
hose who went to the war. Let us
'ealize that the stay at homes some
lines evinced greater moral courage, |
made more heroic self sacrifice and en-
lured greater disappointments than
he ones who went to the front.
In this Memorial address we would
ccord praise to all who did the coun-
~ seryice-the contractors who fur-i
ished the blankets and the shoes and
he tents and the food and the guns, (
he patriotic bankers. the railroad men,
Iyp Thomas Alexander Scott. who did : 8