Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-05-30
the exercises at the cemetery to a

Funk's Address.
Upon the completion of the ceremony
of decorating the graves the assembly
moved in marching order to Cottage
Grove park, where Hon. j. H. Funk
addressed the gathering. Rev. l.. B.
l1ix opened the exercises with prayer.
which was followed by musical num-
bers by the band and Soldiers Home
as president of the day, introduced Mr.
Funk, who spoke in part as follows:
MIR. President Ladies and Gentle
men, Comrades of the Grand Army Of
the Republic: Time, which meets all
engag Incnls has Bought us again to
that pericl ut tie year, as Du 1..,g
May is about to mold into leafy June,
when with common consent we turn
aside from the busy routine of life
TO pluck the fresh flowers of spring
and strew them upon the graves OF
our patriot dead. We cannot add to
their fame nor place another star in
the crown of their glory; but may we
not hope from the fires of their pat
riotism to kindle Il responsive flame
in these young hearts that will burn
and be u beacon light of liberty when
you and / shall have gone from
earth?
Here sleep the men who dyed the
waters With their blood and stained
the earth with their gore, that a gov
eminent dedicated to human freedom
might not perish from the earth.
| With them the conflict ended the VIC
tory was won when death stamped on
them the great seal of heroic character
and closed a record which years can
never blot. Unlike the Grecian maiden
who brought her floral offering to the
grave of single warrior, our hearts
go out to every messy bank where
sleeps our soldier dead, from the sill
vern waves OF our northern lakes to
the placid waters of the gulf, and from
the moaning pines of Maine to where
the waters Of the great Pacific dash
against the bars of the golden gate
of California.
1.-THE cemetery to be bedecked today
is as vast in size as it is high and
solemn In meaning. 1t reaches all
over the republic; each country
churchyard has it's corner sacred to it's
soldier dead: each large town, each
city, has its multitude of little white
stones. hidden by it's bank of flowers
and its monument to hold aloft the
names Of the fallen and Of the fields
wherein they fell. This land where
so many living citizens walk so heart
lessly, many times disgracfng the ma
ton which surpasses all others In
goodness and moral greatness is all
over dotted with grassy hillocks cover
ing those who died in behalf of a
better humanity. And while we thus
mediate, and stand with hands full
of memorial wreaths, the scene ex-
pands; the holy ground widens from
state to state, from mountain to prai-
RE and from ocean to lake and river
until at last the heart bows down in
grief over the silent forms Of more
than 100000 men. They gave
up life that we might live more nobly.
might if we will, enjoy all that life can
bring.
"Of this number not many fell in In
slant death, nearly all went out by the
gate Of long agony, asking help that
icould not come; thinking of the loved
ones that nevermore would gladden.
their eyes on mortal shores; of sister,
mother sweetheart, babe and wife.
and all this suffering, ali this dying,
was for us who today are enjoying
the blessings of liberty thru their sac
rifices, and who, in too many instances,
are forgetful of the duties we owe to
their memories, and are Transforming
this memorial day into one of merry
making. At this point, without any
desire to offend, in the presence of the
soldiers living, in the name Of the SOL
dien dead. / enter my solemn protest
against all forms of amusement upon
this holy day, dedicated and santified
to the memory Of the fallen brave. Dec
grafton day ought to be held holy and
sacred as long as our minds can study
political principles, and as long as
our hearts can appreciate the self de-
NAL Of soldier.
"But let us leave these graves for a
time, resting beneath their drapery Of
flowers, and journey back to other
days, when, spurred on by its hot
blooded impetuosity, the south was
ablaze with treason, when from point
to point, regardless of the past, its
hallowed memories and its patriot
dead, her sons rushed on with lances
poised against the nations life, when
the flies clear note and rafting drum
was heard. The flag that on so many
fields the lifes blood of her sons had
stained, on mound and fort came
down, trailed In the dust by those
whose boast it should have been that
it was there forever.
"The surviving soldiers of our civil
war are but an organized Renaissance
to be sure: but it is memory out Of
which all rancor has faded in the re-
newed friendships of forgotten hours,
and the sweet vague remuneration of
forgiven foes. For my country re-
joice that the sectional strife, almost
as old as the nation, which culmi-
mated in the greatest civil war known
to history, is fast fading away. Re-
cent events have proved the loyalty of
the south as a section of our common
country. But while thus rejoice over
a reunited and prosperous country,
take no part in that false sentimental.
ity that would equally honor the man
who plotted to destroy, and the one
who fought to preserve this country as
a heritage to mankind. To the soldier
of the rebellious states, who, under a
mistaken sense of patriotism sought
the overthrow of the nation and brave
ly offered his life as token of his sim
cerity, l have only words of forgive
ness. But for those who plotted that
rebellion, and loosed the thunderbolts