Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-05-31

just as true IN peace now as It was forty
five years age IN war, that u is the char
acter OF the average man that must be
S qeerspg sr SSi1 9 gow @Sh ne 2s
disaster. Leadership is necessary In order
that we may get really good results out
but without tRe high character in the
average individual the leadership by itself
can avail but little.
Responsibiiity Of individual.
Now. It is easy to say this In words which
shall imply merely fiettery OF the average
voter or OF the average enlisted man.
certainly do not intcnu my words to be 90
taken. 1t is sure sign of weakness in
any man IL he Is always wanting to be
Battered; and especially e he lets mis- head
mind the fact that II in the last resort the
the r eSTf responsSy IS hi se as cnnSot
cast on on anyone else the responsibility
Ior our governmental shortcomings. Notn-
are all right, but that the politicians are
all wrong. As a matter of fact politics.
rum represent PFSbfpy either N The me S,sbes
or the indifference Of the people, and IL
the people are Indifferent the results are
choose TO go wrong. so 1t is with the en-
listed man. When 1 call attention to the
high place he holds. and must ever hold
IN the esteem OF every sensible man, do
II less with the intention of emphasizing
the respect due him by outsiders than with
burden of honorable obligation resting upon
his shoulders BY unwearied effort he
must learn to do his duty. whether that
DUTY lies atoat or ashore, whether II lies
In the cavalry or the infantry, in the gun
turret or In the engine room: He must
be able to handle himself and 20 handle
the formidable and delicate mechanism en-
trusted to his care in such manner that II
ever 1t becomes his fortune to take part
be added to the many which 60 to make up
the long honor roll of American history,
fant t Ih5osin as,r s 1sK your asseh9n 20 me
to do their duty in great emergencies even
other than those of war. Recently the
fallen any city in our country, the most
appalling disaster that has befallen any
city of the same size for a century past
Francisco. In the midst Of their horror
and pity and sympathy the rest Of our
the courage, the self-reliance, the self
command shown by the men and women OF
San Francisco themselves under the. sud
fallen them We had yet another source
of pride in the fact that the first Ameri-
enlisted men of the garrison and the ships
in the immediate neighborhood OF San
Francisco The alertness, the instant re
Spouse to the demand made upon them, the
mixture of self-reliant initiative with or
derby obedience and coherence OF action,
the high personal valor and the steady en-
durance and strength shown by the sol,
diers and sailors of the regular army and
navy In coping with this disaster, were as
great as IL shown in time of battle. Such
a record should make every true American
proud OF the army and the navy and should
make every true American resolute TO see
that through our national authorities at
Washington we make the provision by law
for the maintenance, the support and the
training of the army and the navy, that
they shall ever stand in the forefront OF
their respective professions.
When the president had concluded HIS
address a procession was formed to the
cemetery adjoining, where he unveiled the
beautiful shaft erected by the Army and
Navy union.