The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1906-02-01
HONOR SENATOR WARNER,
The Veterans Of the District Of C0lunabia
Assembled n Whlp-P0Or-Wills Give
Him an Enthusiastfc Welcome.

The Veterans Of the District OF Columbia
Assembled n Whip-Poor- Wills Give
Him an Enthusiastfc Welcome.
| A soldiers welcome. that is what the
Whip Wills Of Washington gave
their Past Commandments William
Warner, OF Missouri, the other night.
He is q United States Senator now, from
| the rock-ribbed rebel State. and ii was
to celebrate this event that he got the
welcome. The hospitality was extended
| him by the Whip-Poor-W Wills nearly a
| year ago. but Senator Warner had only
just found time to accept the honor.
| Ii took the shape of banquet and re-
ception at the Shoreham Hotel.
Covers were laid for 20 guests around
| Il long U-shaped table which was Law
| ishIy decorated with carnations and
honor and the "Decemvirs" Il great
Flag hung from high-up balcony. it's
| folds sweeping the floor below.
The guest of honor. Senator Warner,
entered the banquet hall with the
POSTMASTER OF the evening Past Senior
| Vice Commander in-Chief John Nc
| Elroy, whose personal guest he was,
and followed by the Wills
| and their guests.
1t was a goodly crowd and recalled
| many stirring scenes in its makeup.
There was Lieut.-Gen. John G. Bates.
now Chief-Of-Staff who won his
laurels more than 40 years ago on many
n hard-fought field Of battle: Uncle
joe Cannon, Speaker of the House of
Representatives and second only to the
President of the United States in power:
not a veteran, but wearing many scars
won in the forensic field, and with q
heart SO warm toward the men who
| saved the Flag that he never loses a
chance to meet with them; Ma .-Gen. j.
Warren keifer. the veteran Statesman
warrior who wears the medals of two
wars: Gen. Chas. II. Grosvenor a vet
cran who finds few men worthy of his
steel either in war or politics; Col
Vespasian Warner. Commissioner of
Pensions; Gen John G. Black, and Gen.
John r. King, two Past Commanders
in-Chief Of the Grand Army Of the Re-
public: Chas. III. Treat, United States
| men prominent in Grand Army and
| business circles throughout the coun-
| try.
| The program for the evening was en-
| tirely informal. and there was not a
| slow moment during the four hours.
AT each plate lay a copy of the United
| States Intelligencer," on the first page
| of which was fine halftone of the
guest of honor. and on the next two
pages biographical sketch of him.
| On the last page was a sketch Of the
| Whip Poor-Wills.
Senator Warner.
| The sketch of Senator Warner was
eulOgistic of his career from boyhood.
There is about the life story of
! William Warner" it said, that homely,
| wholesome attractiveness found in the
biographies of Lincoln and the earlier
great men of the country.
while it is not the slightest discredit
! to a man that he was born in COM
| Portable, even luxurious home, and had
every advantage that wealth could give
| in obtaining his education, yet, some
| how. the mind turns with a quicker,
| stronger, more sympathetic warmth to
| him who has
broken his births invidious bars
| and by worth and will risen through
every stage and condition to leadership
among the highest in the land. Man
| hoods highest test has been made, the
tombstone has been passed which ap-
proves only true gold, when a man be-
ginning at the bottom is continually
called higher, because he has done so
| well wherever placed.
There was never less of a self-seeker
| than William Warner. Plotting and
scheming for his own advancement are
as unknown to him as an inscription
| upon an Egyptian tomb. All the time
! he has been a simple, earnest. sincere
Americana man or extraordinary
| ability and force of character. warmly
him were striving to do for themselves,
the community and the country. There
| fore we find him all the time pushed
| forward into leadership by his COM
| panions, comrades, and fellOw-citizens.
not because of his seeking to be more
| than a mere worker in the cause with
his fellow-citizens, but because they
| have recognized that he was the fittest
among them to go to the front and give
direction. Thus we find him enlisted
with his schoolmates in Co. c. 33d Wis,
and becoming a Lieutenant by their
| choice. Then his Colonel selects him
| from among his Lieutenants as the fit
| test man for Adjutant of the regiment.
And he serves as such with greatest
acceptability until the men of Co. d de-
mand him for their Captain. AS the
| commander of Co. d in the Vicksburg
campaign he showed his untiring zeal,
| such courage and SO much soldierly
ability as to win favorable comments
| from all his superior officers and receive
| an invitation from Gen. T. Kilby Smith,
| one Of the most accomplished of SOL
diers and knightliest Of men in the
glorious old Army of the Tennessee, to
JOIN his staff. 1t was a high compli-
ment to be selected by Kilby Smith for
| one OF his military family, for Smith
was a man Of the highest class and
surrounded himself only with such.
| Capt William Warner was Kilby
|
campaign, giving the utmost satisfac-
ton to the General and his command
until the pleasant association was re-
gretfully severed by Warner to accept
II commission as Major in the 44th Wis.
pressed upon him by the Governor of
his State. He was retained in the army
until Sept. 2. 1865, and when he left
the service it was with the friendship
and esteem of every man who had been
connected with him during the great
| struggle.
Mai Warner settled in Kansas City,
| and to the practice of the law. The
| same qualities of doing honestly, earn
| estly, and we'll whatever lay nearest his
| hand brought him to the front in civil
! life as in the army. He soon became
leader among the Republicans and
Union lovers of that section Of the State,
| ond was drawn into politics by them
(rather than pushed himself i'm. AL
| though the Democrats were greatly in
| the majority, he was elected. first,
| Prosecutor Of the County, next of a cir
cult Of Counties and then Mayor of
| Kansas City. In each of these positions
he grew in the esteem Of his fellow
citizens and was put forward to lead
| the Republican ticket in a race for
Congress. There could be little ex-
pectation Of his election, since the nor
| M m iOritv WAS 600 huf