Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1906-04-10
HoNoRs FoR THE SOLDIER DEAD
COmmander-in-Chie of G.. 4. r.. Is-
sues Memorial Day Address

Command of G.. 4. n. Is-
sues Memorial Day Address
WASHINGTON, April 9.-Commander-in-
Chief Tanner Of the Grand Army Of the Re-
public today issued his annual address TO
all Grand Army of the Republic posts re-
gardng the exercises to be conducted on
May 30 Memorial day, to commemorate the
memory Of the federal soldier dead In gem
eral order No on this subject he says;
on the eve Of my departure to the South
ern Western and Pacific Coast departments
| am reminded Of the early approach OF the
day sacred to all comrades of the Grand
Army OF the Republic.
we have been observing this day ever
since our beloved Logan instituted 1t in
1868. This year. my comrades We are cross
ing the Broad River at the rate of 5000
month, CO. coo a year; soon the great ma
/ jority viii be sleeping their last sleep, and
I II is your privilege now, as 1t has been for
so many years, to pay loving tributes 10
their memory by decorating their graves
with flowers
/ / am performing my solemn duty when
| ask all 20 assist in this loving service. Upon
/ department and post commanders the duty
rests of attending to the hitting observance
( of Memorial day. Welcome all auxiliary
and allied organizations, encourage school
| children TO attend and assist and secure
| gauge, will teach the lessons Of patriotism
| for which our comrades gave the last full
measure of devotion"
| Thirty years ago when was department
commander of New York, in Memorial
/ day order i then Issued. ! SugSH9ted TO the
! comrades of New York that whichever, from
| Montauk Point to Buffalo, any confederate
! soldier had found sepulcher among us.
| trusted that when went out TO laurel the
graves of our union dead that our common
J American manhood would prevent us pass
/ ing BY the graves of our former opponents
without dropping thereon some floral re-
| membranes Not" ] said, ''in honor Of
their cause, for that we oppo' ed, fought
/ and conquered. but because we who met
them on the field OF battle know that braver
/ men or better soldiers have not been known
since men were first -marshaled in battle
array"
We were then scarce a dozen years away
seemed to meet with very general APP
proval To the order at large ! now con-
iidently make the same suggestion.
We have returned the battle standards Of
the dead confederacy to those who treas,
ure them as sacred mementOes of the loved
ones who died under them. The congress
of the United States has just unanimously
voted 100000 to care for the graves of
those dead and the heart of the nation has
said with great unanimtty, 1t is well.
Unitedly we march along the highway OF
nations, the world applauding, our con-
science approving.
If mothers still sit like Rachel of old
weeping for their children and refusing "a
news go down to them that on our most
sacred day we feel 1t a privilege to stand
in the place of their far distant knsmer
and lovingly mark their last resting places
with Gods sweet emblem of peace-fowers
The old flag has been rebaptized since
1866 with the blood of the north and the
| south alike. and the ship of state is Sc
curely anchored for all time.
The order closes with a quotation OF
Lincoln's address at Gettysburg, which Il
is directed shall be read at all Memoria
day exercises.