The Richmond palladium. (Richmond, Ind.) 1906-1907, 1906-05-31
SPEAKS FOR MEN
BEHIND THE GUN
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the land we meet to pay homage to
the memory of the valiant dead who
fell in the great civil war. No other
men deserve so we'll OF this country
as those to whom we owe 1t that we
now have country. Moreover, the
men to whose valor we owe it that the
Union was preserved have left US a
country reunited in fact as well as in
name. They have left us the memory
of the great deeds and the self-de-
votion alike of the men who wore the
blue and of the men who wore the
gray in the contest where brother
fought brother with equal courage,
with equal sincerity of conviction.
with equal fidelity to high ideal. as
it was given to each to see that Ideal.
Moreover. it is peculiar pleasure
to speak to-day under the auspices
of the Army and Navy Union, of the
Union which is meant to include the
officers and enlisted men of the regu-
lar forces of the United States. Elk.
actly as there is no other body of men
to whom in the past we have owed SO
much as to the veterans OF the civil
war, so there is no other body of men
among all Of our citizens Of to-day
who as whole deserve quite as we'll
of the country as the officers and en-
listed men of the Army and the Navy
of the United States. Every man who
has served well and faithfully, afioat
or ashore, in the service of theUnited
States, has shown that he possesses
certain qualities which entitle him in
all his fellow-citizens. while every man
who is now in the service can not but
feel himself uplifted by the thought
that in any time of future crisis it
may be that the honor of the whole
nation will depend upon his bearing
There rests upon each of you a ire.
mendous burden of responsibility. and
therefore to you belongs the proud
privilege of bearing that load of re.
sponsibility well.
Weakness Not ToIerable.
I'm any time of crisis the man in
high office in civil life, the man In
high command in military or naval
life, can, If he be weak or incompe
tent, paralyze the actions of a multi
tude of brave and able men who are
under him.
Exactly as the people must demand
the highest grade of integrity and
efficiency from their leaders in civil
affairs, SO in military affairs they
must insist upon every officer devot
ing all the best that there is In him
to fitting himself in the duties of his
profe ssion, to caring for and drilling
and training those under him, so that
alike in point of personal and in point
of materiel the Army and Navy of the
United States may reach as high q
point of perfection as is humanity pos
sible.
Leadership is necessary in order
that we may get really good results
out Of high average of individual
character; but without the high char
acter in the average individual the
leadership by itself can avail but lit
tie.
WV s'sSsASNs
"Now it is easy to say this in words
which shall imply merely fiattery OF
the average voter or of the average
enlisted man. I certainly do not in
tend my words to be so taken. It is
sure sign of weakness in any man
If he is always wanting to be flattered
and especially If he let's his head be
turned by fattery.
Nothing is cheaper than to say
that the people are all right but that
the politicians are all wrong. AS a
matter of fact politics, and therefore
politicians, will in the long run rep
resent faithfully either the wishes OF
the Indifference Of the people; and II
the people are Indifferent the results
are just about as bad as If they deli
berately choose to go wrong. So it Is
with the enlisted man. When l cal
attention to the high place he holds
and must ever hold in the esteem OF
every sensible man, l do 1t less with
the intention Of emphasizing the res
pect due him by outsiders than with
the intention of making him realize
the burden of honorable obligation
resting upon his shoulders.
I'm closing l ask your attention tc
the fact that our soldiers and sailors
are able to do their duty in great EN-
ergencies even other than those OF
war. Recently the most appalling dis
aster that has ever befallen any city
in our country, the most appalling dis