Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-12-19
ANNUAL REUNION
Union Soldiers Alliance Holds
TWenty-Ninth Banquet.
DISTINGUISHED GUESTS
From Congress and From Depart
mental Life.
MANY STIRRING SPEECHES
Senator Mccumber, Representative
George W. Cook, Gen. John c.
Black and Others.
MANY STIRRING SPEECHES

| Confidence in the inegrity Of the grea,
| middle class of Americans and certainty
| that 1t would always be at the nations
! service as a bulwark against aggression
or guard against foes within were the
sentiments expressed by speakers at the
twenty-ninth annual reunion banquet OF
the Union Soldiers Alliance, held at the
Ebbitt House last night.
Senator McCumber Of North Dakota
called attention to 1.-The denominations OF
the yellow Sunday press" saying tina,
| the reflections in 1t Of ostentatious dis
play and vulgar title worshiping, to-
gether with its other sensational and
| lurid tawdriness. could not fail to have
Its effect upon the weaker minds of the
nation, leading them to become worship
ers of gross notoriety, but he declared
that at any time when conditions became
unbearable he looked to the men who had
worn the blue as the sheet anchor Of tn
republic.
Gen. John c. Black. chairman of the
| civil service commission, took more
hopeful view OF the state Of tn
nation. Beginning his speech on a
note of sadness. recalling the splen,
did host of comrades that had
| token of work we'll done and victories won
n the cause Of humanity. he touched upon
| the recent financial crisis, and said that
| the country had come out of 1t better
than it went into 1t.
Recent Financial Panic.
1--WE had feared-some Of us-that We
should lose in the allurements Of peace
that which we had struggled for in the
lists of war. But down under the sur
| face, in the quiet depths of Anne rican life
| was always that purity Of being, respect
tor womanhood, true manhood as firm
and as certain as ever. The surface was
agitated by the storms Of cOntendinS fac
| lions, by excessive wealth and the cor
.'uption that has always followed 1t, but
out leadership pointed to true manhood
| and today, in spite Of some broken for
tunes and f1nancia! disasters, the nation
IS more devoted to it's underlying pur-
poses than ever before.
LAS Peter the Hermit was saised I'd to
lead a crusade to the holy sepulchre,
with the fervor Of a single purpose, so
God has always given leaders when man
falters. And now we have a leader to
struggle with the incoming hordes Of
ignorance and the vast Accommodations of
unholy wealth.
I'VE have seen that leader, but q day
or two ago, Withdraw from strife with
an act of supreme abnegation. and be
of the American people. AS he withdraws
from the lists of the combat, he rises to
the heights where true fame is disclosed
and becomes more firmly fixed in the
honor and regard of his fellow-citizens,
not alone for his achievements and the
policies which he has established, but
above all as standing at he head and
front of all that true Americans crave
and cherish"
The first toast of the evening was to
the President. This was drunk standing,
with all the honors, while the orchestra
played Hail to the Chief" Benjamin r.
Leighton responded to the next toast
Our Country.
This country is in the habit Of set
thing questions SO that they will stay set
tied" said Mr.. Leighton, but one genera
ton can settle but one question at a
time. though there Is doubtless a feeling
that when that one question is Opposed
of that the future is all arranged. Our
forefathers thought that when they estab-
lished the foundations of the nation, but
they had settled only one point. We felt
1t when the issue of the great war IL
which we took part was decided, yet by
our efforts only one question was settled.
In a country of SO great a development
as ours, of such a complex civilization,
new questions are constantly arising. 1t
is only dead countries that have no cues
lions, like the Palestine Of today. A
traveller told me recently that he went
all through Palestine and he saw only one
man doing anything, and he was falling
off a roof.
The First Flag.
when Gen. Herkimer fought at the
battle of Oriskany and in token of VIC
tory raised flag made of a woman's red
petticoat. mans white shirt and part
of his own blue coat. he typifed the new
spirit Of our nation-government for the
ne0nla nonn1o he
the old world idea This was a new idea
and the nation was slow to grasp IT.
The speaker then adverted to the Philip
pine question, expressing dsapproval Of
the extension of the nations interests. and
saying that the Supreme Court took to the
woods when asked to decide upon the
civic status of the Filipino, But" he
concluded. the people have always settled
the great questions that have arisen. and
they will settle this"
George c. Ross was the next speaker
responding to the toast Our Women"
After speaking of the part played in war
by sweethe arts and wives. Mr.. Ross paid
the following tribute to militant women:
Those noble women who worked for
the Union. for God and humanity, have
been praised in song and story. There
were those connected with the sanitary
commissions and who performed her.
culean tasks. There were those who
actually served with their husbands in the
by side with her HUSBAND who was colone
of an Illinois regiment, and when he was
sunab BILE to be at the he ad OF his men, she
took command of the troops. She was
frequently under fire and inspired the
men to action. attended to the wounded
and carried many of them from the field
Among others who did similar deeds wer
Annie Etheridge and Bridget Overs, the
latter famous for her daring rid ng day
and night with her husband with Sheri-
dams command in the valley of the Shen-
andoah. The women nurses were. inde.d
ministering angels. laboring In field and
hospital, saving thousands Of our COM
rades Among these I may mention
Helen I. ellison Of Massachusetts, long
since gone to her reward, and our own
Clara Barton. who often risked her life.
whose name has gone round the globe as
that of an angel of mercy"
Senator McCumber was the next
speaker. and he was followed by Repre-
sentative George w. Cook of Colorado.
twice mayor Of Leadville. who told how
the gunner" were cleaned out of his
city and recalled how Comrade King.
present at the dinner. led 10000 Grand
Army men in the great Denver parade.
The Foundation Of Liberty.
William E. Andrews, first auditor of the
Treasury Department. followed with a
ringing speech replete with patriotic SEN
timent.
1.-The words Of the Galilean Carpenter"
said Mr.. Andrews, "are the foundation OF
liberty. I'VE shall know the truth. and