Bisbee daily review., 1907-06-01
MEMORIAL DAY IN
 TIE SHELTER CITY Brilliant Address By Attorney Parsons Features Inter
 eSdng Program.

could wish. For the latter splendid
 program of vocal and instrumental
 music was rendered by local artists and for the former-all who were pres ent for that matter-an address de iiyered by Attorney A. F. Parsons. Il was an oratorical gsm sotn in con ception and delivery.
 The reading room, where, stripped of tables and other furniture that would be in the way. the program was carried out had been handsomely dec orated the national flag and bunting being used in profusion. The attend ance was largee and thoroughly rep resentative.
 Mir. Parsons address is as follows:
 Hero worship is one of the most nearly universal traits of human char acter. Especially is this true with ref. erence to military heroes. Since the days when the Israelitish women, in their songs welcoming home their vic torious army from that memorable vic tory over the PhiliStines, in which the boy David had slain the giant Goliath, sang Saul hath slain his thousands, and David his ten thousands" down to the present, the pages or history, both sacred and profane, are replete with incidents illustrative of the prev alence of this peculiar characteristic of our race.
 ~The setting apart the day for the obsersance of which we are here as- sembled, is proof of the fact that we as Americans are no exception to the rule in this respect, but rather that We are strongly. imbueG with the spirit and tendency to do honor and homage to our departed military heroes.
 T am not disposed to criticize or condemn this tendency, but rather consider 1t, when exercised within reasonable limits, a commendable means of intoxicating lessons of patriot ism in the minds and hearts of the rising generation.
 This day has been officially set apart under the dual titfe or designa- ton of Decoration day and Memorial day which are indicative of the man ner in which it shall pc observed, viz: by decorating the graves and pro- nouncirg eulogies or the heroic dead of one Of the greatest wars chronicled upo nthe pages of the worlds history Great in many respects. Great in the magnitude or extent of the theatre up on which were enacted the many shift. ing scenes of that p.-oSraeted struggle; great in the numbers constituting the armies; great in the char acter and intelligence of the indiyid uals composing these armies. They were no mere mercinaries, or Hessian neither were Iney soldiers by profession, fighting for fame. or the conquest of fore:gn land or peo- pie; they were simply the citizens of one section of 8 common country ar rayed against those of another, the north against the south. and each ac- tuated by what they believed to be the most patriotic motives, and each for whar, under their re- spectiye systems of social and po- litical culture, they believed to be the right.
 Tn that war it was clearly a case of Greek meeting Greek and neither side could complain of being deprived of That stern joy which warriors feel. In foemen worthy of their steel
 President Lincoln, in reviewing portion of the army of the north dur ing the progress of that war. said. that ost of any regiment which had passed in review before him a compe- tent president and cabinet for the na- ton could be selected, and this was doubtless equally true of the 3oppos- ing army.
 That war was great also in it's re- suits, one only of which I shall men ton. It demonstrated beyond all ques- tion that this government of ours, wherein all power is derived from the people. Is capable or withstanding shocks which would have shaken mon archies to their centers and have caused thrones and crowns to crumble into dust. and still remains stronger than the stronger, freer Jnan the freest and we believe better than the best.
 The day we are observing when first declared holiday, was regarded as sectional. aye-efen almost parti- san in it's character, and its celebra- ton vas always under the auspcies of the C. A. R. and was confined to the northern states. and only the graves of those who had worn the blue were entitled to floral decoration.
 Gradually, however. the character of these celebrations has changed from sectional to national. from parti- san to patriotic. and the bloody shirt as the banner under which many Deco ration day addresses were formerly made has given way and been sup planted by our national flag. that glor- ious, tri-colored, star-spangled banner of the free, and the 'bIoody chasm,' of which we used to hear so much. as the Impossible barrier or gulf separat- ing the north from the south, first be- came bridged by the intelligent for bearance of the citizens of both sec lions. and gradually began to be filled up with the discarded, erroneous sec tional ideas and prejudices. from both sides, and was finally completely ob- liberated by the patriotism displaycd by the citizens of the south in the pr0nptness with which they respcnd- ed to their country,s call in the late war with Spain, and the cordiaf man. ner is which they united with their brethren of the north in making com mon cause against common foe.
 It is most fitting and proper that fhis day should be celebrated in the soGt1. as there is where it had it's origin. which came about in this wise: Some time after the close of the war. a northern lady travelling in the south land was very much impressed with the beauty of custom sbe found fin vogue there. among the maids and ma trers cf that section. who had already taken t upon themselves to care for and decorate with flowers the graves of the boys who had worn the gray. Upon her return from this trip this lady tcok ul, the matter of having one day ia t>ca ye- set apart for the dsco7a. ton C. .se hoys rho had worr the blue and holding appropriate me-