Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-04-20

ing been used with artistic effect under the
direction OF First Lieut.. William A. Duval
quarIermastcr I'd Battalion, and superin-
tendent of the Center Market Armory. on
the west side of the hall Il platform had
been erected and at the south end long
table laden with coffee, sandwiches and
other edlbieS
The frs event of the evening regi-
mental parade during which an appropriate
humorous special order read by
Capt. Harry Coope. the regtmental adiu-
tant. The ceremony was Witnessed from
the balcony by Representative Bede. who
was accompanied by Lieut.. Col. Lloyd NJ.
Brett, adiutant general ard several other
officers of the general staff of the Dis
trict of Columbia militia. Urgent business
had called Gen. Harries away from the
city
After the march past in review the COM
panies Of tht regiment proceeded to their
quarters. where they laid aside rifles aud
accoutermcnts. ana then the guardsnen.
as Individuals returned to the hall.
Col. Brett Wakes Eloquent.
Col. Ourand. resimental commander.
after bugler had sounded attention.
delivered Il brief address of welcome AMI
introduced Adjt Gen. Brett. The latter
spoke of the need Of men in The National
Guard of the country to IN tx up the nu-
meriCal nSuficiency of the regular army
and 10 max unnecessary my law fOr COM
pulsory military service. COL Brett also
dweIt on The value Of making of each or
ganiZaticn a school in which the officers
are prepared 10 teach the elementary prin-
ciplrS OF soldering, efficient teachers being
as essential in the military as in ANY other
line Of work. The adjutant general di-
reCted attention to the erroneous impress
sion current that the magnificent armies of
the civil war were made up of men with
out military training. and declared that
four years Of bloody war made Of these
men the best soldiers that ever trod a bat
tlefrd'' The speaker euIoSized peace. de-
clar,rG it TO he the nations summer of
sunshine and joy, and he added: But while
we bask in its sunshine and revel in its
JOY let us not lose the iron from our blood
nor the fighting fiber from our hearts
Solid Thoughts and Bouquets.
Representative Bede served the soldiers
with some solid thoughts, and, igurativey
speaking, opened several bottle of ginger
pop and handed out number of bouquets
Though Mr.. Bede held the platform for
twenty minutes. about fifteen minutes of
that time was taken up by the audience in
laughter and applause. He said by way of
making the acquaintance of the gathering,
that he was not there to teach but to learn
and he thought that congressman, on
coming to the District of Columb!a-to mo
mans land'-should mix with the boys,
study their needs. and then give them what
they want. You need an armory,' Mr..
Bede said. land l going to give you
one"
The speaker said it is hard to make men
take advantage of an opportunity. Men
who would take anything else would not
pick up an opportunity. The National
Guard Is an opportunity. Drill and disci-
plne are good things. Most men need dis
ciplne-and lots of it.
IF | had many boys as are here to-
night about LOGO, I'd make every one of
them join the guard he declared.
Mr.. Bede said he recognized that to get
men TO do anything worth doing it is nee
fn hn1 a
tall timber of Minnesota good old priest
was trying to convert Indians. Now, my
friendsd. it is very hard to get an Indian to
go to church. the speaker said. 1T is al
most hard to get an Indian to go to
church it is to get a white man to go
there The priest got a barrel of crackers
cracker We called him the original
cracker-jack. AS long as the crackers held
out the Indians held on, but when the
crackers ran out the Indians ran out. So it
was necessary to hold out inducements for
men to take even opportunities. OF course
the inducement should be of the right kind.
As to Wrong Inducements.
Sometimes wrong inducements are held
out At a chautauqua meeting attended by
men, women and children, a baby began
to cry. The mother tried to soothe it TO
sleep. 1t kept on crying. Still she tried to
lull it to sleep, but the babe continued cry
ing. a gentleman in the audience arose and
said. Madam, that infant does not want
lodging, it wants board "
Mr.. Bede said it is not essential that a
good American soldier should be native
born American. He recalled that an Irish
man once said: Love your native country
whether you were born in it or not" The
native-born American is an American
through necessity. and the foreign born
American is an American through choice
There is no danger of empire in this
country, the speaker declared. saying: 1--WE
have always been against the empire and
for the republic. We told George III to get
off this part of the earth and he went away.
In the matter of Louisiana. told Napo-
leon that We didn't want any empire around
here and We gave him so. money and