Los Angeles herald., 1908-05-31
TAFT IS ORATOR
TGRANT'STOMB
SECRETARY OF WAR MAKES
MEMORIAL SPEECH
AGAIN FIGHTS GREAT BATTLES
OF REBELLION
Pays Glowing Tribute to Hero Of APP
pomattox and Gives Him Entire
Credit for Victory
of North

BY Associated Press.
NEW YORK, May 30.-Almost con-
stant rain, ranging from drizzle to a
downpourS made today's observation OF
Memorial day only shadow of the
elaborate event which had been
planned.
The first shower came almost before
the first of the thousands of marchers
and holiday makers had stirred from
their homes. From that time until the
day was ended there was scarcely a mo-
ment when the rain was not falling.
Sporting events on every hand were
cancelled, but the inclement weather
could not entirely dampen the ardor or
the gray-haired veterans, who faced
many a storm in their years of service
nearly half a century ago. and about
1000 of them turned out to take part in
the parades in the greater city. For
tunately the showers were light and in
frequent during the early stages of the
big parade through Riverside drive,
but scarcely had the marchers passed
the reviewing stand at the soldiers and
sailors monument when the clouds
fairly opened and the rain came down
in torrents.
Governor Hughes and staff were on
the stand They withstood the down.
pour a. few minutes in the hope that
there would be a cessation and that
the program of exercises which had
been arranged could be carried out. but
the rain continued and the big gather
ing scattered. Governor Hughes was
one of the last to leave. He went to
the Hotel Regent, where n luncheon
had been arranged in his honor. but
was obliged to leave after a few min
utes to catch train for Albany.
Later in the day the rain almost pre-
vented the other big event of the day
the gathering at Grants tomb. where
Secretary of War Taft delivered the
principal address.
TT was decided finally. however. to
carry out the program inside the tomb
and there the secretary delivered his
address in the presence of the small
gathering which could find protection
from the rain. Secretary Taft said:
my Fellow Citizens: The custom OF
decorating the graves of those who
have died in war for their country is
beautiful and useful one. 1t brings us
to a contemplation of those crises in
our history IN which our countrymen.
numbered by hundreds OF thousands,
from a sense of duty solely, parted with
all that the nation might live. Greater
love hath no man than this; that ne
Law down his life for his friends
IT do not know any place which thrills
ones bosom with patriotic ecstacy as
the sepulchre of the unknown dead In
Arlington cemetery. The thought or
the heroism and sacrifice of those who
without a murmur and without even
hope of personal credit or glory, gave
up all to maintain a sacred cause
makes all motive of personal advance
nent or ambition seem small and sor-
did. This brings back to us the awful
losses that the war entailed and rene"s
the fond memories of those known ana
unknown heroes whose devotion to duty
is an everything assurance of the pat
riotism of this eople, should take us
out for time from the atmosphere OF
self-seeking or money making or '-eas-
ure hunting, and of peaceful sloth tnat
we NAV value aga.l the many IN
stances it reVives of mental and physi-
cal courage, self-denial, self-restralnt
and self-sacrifice.
Nation Still Patriotic
1.-THE day with its "reminiscences as
sures us that the hearts of our people
today eager as they seem now in the
search for wealth and comfort, would
furnish a response to the nations call
as full clear and willing as the re-
sponse when the struggle for the ma
TONS existence began in I'll.
1--WE are a humor loving people. We
dislike shams. Our sense of the ridicu-
lous is very keen, almost too keen, and
in the mercantile and material spirit
which has been rife we are prone to
make light of exhortations to patriot
ism and the forms and symbols through
which patriotism finds expression
81 think we have gone too far in TINS
direction. Patriotism is a virtue, and
the forms or symbols which suggest 1t
and by which we recognize it's exist
ence and our respect for il are proper
reminders of a serious duty and keep
us In touch with it as an eleVating mo
tive. The disposition to dispense with
all form which characterized our Purl-
tan ancestors has, 1 think, been greatly
modified. and reasonable persons rec
ognize the advantage of ceremony-not
only in religious worship, but also IN
the discharge of many other functions
analogous to religious worship in the
sacred character.
''Take the administration of justice.
1t is we'll that the judges should be
clothed in robes, not only that those
who witness the administration of JUS
tice should be advised that the function
performed is one different from and
higher than that which man dis
charges as a citizen in the ordinary
walks of life, but also in order that the
fudge himself with the constant con-
sciousness that he is a high priest in
the temple of justice and is surrounded
with obligations of a sacred character,
that he cannot escape that which re-
quires his utmost care, attention and
self suppression.
National Anthem
$50. when the national anthem is
played every true hearted American
should make known his sense of the
presence of the vital essence of ma
tionality in the notes of the Star
Spanglpd Banner" by rising and raising
his hat.
Mere forms these may be, but they
are evidences of the existence of d love
of country. and the more frequently
we are conscious of the presence in us
of such a feeling the more certain we
can be that our acts of courage and
self sacrifice win correspond to 1t when
occasion arises.
"Hence the celebration of a day like
this, or the Fourth Of July or Wash
ington's birthday, lest we forget the
of our common country--lest we forget
the gratitude we should feel to our an
cestors who founded our nation and to
their descendants who saved it in I
civil War from dissolution and destruc-
ton.
at always gives force and emphasis
to our interest in memorials of this
character if we have in our minds the
concrete conceptions of the persons
who made the sacrifice that we cele-
brate: if we have relatives who gave
up their lives and those graves we can
reconsecrate each returning Dccora-
ton day. And to those of us who do
not have this inspiring association of
lxinship for some hero of the war; it
gives personal touch and the neces-
sarxy concrete element TO take M and