Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1908-09-01
TAFT Addresses
VETERANS OF WAR
REPUBLICAN, CANDIDATE FOR
PRESIDENCY BEsToWs MUCH
PRAISE ON WARRIORS.
TELLS OF HERolsM
IN THE LATE WARS
Ways In Which Former Soldiers
Served Their Country Are Pointed
Out by Former secretary-Talks
to Aged Fighters at Reunion.

Athens, o.. Aug. 31.-W. H. Taft ar
,, rived here Saturday from Hot Springs,
Va, and delivered an address at re-
, union of civil war veterans. There
was an immense throng to welcome
, the Republican leader.
Mr.. Taft said:
Mrs. Taft and | are glad to be able
on our trip to Middle Bass island from
Hot Springs to enjoy the hospitality
OF Athens, even for SO short period
, as three hours. Athens, as the seat
of state university and the center OF
the great mining district of Ohio, has
always been place of Importance in
the state. Our stay Is rendered doub-
~ agreeable by the fact Of this inter-
esting soldiers reunion
Ranks of Veterans Thinning.
The interval since the civil war is
rapidly approaching the half CEN
fury. The report Of the commissioner
! of pensions shows that Of the pension
ers of the civil war nearly 5000 died
In the month of July. II this rate is
/ kept up every month 1t means that
there are passing away from this
world to another $4,000 men a year
who barred their bosoms in defense of
their country. 1t would seem that with
this constant diminution in the ranks
OF those who in their memories still
see the battles of the civil war as
participants therein, the survivors
should cherish with all the eagerness
and effort possible their association
with their fellows in that crisis in the
country's life. Meetings of this kind
evoke expressions of the deepest
patriotism as the recollections of our
country's perils and the sacrifices that
were made to save her are revived
in memory.
Equal Heroism in Later Wars.
What | am especially glad to note
In this reunion is that the veterans OF
the civil war welcome association with
them of the veterans of the Spanish
and Philippine wars. 1t is true that
the Spanish war was a short one and
that the dangers and losses of thai
war We're small in comparison with
those of the civil war. Yet 1t involved
the same love of country and the
same spirit of patriotism on the part
of those who entered the army for the
purpose of fighting that war that lee
to the outpouring of the volunteers In
the civil war. The same thing is true
of the Philippine war The fact thai
there were some of our countrymer
who were opposed to the Philippine
war and who condemned the govern
ment for attempting to suppress tn,
rebellion and to produce tranquility
is sometimes used to disparage the
patriotic feeling and courage Of those
who went to these far-distant islands
to uphold the authority and flag O.
their country under the direction O
their constitutional commander II
in chief.
Required as Great an Effort.
"Those who went into the war ha,
not the immediate inspiration of an in
tense feeling upon moral issue suc1
as preceded the civil war, but whel
they were exposing themselves to tn,
bullets of the enemy, or to the ravage
of tropical disease 10000 miles ava,
from their homes, it required a grea
and continuing effort constantly t,
fulfill the duty of a soldier loyal t,
his colors. Many valuable lives wer,
lost in an effort by this country to dis
charge its highest duty toward an I'm
fortunate people that Providence hat
thrust upon it, they were doing thu
country's work, they were dischargini
| the duty owed by their fellow citiZen
to the world, and they are entitled
equally with all the other soldiers o
the republic who have fought to up
hold the flag, to place upon Its rol
of HONOR