The Brattleboro reformer. (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1907-1912, 1910-06-03
ANNUAL TRIBUTE
PAID DEAD HEROES
The Exercises Of Memorial Day
Largely Attended.
ADDRESS BY REV. MR.. HoUoHroN


Apostle Of Brosherhood-March 70
Local Cemeteries and Decoration OF
Graves Carried Out as Usual.
Another Memorial Day has passed INTO
history and again the members OF scas'
wick Post, q. A. r., have dccked the
graves of their dead comrades with
dowers. Not in a number Of year, mas
such a large number Of people, gathered
IN the auditorium 10 listen 20 the memo
rial address az was present Monda! aiter-
noon when Rev. Roy NJ. Hough,on' pas
tor OF the Central congregational ehurch'
smoke upon Abraham Lincoln the Apos-
,Ie oi brotherhood. The weather condi'
lions favored a large attendance and ike
wise made Il possible for many old sol
diers 10 be present and take part IN the
ceremonies who would otherwise he pre-.
vented. The front Of the stage was banked
from the floor TO the height Of over two
feet above the platform with nowefs ana
the effect was striking. On the stage was
the First Regiment band and drum corps
and in front Of the musicians were seated
representatives OF the selectmen, baiins,
local clerymen and other prominent
citizens. Commander Martin l.. bruce
acted as master OF ceremonies. Inc p,9'
gram opened with selection by =. n.
Miller. accompanied hy the band. Prayer
was offered by Rev. f. q. ;. Osgood and
another selection was given by Mr.. Miller
accompanied ON the piano by +. Z. Lett
singer. a..
Commander Bruce then introduced the
orator of the day, Mr.. Houghton, who
smoke for about 30 minutes he pref
aced his address with the statement that
while the world is filled with a multitude
Of beautiful ideas these ideas are not m
carnated in men and women who might
bring forth still more beautiful IDEAS.
He spoke on Lincon's visit to a slave
auction in New Orleans and OF how the
great idea had found lodgment IN his soui
that slavery must be abolished, ana point
ed ont The energizing forre which was
nersonifed in the life OF the Great Eman-
cipator. But, said the orator, Lincoln
was not simply the liberator OF the
American slave. Through the victory
here won great wave OF enthusiasm ior
common Fights was set in notion, MT.
Houghton said that il is the embodiment
of this same spirit OF justice, the square
deal" the principle Of brotherhood, that
has made Theodore Roosevelt the most
popular man in the world today. IL Is
the same principle which reared to heights
of fame and glory Abraham Lincoln, the
apostle of brotherhood.
But the glory OF that triumph OF broth
erhood does not belong to Lincoln alone
soid Mr.. Houghton. He was the embodi-
ment of the spirit Of his time The aboli'
| tion of slavery was a secondary considera-
tion of that terrible contest The heroic
response of the northern states to defend
| the principle that all men are created
eoual was one of the finest exhibitions Of
natriotism in history. Mr. Houghton paid
high tribute to the part that Vermont
ers took in the contest to free the slaves.
He said out of the population OF l7O0
Brattleboro sent 70 men into the field ana
among them such gallant soldiers as Col.
G. w. Hooker. In an intensely dramatic
word picture the orator told OF the part
plAyed by General Stannard and the
Second brigade at the battle OF 'ettys-
burg. r.
Mr.. Houghton referred to the late Ex,
Gov. Frederick Holbrook as a confidential
advisor to President Lincoln and quoted
Governor Holbrook as saying that It
was probably his letter to Lincoln that
prompted him to issue call Tor 3Oo,o9o
fhree.year men for service in the south.
Referring to the hardships undergone by
the men who went south Mr. Houghtonl
held up a large, ugly piece of a shell and
said that it was carried in the body, OF
Col H. Z. Taylor for four months. While
the physical sufferings were great he sad
that the mental anguish suffered by the
brave women left behind to care for the
bousehold was the highest type of pa
triotism. In closing Mr., Houghton's
words had particular local significance
when he said: "There is terrible enemy
of this nation still unconquered in the
| LIQUOR traffic. The nation cannot realize
| its ideal until that enemy is suppressed.
That is a battle from which we. must
not shrink. Some Of us have remarked OF
| late that because of a certain incident
there perhaps will be open saloons in
our midst another year We now must
cease from that talk. We must not admit
that such a thing is possible; There IS
a loud call for men made of the same
heroic stuff which was shown by our
fathers on the battlefield; men incarna-
ting the spirit of brotherhood and the
true and living patriotism. j,
Another selection by Mr.. Miller closed
the exercises in the auditorium. The
usual PRAYER at the monument on the
common was given by Rev. F. A. Wells,
pastor of the Methodist church. The
formation of the procession was as fol-
lows:
Police Detail.
Chief Marshal and Aides,
Company l, V.N g., Capt. w. .. Cooley,
Commanding,
Committee of Arrangements,
Sedgwick Post, G.. A. R., I. W. Bruce,
Commander.
i Camp Curtin, S. A. w. ". George Cam,
Commanding.
Speakers and invited guests IN carriages.
The line Of march was up North Main
street to the common, down, Linden,
Main and South Main streets to Prospect
Hill cemetery where the ranks. were
broken and details from Sedgwick Post
decorated the grave of all soldiers in that
cemetery and in the Catholic and Morn
inrside cemeteries. The members of the
woman's relief corps went to the Gem, Gem,
etery in special electric car and assisted
in decorating the graves. There were
over so old soldiers in the line. An in
vitation extended by Sedgwick post for
all old soldiers, whether members OF the
G. A. R., or not, to take part in the
ceremonies Monday was accepted by sew
eral veterans of '61 who are not associated
with the organization. This year Sedg-
wick post has decorated nearly 25O sold
iers' graves in this and surrounding towns.
The Committee in charge of the decora-
tions in the auditorium is entitled to
full measure of compliment as the decora-
tions were elaborate and showed large
amount of work upon the part OF the
committee. The committed. was Mrs: Eva w
Clark. Mrs. Julia Cooley, Mrs. Nellie w.
Brown, Mrs. Emogene 3. White and Mrs.
1