Rogue River courier. (Grants Pass, Or.) 1886-1927, 1913-06-06
MEMORIAL TRIBUTE TO
THE NATIONS DEFENDERS.

church was filled with citizens of
Grants Pass who gathered on Friday
afternoon to express by their pres
ence the gratitude they felt for the
services rendered by the boys who
wore the blue. It was the day when
the nation reyered the memory of
those who had gone before, and
blessed the presence Of those still
active in the walks of life.
The observance OF the day was in
charge of committees from the Grand
Army Of the Republic and the Wo-
mems Relief Corps. Following the
opening music and the reading Of
the general orders, Lincoln's Gettys-
burg address which must stand for
all time as a classic Of its kind, was
given by Mrs. Sam Baker. Com
mander Patrick Of the G.. A. r. gave
an address of welcome, and following
songs by the quartette and a recita-
tion by Miss Ulda Basler, seven boys
sang "Our Flag Shall Never Touch
the Ground"
The memorial address was deliy-
cred by Hon. Il. n. Blanchard, and
was a scholarly and eloquent tribute
to the occasion. Mr.. Blanchard said
In part:
Patriots In war; patriots in peace;
men and Women of 81, Greet
You.
Il greet today the boys who drove
oppression from the Isle of Cuba and
planted there the great principles of
liberty and equality, guaranteeing
that neither within our borders or at
our doors shall any man be ground
under the iron heel of tyranny.
II greet today every lover Of lib
erty who says by his presence here
that he wishes to do honor to the
noble men and women who laid their
sacrifices on the altar of their coun-
try. | come today with a heart full
OF gratitude and reverence for the
living as well as testimonials OF af- !
fection and homage for the dead. Ex.
pressive of this honor, this reverence,
this gratitude, this devotion, the ma
tion today pauses in its almost cease
less tread Of commerciallsm, and for
a moment, as It were, stands with
uncovered head, while flowers, gath
cred by loving hands from natures
choicest laboratories, are strewn upon
the graves Of our triumphant sol
dlery.
why flowers? Because they are
emblematic of the resurrection. Be-
cause they are the choicest of heay-
ems gift to men; because their frag-
rance and divine coloring surpasses
all efforts of man to initiate and we
wish to honor our heroes with the
choicest the purest and the most
beautiful that comes to us from Him
who created the rainbow and the
stars and transplanted their blended
colorings to earths armament, that
we may CLEAN from forest field and
glen those living gems which so
strongly appeal to our esthetic ma v
ture and spread them as a carpet of i
spotless purity upon the green roof Il
above the silent chambers of our !
heroic dead. Can anything be more p
expressive of more de- "
yotion, or more fitting as a tribute V
Of respect? There, tonight, peace Ct
fully sleeping beneath the bowers of II
roses, placed there with their wilder IL
ness of colorlng respendent in rain u
bows all frightened by the gorgeous ID
light of a suspended sunset, lies the p
'ihNi wan oolultI Nldppbu III lnt
irapery the American flag, awaiting
he resurrection. "
Timely indeed was the thought Of Il
General Logan to set aside a day u
commemorative of the lives. the sac s!
'ihces and the departure of our heroic l'
lead. IL
Fitting indeed the act whereby G.
me day should be set apart not as &
, day of rejoicing, for the firing Of Il
'annon, the building of bonhres aud u
like the Fourth of July u
but day when We who were the de VI
rect bcnenciarics of that patriotic de- u
youon and sacrifice should Join hands u
with our living citizen soldiery not 81
only to do homage TO ,he dead, but to 8
show our respect and reverence for
the living. And over and above AN, u
10 kludlo aud rouoW iu the hearts and "
minds of the present as well as Che w
coming generation, q love of country, p
"a reverence for her traditions and q
disposition To- defend her institutions