The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1914-05-11
AMID GRIEF AND ENVY
Nineteen stars Swim Out into Firma.
ment Of Memory az They join
an Immortal
Company.
[By Bernard Rucker, Staff Correspond
ent Of the United Press


their lives for their flag at Vera Cruz
was paid by President Wilson today
in a remarkable address in which he
expressed envy for the heroes who
died in the performance Of their duty
and clearly indicated that il need be.
the nation was ready to make further
sacrifice In the same cause.
The president dwelt upon the ex-
ample set by the boys who died per-
forming their duty at Vera Cruz. All
Of us, he said, are performing our
duty, and though he said he had never
been under fire or In action, he was
performing his duty as an enlisted
man.
"War, gentlemen, is only a sort OF
dramatic representation" said the
president, "a sor. of dramatic symbol
Of thousand forms OF duty. I never
went into battle. I never was under
fire, but / fancy these are some
things jus. as hard to do as to go un-
der fire. fancy that it is Just as
hard to do your duty when men are
sneering at you as when they
are shooting at you. When they
shoot at you. they can only
take your natural life. when they
sneer at you then they can
wound your heart and men who are
brave enough, steadfast enough in
.heir principles to go about their duty
with regard to their fellow men, no
matter whether there are Kisses or
cheers, men who can do what Rud-
yard Kipling in one OF his poems
wrote meet with triumph and disaster
and treat those two inposters Jus.
the same are men for nation to be
proud of.
Morally speaking, disaster and
triumph are imposters. The cheers of
the moment are not what man ought
to think abou. but the verdict Of his
conscience and Of the consciences of
mankind"
In opening his address the presi-
dent said: Il know that the feelings
which characterize all who stand
about me and the whole nation at this
hour are not feelings which can be
suitably expressed In terms OF az
oratory or eloquence. They
are things too deep for ordinary
speech. For my own part, have a
singular mixture OF feeling. The feel
Ing that is uppermost is one Of pro-I
found grief that these lads should
have had 70 go to their death, and yet
there is mixed with that grief, pro-
found pride that they should have
gone as they did, and II may say it
out Of my heart. touch Of envy Of
those who were permitted quietly, so
nobly to do their duty.
"Iave you thought of It, men, here |
Is the roster Of the navy, the list OF
men, officers and enlisted men and
and suddenly there swim
nineteen stars out or the list-men
Who have suddenly gone into firm
amen. OF memory, where we shall al
ways see their names shine-not be-
,ause they called upon us to admire
hem, but because they served us
asking any questions and in
heir performance Of duty which is
aid upon us as we'll as upon them.
DUTY is not an uncommon thing.
gentlemen. Men are performing it in
he ordinary walks Of life around us
III the time and they are making
,reat sacrifices to perform it. What
,ives men like these peculiar distinc-
ion is not merely that they did their
Iuty but tina. their duty has nothing
o do with them or their own personal
nd peculiar interests. They did not
i've their lives for themselves. They
ave their lives for US. Because we
allied upon them to perform an un-
xpected duty. That is .he way in
Thich men grow distinguished and
hat is the only way-by serving some
ne else than themselves. And what t.
reater thing could you serve than
alton such as this which we love and
re proud Of Are you sorry for these
ads? Are you sorry for the way they
rill be remembered? Does it not
uicken your pulses to think of the
ist Of them? / hope to God none OF
ou may join the list but II you do,
ou will join an immortal company.
$50 while we are profoundly sorrow
fCOntinued on mage ~ !,