Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1914-06-11
GOV. FERRIS SPEAKS

The dedication of the Soldiers and
Sailors Monument took place in ST.
| Louis Friday afternoon. A platform
was erected on the High School cam
pus and a crowd of more than one
thousand people were gathered around
it. Yerington's College Band was scat
ed at the north of the platform and the
speakers, Mayor Whitney, Rev. Meese,
Major Frank r. Chase, department
manager of the Grand Army of the Re-
public, who represented Washington
Gardner, Congressman Joseph Fordney
and Woodbridge n. Ferris governor of
Michigan, were seated in front. Ex
Mayor Giddings, Lawyer Wright, Prof.
c. ID. Dawson and Judge Newell Smith
were also on the platform. The High
school chorus was seated in front and
TO the right of the stand and the old
veterans to the left the girls with white
dresses and colored ribbons. the boys in
whites trousers and hats, on the one
hand, and the old, gray-haired nervous,
excited and honored soldiers on the
other, furnished the inspiration for the
speakers.
Mayor Whitney was the chairman and
Rev. Ford of the Methodist church gave
the invocation. Rev. Mcese gave few
fitting Introductory remarks, in which
he said that the Relief Corps ladies
had subscribed one-twelfth OF the total
cost OF the monument, outsiders from
coast 10 coast and from Canada to Mex
leo one -twelfth the veterans themselves
large share and the citizens the re-
mainder. He told of the struggle the
people had made to get the monument
and told of the curbing and display
fountain and then in the name of the
givers he presented the monument to
the mayor and through him to the city
and intrusted its care and keeping 10
him. Mayor Whitney responded and
during his discourse dwelt upon the sig-
nihcance of the monument being placed
on the school ground where the young
err generation can see il and be inspir-
ed many times a day TO purer deeds, and
nobler actions. Before the next speak
er took the platform it began to rain
so that all that could be accommodated
adjourned to the Opera House Major
Frank Chase made the dedcatory re-
marks. He dwelt on the thought that
the monument was meant not as tomb
stone to some dead man but as prin-
ciple for which they fought and MAIN
tanned He talked about one of the in
scriptionS on the monument, the ia
nous words of the beloved Lincoln at
| Gettysburg, With malice toward none,
but with charity toward all" ct be-
came too warm for Joe, so he took off
his coat.)
When Mr.. Ferris was introduced he
was greeted with enthusiasm. He paid
high tribute to the schools. He said
that he did not speak to the school n
the morning because he did not think
that he could afford to spend that much
time, but that when he saw the gath
ering of girls and boys before him he
was heartily ashamed of himself and
that he wished to apologize and that
he would always regret the omission the
rest OF his life. "A little more than a
half century ago the Civil War began
and a little less than half century ago
the Civil war closed. NJ ost of us know
nothing about the honors, brave deeds
and noble actions of that war except the
boys in blue. Some people do not APP
precate Memorial Day, but think that
| - 81, a,,I ont
but this is not true. 1t is day OF rev.
erence and not like the Fourth of July
or Christmas, which days are days of
rejoicing and happiness. Memorial day
should be set aside as the day of the
year in which we can give our thoughts
to those who so nobly served us. Dc
not think that | am encouraging war
for | am not. The inscription on the
monument. the immortal words of L. S
Grant, Let Us Have Peace" but not
at any cost. We did not fight the Civil
War because we loved the Negro, but
it was commercial war, a war to keep
down the principle of getting something
for nothing and their way of doing this
was to enslave the Negro. The bene-
fits of the war did not go to the black
men, but to the white men; the north or
the south neither one love the Negro
any more than they did or do they place
themselves any nearer his equal The
north rose up TO preserve the nation and
to stop the commercial evil of getting
something for nothing and the abolition
of slavery was a resulting outcome
Men now get value received for their
labor. The same cause was true i'll the
Spanish-American War, and the same
is true in Mexico today, the people will
rise and fight for life, liberty and the
pursuit OF happiness. In regard to
Mexico some people say Hands OFF T.
/ say mol Did we lay hands off in the
case of that beautiful isle of Cuba. We
should help our down-trodden brothers
You say why do / dedicate this monu.
ment to the young people instead of the
old. Listen, in the Civil War there wa: