The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-05-31

. s
The following address was deliver
ed by Gen. Byron G.. Ward. depart
ment commander G. A. r., at the
i Memorial day exercises held here to
day:
Mr.. President, Comrades, Members
of the w. r. c., and Fellow Cit
zens:
Once more the beautiful spring
| time with its marvellous manifesto
ton of life in all the: vegetable King
dom, Is bringing joy to our hearts
as it clothes the earth in garment
of beauty. But in the presence OF
this wonderful manifestation or lie!
there comes to us on this Memorial
day, the sad thought of death. For
| this is the day, above all others.
when we call to mind in a special
way, our heroic dead, and. in the
words of an Iowa comrade, we reyer'
emily say:
Hail to the dead-the nations dead,
Who sleep by wood and Held ana
shorei
To them we come with loyal tread
And kneeI beside their graves once
more.
WIN nOteS OIL DuSie-SouS anu ~ o"''
And flying flags and sweet May
flowers,
And grateful hearts, again we come.
To deck these soldier graves OF
ours"
This is the day we lay upon the
graves of our departed comrades d
wreath of evergreen, as an emblem OF
Immortality. and beautiful flowers
which are the language of love. But
more significant than the evergreen
and more beautiful than the flowers
is the precious flag that today waves
as a faithful sentinel over their
graves.
Memorial day has come to be the
sacred Sabbath of American patriot
ism 1t is the one day holy to the
flag. This day has been called "a
festival of flowers and holiday Of
tears
1t has been the custom in all ages
to erect monuments to the memory OF
the distinguished dead. Go where
you will, even among the ruins OF
ancient civilizations, and you VIII
find there monuments in some FORM
-istory teaches US that no age has
been so unmindful OF its heroic men
as not to emblam their deeds in some
lasting form.
Nations Monument.
Memorial day is our nations monu-
nent in honor of the patriotic men.
1ow dead who were a part OF that
significant army that saved the
1nion. And this monument will en-
lure and be more significant than all
he marble columns and granite mono
iths, than all tie triumphal arches
and magnificent mausoleums which
the nations of the earth have erected
10 the memory of their great men,
like the Passover of the Jews. which
S a memorial service that has been
observed for over 5000
years, our memorial service will be
monumental in character, and 1t VIII
stand as witness to the most SUD-
ime heroism, and the most exalted de-
lotion to ones country that the world
las ever witnessed, and, like the Jew
sh Passover, it will abide through
he coming years because its founda-
ions have been laid in the hearts or
| grateful people, AID cemented with
heir tears.
In accordance with this beautiful
custom. we turn aside today from our
usual vocations. and we forget for a |
title while the rush and the turmoil
# our everyday life, and reverently
We turn our thoughts to the blvouc
If our honored dead, in which every
,rave is a sacred altar on which
beams the beacon light OF sacrifice.
md where some mother. wife. sister,
laughter or sweetheart has shed her
bitter tears.
These memorial services, coming
nut once a year, should be made as
as possible, and should
each some important lessons.
FIRST, it should be made very plain
hat the patriotic men. whether dead
" living, who made matchless
,acrifice to save the union. are not
orgotten and will not be forgotten.
,ut are held in grateful remembrance,
md that their names will be inscribed
,pon the worlds most distinguished
Roll of Honor
The recital of the story of Leoni-
las and his brave Spartan soldiers at
he pass of Thermcpylae. 2.400 years
.go, has inspired men through all
he passing centuries. to eumlate
heir heroism. That should encour-
lge us to recite in various ways, the
story of our civil war veterans
whose peerless heroism has not been
matched in all the annals of warfare.
And if we continue to recite their
leeds of heroism to our children and
,ur children's children, we shall keep
he fires of patriotism burning upon
american hearthStcnes.
The Glory Of Greece.
Greece, when in her glory, under
.tood this full well, and she honored
Ter soldiers who gave their lives for
heir country. by a beautiful custom
t was the law in Greece that the
uneral rites of her citizens who fell
n hattie should be performed at the
public expense. and in the most hon
,rable manner. The bones of her
lead soldiers. after the flesh had
,een consumed on the funeral pyre.
we're brought to Athens, and there
cnff0s made of CVDreSS