New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1915-09-29
WILSON WOULDWAR
FOR HUMAN RIGHTS


seats in front their comrades are kept
outside"
So carion-likc were the tones of
the old man that everyone in the hall
heard them. despite the confusion, and
at once hurried orders were issued to
allow the old soldiers to move up
front.
Triumphantly they came, filing up
the front seats. which had been held
for fortunate holders of coupons.
The Marine Band, ever quick in an
emergency, took up the strains of
Rally Round the Flag, Boys" and the
veterans forgot their Indignation as
they trooped up the aisles. Then the
band. forgetting its object evidently
and continuing with patriotic select
ions" or else out Of Difference to one
old gray-coated veteran who trudged up
the aisle TO a good seat with hundreds
of blue-coated comrades, began to play
bonnie Blue Flag"
There were many chuckles at this,
and the old fellows were finally gotten
in such a good humor that when an
Iowa veteran screamed Three cheers
for the President of the United
States" there was rousing response,
given the full three times, too, with
no dying away on the third call.
Just as the situation was being ad-
justed nicely. and in a way which
would have left no hard feelings what
ever, came another official blunder as
o climax to the Encouragement which
rad characterized the handling of the
whole meeting.
Doors Ordered Closed.
Orders were given in stentorian
tones by the chairman to close all the
doors. and not let any one else at all in,
whether they had tickets or not. AT
the time this order was issued there
were more than 500 vacant seats in the
rear of the hall, which remained vacant,
due to its strict enforcement, during
the rest of the Presidents speech and
until the end of the evening.
The hall had only $500 seats, so that
few more than 5000 persons were
seated. Outside, however, fully 10000
nersons. veterans with their wives and
! families and members of the allied or
carnations which are in town, clam
ored for admittance. Many Of them
had come hundreds and in some in,
/ stances thousands OF miles TO see ana
hear the President. .,
Physically and vocally all was well
with the President, and his smile more
cordial than usual. He was cheered for
exactly twenty seconds at the begin
ming Of his address. The first real APP
nlause came 1t his reference TO how
much had happened curing the genera
ton in which the veterans had lived.
The Presidents address, IN part, foi-
lows:
1T is g singular thing that men Of a
: single generation should nave WIZ
messed what you have witnessed N the
crowded fifty years which you celebrate
tonight. You took part when you were
Young men in a struggle the meahlnS
of which | dare say you thought would
not be revealed during your lifetime
and vet more has happened IN the max
inc Of This nation in your lifetime than
has ever happened in the making OF
nny other nation in the lifetime OF
dozen generations.
One War That Healed.
"The nation in which you now live
| "a now the nation for whose union
Won fought. You have seen many
+ things which have made this nation
ono of the representative nations OF
The world. with regard TO the modern
shirt Of that world, and you have the
satisfaction which / dare say few sol
djers have ever had, of looking back
upon a war absolutely unique N this,
tbat instead Of destroying it had
healed. that instead OF making perma-
nent division it made a permanent
union.
"This nation was from the beginning
spiritual enterprise. and you have
seen the spirits of the two once d.
vided sections Of this country abso-
Iu,eIv united. A war which seemed as
n il had the seed Of every KIND OF
bitterness in it has seen a single gen
orator put bitterness absolutely out
If its heart. and you feel. as | am sure
The men who fought against you ieei'
that YOU were comrades even then.
though you did not know IT, and that
now YOU know that you are comrades
in common love for country "hieh
you are equally eager 20 serve.
Democracy an Experiment.
Nobody--no sarge bodies OF men-in
he time that flag was hrst set up pc
lieyed with a very Arm beiief IN the
efficacy of democracy. Do you realize
that only so long ago as the time OF
The American Revolution democracy
was regarded as an experiment IN the
world. and we were regarded as rash
! experimentersg But we not only De-