The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1918-08-15
The Waldo County Veterans.

The Waldo County Veterans Associa-
ton held their August meeting at tne
Knights of Pythias hall at Ellingwoods
Corner, Winterport, August LIST. 1t was
one of those days made for the boys,
neither too cold nor too hot. Some thlr-
tv of them arrived early in the mornl- g.
Pres ], G. Trask called the forenoon
meeting to order with singing America.
The chair appointed committee on time
and place of next meeting: Comrades
Whitcomb, Crockett and Moore, who
subsequently reported time, September
5th, and place, North Belfast. The re-
mort was accepted. As the dinner call
sounded, the boys fell into line Tor the
dining room where fine dinner awaited
them. Later, cigars were passed and tns
smoke talk followed.
The afternoon meeting was opened
with singing the Star Spangled Banner,
followed byiprayer,by Chaplain Kingsbury.
The address of welcome by Lewis Little
field was responded to by Isaac COOK
Remarks were made by Alice Palmer;
music, Mrs. Benson; reading, Lettle Per-
kjns; recitations, Rose Edmunds, DORIS
Rogers and Noah Wilson; remarks, Com
rades S. L. Crockett, Lincoln Blaisdell,
Walter Littlefield, Croxford, Spencer, w.
Fl. Lizard. Stinson and others. The meet
ing closed by singing, God Be with You
Till We Meet Again. A. Stlnson.
Address of Welcome.
Mr.. President, veterans OF '6l and
friends: 1t gives me great pleasure to
address you this afternoon in behalf OF
the people of Ellingwood's Corner, to that
cause for which you are eat hered here
Friends you are gathered here 10 near
honored veterans relate their heroic tales,
then while you listen turn your thoughts
back to the days of Abraham Lincoln,
when that prosperous little country with
it's population of thirty million was sep
arated, the South from the North, and
President Lincoln in accordance with the
laws of the constitution took up arms to
restore the seeded States to the Union
After four years of hard fighting, the
seeded States were restored and the
slaves were freed.
Friends, these veterans who are gather
ed here. were engaged in that victorious
struggle for Freedom and Liberty, they
offered their lives in the words of Lincoln,
that that government of the people, by
the people and for the people should not
perish from the earth.
What would our land have been if it
had not been for these veterans. Instead
of the nation we are today we would
have perhaps been a second Russia.
And you, veterans, have made our ma
ton the nation it is today. A nation
upon which the eyes of the world are
turned, and that little country of the
year of 1861, with its population of thirty
million has today strong hundred MIL
lion, and wealth to a greater increase,
and now leading nation of the world is
our America.
We are now enga ged in another struggle
for Liberty. A war for Democracy, LIB
erty and Freedom upon the high seas,
not with hopes of gaining territory or as
blood-thirSty nation as our enemy, but
as a peace loving nation we entered this
war.
Germany after failing to throw Japan,
and the weak Mexican government at
war against US, made her second plan sue
cess full, while we were following the
strict laws of neutrality. Germany IN
terrupted our commerce with her destruc-
tive submarine, not only this, but she
| sent the lives of neutral country to the
! bottom of the sea. This being unbear-
able to our government, we were forced
at war against her
We entered war against nation that
has been preparing for at least fifty years
and has always practised military train
ing. Indeed, in many ways we were
| handicapped, we were in no way prepared
to raise an army of five million men. Gun
| shipping tonnage was very small and
most of all our country was Hooded with
spies and alien enemies.
But in numerous ways we were pre-
pared. We had millions of young men
ready at their country's call, we had an
/ abundant supply of food, money by the
billions, and back of all of this we have
a splendid Yankee spirit.
We must admit that Germany was
winning this war until America took W
arms with the Allies. Great is my fear.
that if it had not been for America thai
the motherland and the home of Lafayette
would have fallen under the rule OF au-
tocracy,