Vernon County censor. [volume] (Viroqua, Wis.) 1865-1955, 1919-07-16
WELCOME And RESPONSE
ELOQUENT WORDS SPOKEN AT
VERNON SOLDIER WELCOME
Address of Welcome by Dist. Atty.
c. J.Smith--Respcnse by Captain
c. 4. Buffers

I - T. DulleIS
| Below we give the fine address of
welcome to Vernon's soldiers deliver
ed by District Attorney G. j. Smith
at Viroqua, July 4th:
Mr.. President. You who wear the gold star
/ Veterans of the CiVf and Spanish-American
war. Soldier Boys. Fellow Citizens. Ladies
and Gentlemen:
/ Never before have hEd.and never again do
expect to have. a greater honor bestowed
upon than aha; which the committee in
Charge of this splendid celebration has be-
slowed open me, in asking me to address a
Few words Of welcome 20 all those who took
J part in the great struggle that has so recently
1 terminated in such a splendid victory. At this
supreme moment l fully realize how wholly
I inadequate is human speech to express the
emotions that surge through the breasts of
men and women on occasions like this.
| only wish that there were in all the Ian
guage Of men, words out of which I might
construct sentences TO express the sentiments
and emotions Of my heart at this moment.
L would select words and construct sentences
/ that would picture the greatest. the gEandest,
I the bravcst, the most patriotic army that ever
marched 10 the music Of man; sentences that
would chant in victorious praise the deeds Of
every soldier boy who had his face turned to-
ward the enemy. and his heart set on being
one Of that squad Of patriots who should
hoist the stars and stripes on the highest cit
/ idei of old Berlin. / would construct SEN
fences 10 sing in sympathetic strains the val
orous deeds of the noble women and girls who
z
| lives, to minister TO the wants and alleviate
/ the suherings Of the soldier boys. Sentences
| that would extoi the work of every patriot Of
! the land who dad his part In the great strug-
I gle, whatever that may have been. whether he
titled the soil feiled the forest, worked the
mine or fed the forge, or in any other way
aided in bringing about the glorious ending
OF that awful struggle. And would not for
get to construct sentences that would hiss
| like serpents, sting like ladders and bite like
scorpions TO express my contempt. my hatred
| for the crown heads and military lords who
were responsible for bringing about this great
war.
Three hundred years ago our forefathers
conceived the idea that all men are created
equal and have certain inherent rights. and
that to secure these rights governments are
instituted among men, deriving their just pow
ers from the consent Of the governed That
the only right government is 6 government
Of the people, by the people and for the pea-
pie. For one hundred and fifty years they
struggled 10 enact these great principles into
law fer the government Of the people of this
fair land Of ours. One hundred and forty
three years age to-day they gave 60 the world
that immortal document that declared these
principles should be the underlying principles
OF the new government they then Brought into
being on this western hemisphere, Fram that
hour until the present moment this govern
ment of ours has been the greatest example of
democracy the world ever knew, or even
conceived. Bnring that one hundred and forty
three years The nations of the world have been
jealous of our freedom. liberty, pro-
grass, our intelligence, our wealth. and eur
|
OF peace and war.
Early in the great struggle out Of which We
have just emerged il became evident that these
principles Of government were AT stake and
that sooner or later they must stand fall in
the supreme test of conflict. Then II was that
the cry came from across the waters Come
over into MACEDONIA and help US" At first
they said "If the world is saved for dem0c-
racy we must have your help. We must have
your money, your influence, a great ma
ton. your ships, your munitions. your auto
/ ka Van ~
not only feed soldiers, but our starving
women and children"
Quickly the response came from every cor
ner of cur land. and we sent them of our
billions, of our every resource, and said to
them. save the day" But all this would not
stem that awful tide Of destruction and blood
shed that was sweeping westward across the
continent Of Europe, like a western prairie
FIRE leaving only desolation and want. sorrow
and suffering in it's wake. Then, at last.
came that supreme call that thrilled the very
heart Of the nation. 1--WE must have your boys
or all is lost" The news flashed across the
continent. and reached every hamlet in the
from the west. from the north and from the
south From the brown stone front Fifth
Avenue and from the cabin Of the humble
dwelier on the plains. From the homes Of the
high and the low. the rich and the poor. came
a like cheerful response. The bride of few
days said here is my future hope and hap
piness, take him.. The gray haired mother
said here are my boys, one two, three four.
all that have. take them all IL need be" that
the stars and stripes may float forever an en-
blem Of liberty and human rights. not only
within our borders, but wherever man Is found.
We said God bless you, as they marched
| away In response to their cOuntry's call. with
prayer that they might all return to US
again. carrying the stars and stripes vic
! tOriOus il had been brought back from every
waged in behalf of human rights. and
IL needs be they should fall. where shot and
| shell were thiekest. that that emblem should
be their winding sheet as they lie in their last
sleep on the fields of sunny France. From
| the moment the call came until the end. we
gave of all VIC had The battle must be fought
| the victory must be won. We made our farms
| produce to their uttermost, our factories run
day and night. Our mines were worked as
| never before. Our buys were rushed across
| the continent. thence across the seas 10 for
| eign lands all to win the world for democracy.
Our women and girls. God bless them. follow
ed a. quickly as possible that they might be
| there should their brothers fall.
Today greet you. every one. we make no
| distinction whether you fought across the sea
under the sea, upon the sea. or In the air
over the sea. Whether you responded to the
| call and went TO the camps ready TO go. or
| titled the farms. worked the mines. kindled
| the fires In the FORCES. in some other way
did your bit. II you did your duty,
| in the hour Of your country's peril you are one
of the heroes of this great victory. We well
come you here today, no matter whence you
came.
| II was the custom in olden times TO make a
great feast, to commemorate the completion OF
any great work. This is our feast today. We
are told partly from Holy Writ partly from
profane history and partly from legend that
when King Solomon completed his magnificent
| temple and dedicated IL 10 the Most High God
that he gave a feast and called thousands whO
had been instrumental in that great work "a
| share in the festivities Of the occasion. And
as they were about to sit down to the feast
| the question arose as 10 who should sit in the
| seat Of honor at the side Of the king. Some
| thought is should be the soldier. with helmet
Of steel and glittering armor who seated on
| his praneing sleed all cmblazoned with golden
trapping, had commanded the coharts "a
guard that great work. Others thought i
should be the architect who planned thai
] world wonder. Still others maintained that
+ the skilled workman who had carved the wood
/ fashioned the stone and cut the gems that
made up this masterpiece Of hsndiwork was
/ entitled 10 the homer 90 be bestowed hing
| Solomon said ghe honor should 20 to Of
| these, but rather 10 he who fashioned the tooli
| that the work might be accomplished And
| selected. to ;ke enazemcnt o. that vast ths6uR
I the man clad in leathsrn apron. with sleeves
/ rolled 10 his tlbo rs that his brawRy arm
might not be !mpsaded AZ he fashioned ths
\ tools at his forge, and he sat AZ the right aHnd
| Of the kirg at that great feast the guest Of
| honor.
We are not thus embarrassed today an se.
l Letting the guest Of homer. bus go give the
seat Of honor to every true patriot. Ne vel
come yea 81 to 'isis our feast.
TO this welcome Captain c. f. But
ters responded as follows
Five years to day. from the time the mi.
tial act that made possible the world war
I that Of the assassination Of an almost unknown
| monarch in an almost unknown town in Eu-
4 rope the peace terms were signed al yerssii-
les. And the frat Fourth Of July follow.
/ ing the closing act Of the war there is given
me the supreme privilege Of my Hfe,--that
Of representing the soldier element Of be
| loved county in replying 70 the thonGhtful
I well prepared and. from the heart. welcome
of our honored citizen. {. j. Smith. And this
I response like that Of the address Of welcome
! viii be addressed first 10 those who wear the
golden star. that tells in eloquent but silent