The Wheeling intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1903-1961, 1921-08-08
ELOQUENT TRIBUTE
CONTINUED Prom Page ona.)

only at IN" final reunion when We have
all passed over the river to rest under
the shade Of the trees
Death Warrants for Many
IT happened to occupy in those trying
days a public position wherein It vas
my duty TO sign the orders which took
you men Of West Virginia from your
homes to the training camps. 1t was
duty I could not have eVaded. though
naturally | knew ! was signing the
death warrants OF some OF those boys.
IT saw them in the training camps
and followed them In. their movements
so far as I could In my thoughts when
they had gone across. The pick, the
flower Of the manhood Of my state was
there. Il was n forcgone conclusion
they would reflect glory and honor
upon II.
"A grateful people appreciate your
sacrifices. though tho federal govern
mcnt has not yet translated that apPre-
citation into tangible form. II will, II
must do So in due time. It has been
said that republics are unsrateful. but
the history Of the United States has
not verified that assertion. The soldiers
Of the Civil war were not forgotten, nor
were those Of preceding wars. Nor Will
the men be forgotten or long neglected
who fought in the greatest OF wars
You are gathered hero to pay TRIBUTE
70 YOUR comrades Of the EIGHTEEN ol-
vision who made the great. the supreme
sacrihe We cannot honor them ny
nero lip-service no matter how sincere.
how earnest our words may he. IheY
houored themselves by giving their
lives, their all
Tt IS entirely appropriate, however
that memorial services he held each
year not with the thought or In the
mistaken belief that we can acd any
thing to the glory Of their achievements
or to the brillhncy Of their record out
rather with the thought that we may
prnft from their example or SELF sncrl-
fec, the higher and better thonShts
which reflection upon those 'sacrlhces
should inspire: that we may thus Dc
somewhat strengthened in the discharse
Of our duties as American citizehs'
Those duties. always or pressing I'M
portance, never were or greater "eie"'
than today. War and its reactions nave
mt onlv disturbed and upset our coun-
try. indeed the whole world IN an eco,
nomtc way, but have likewise changed
tho current Of human tnousht Ok"
human aspirations.
Tasks of tho Present
nTo the task or lessentng the ouroens
~ armament and taxation of restoring
the country to It's usual economic ana
nrosperous condition. in order that the
average citizen may support himself
and his family in comfort and peace as
we'll as OF doing justice to FORMER sex
vice men and Of caring for the helpless
and afflicted everywhere; to these TASKS
are added the othor ono OF guarding our
country, our government. and IT'S inst,-
tutlons and Ideals from maleVoient at
lacks OF the revolutionlsts on the one
side or the elements Of selhshness ana
creed on the other. The danger from
the ono Ia almost az imminent and Al
mos, as serious as from tho other.
TT is your task and mine TO cornoal
tnos. evil forces, and to hold our coun-
try TO the true American and the con-
stitutional course. not only for the pro-
lection Of our children and our child
rom, children, but we owe to tho men
~ the EiEhtieth division. and OF All the
ether divisions. who died that tyranny
IN any form might not prevail