Show REMEMBER THE MAINE This day is the first anniversary of the destruction of the battleship Maine in Havana harbor Representative Tawney of Minnesota proposes that the day shall be generally observed and the tragic memories of that dire disaster impressed upon the minds of the American people I was nothing but an unfortunate incident said President McKinley in his message to congress accompanying the report of naval experts showing beyond question that it was the result of Spanish treachery But it was an epochmaking incident I was the beginning of a war which drove Spain from the American Amer-ican continent I marked the dawn O anew era in the policies of this republic re-public Some recognition of the day is appropriate appro-priate Flags should be lowered at halfmast all over the country and on every American ship Congress requires this to be done upon all public buildings build-ings which is as far perhaps as official cial action can go in commemorating the occasion Private enterprise and individual ingenuity may go further It o is well to remember the day a the soldiers sol-diers and sailors remember the Maine not with rancor and revenge but in sorrow for the brave men who lost their lives one year ago today and in pity for the miserable vretches who were responsible for that disaster Should this become an annual occasion occa-sion for mournful observance the emotions emo-tions of the day should be tempered with the dignity and self restraint which marked the patriotic determination determina-tion of the people of this republic when they heard the sad news and only > wanted to know they were right that i they might go ahead And when the responsibility of Spain was fixed they went ahead though Spain went faster |