28 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
master introduced Mrs. Herbert Backus,
Vice-President
General of the Daughters of the
American Revolution.
RESPONSE OF MRS. HERBERT BACKUS
Mr. Toastmaster, Distinguished Guests
and Friends: A story
was told me the other day of a farmer
who took unto himself his
second wife. He brought her to the home
of her predecessor.
After some time had elapsed she told him
that she needed some
new shoes; that all her shoes were worn
out. He said: "Well,
Samantha left a box of shoes in the
cupboard. I think perhaps
some of those will fit you." She
replied to him, "I know I have
taken Samantha's place but I never
expect to fill her shoes."
(Laughter.)
Our beloved president is Mrs. Hobart.
She was expected to
be here tonight but I am here in her
place though I never did ex-
pect to fill her shoes. I am very glad
to bring you greetings from
the National Society of the Daughters of
the American Revolu-
tion. (Applause.)
Mr. Loren E. Sowers of Canton, Ohio,
past Presi-
dent of the Ohio Society of the Sons of
the American
Revolution and past Director-General of
the National
Society of that patriotic order, was
next introduced and
spoke as follows:
ADDRESS OF LOREN E. SOWERS
Mr. Toastmaster, Ladies and
Gentlemen: As the toastmaster
has already very vividly hinted, it is
decidedly an embarrassing
privilege to be permitted to provide the
anti-climax of an occasion
such as that of today which has been
specialized so notably by the
presence and the stirring address of the
Secretary of War rep-
resenting, as he has done, the United
States of America upon
this occasion, and that magnificent
address by Arthur C. Johnson
this afternoon.
Though embarrassing, it is still a
privilege on behalf of the
President-General, the officers and the
whole membership of the
National Society of the Sons of the
American Revolution to bring
to you tonight greetings and
congratulations upon the accomplish-
ments of this splendid thing which has
just been finished today.
Under the leadership of the men who have
had this task in
Ohio's Monument to General Anthony
Wayne 29
charge, and particularly I have in mind
my dear friend, Mr.
Walter Sherman, to whose heart I know
this project has long been
so dear, this must be a day of very real satisfaction;
and to all of
us Americans who love the history of our
country; to our
Ohioans who know and love the history of
our State, this day
must be one very full of meaning, and it
has been. It is a typical
thing for us, from our standpoint of
time and circumstances, to
understand just why we saw fit to bring
back to mind an event
of one hundred and thirty-five years ago
which has been cele-
brated today. One hundred and
thirty-five years, yet but a mo-
ment of time compared to the ages of
history. And so it is hard
for us to think of that event in terms
of its importance.
Many of you know that it opened the way
for the establish-
ment of the peace and civilization, and
made possible the exten-
sion of the United States into the vast
domain of the West. It
was a mission of peace and not of war
upon which Anthony
Wayne set out. His achievement was one
of peace and not
merely an exploit of war. Civilization,
education, science, agri-
culture and the arts of peace were the
camp followers of Wayne's
little army.
We humans are sometimes apt to think and
talk dogmatically
with certainty about some things as
absolute and perhaps there
are no two subjects about which people
are more apt to dogma-
tize as if they were absolute than war
and peace. One thing in
truth, as things we are told are
relative, war and peace particu-
larly are relative. And the exploits of
war and the achievements
of peace are so mixed up together that
we cannot, in analyzing
history separate the one from the other.
And always it has been
and always it must be that the peace,
the prosperity, the happiness
and the security of a nation, so long as
human nature is human
nature as we have known it, must in a
large measure depend on
the readiness of the people to sustain
the rights at whatever cost
and to defend the peace which they would
enjoy.
This day has been one which ought to
have been and I am
sure has been inspiring to everyone of
us and all of us Sons and
Daughters of the American Revolution or
Americans, all who
come over here with a newly inspired
sense of duty, to serve our
country in such circumstances as may be
given to us with such
opportunities as are ours. In peace or
if need be in war, but
particularly to do our utmost in every
possible way to uphold our
government, to maintain its force, its
righteousness, its majesty
and power, its influence, its prestige
among the nations and to
serve it loyally and obediently, doing
our duty as citizens to the
end that ideals of our fathers may be
accomplished in all the
30 Ohio Arch. and Hist. Society Publications
future and in the perpetuity of this
Republic as a leader, the
leader it has been, the leader it should
always be in carrying for-
ward in the world the cause of free
government and righteous-
ness among men. (Applause.)
CONCLUSION OF PROGRAM
Toastmaster Patterson felicitously
brought this de-
lightful banquet to a close as follows.
We quote from
a stenographic report:
TOASTMASTER PATTERSON--No occasion was ever made less
pleasant by the introduction of a note
of informality. We have
now reached the time to make this a very
informal meeting and if
I can trust myself in the labyrinth of
titles, which blanket me on
either side, I am going to try to
introduce this audience to
these titles or these titles to this
audience. I said quite pointedly
a moment ago that the speaking part of
the program had been
concluded, but I know some of you who do
not know the people
at the speakers' table would like to
know who they are. I am
going to introduce most of them, perhaps
all of them. If I drop
out somewhere along the line I suppose
Mr. Sherman will help
me out. I will just introduce them. I
will ask each one to rise
at the conclusion of the introduction,
and make a bow.
I am going to introduce, first, Dr.
Nevin O. Winter. We
believe he knows more about Anthony
Wayne, with the possible
exception of the Secretary of War, than
anybody else in the world.
He is the historian of this whole
territory.
(Much applause as Mr. Winter arises and
makes a bow.)
I now will introduce the chairman of the
Ohio Revolutionary
Memorial Commission, Mr. A. D.
Hosterman, of Springfield.
(Applause as Mr. Hosterman arises.)
Then the Regent of Ursula Wolcott
Chapter of the Daugh-
ters of the American Revolution, Mrs. W.
I. Hadley, of Toledo.
(Applause as Mrs. Hadley arises.)
Then the State President of the
Daughters of 1812, Mrs. W.
I. Sawyer, of Akron.
(Applause.)
Then I want you to know particularly the
sculptor who made
beauty a reality in this magnificent
monument which brings us
together for this occasion, Mr. Bruce Wilder Saville,
of New
York.
(Applause.)