Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-12-01

| II JUNIOR Otu6E OF AtubTtCdu AA0CaaulCos
( The affair was uuder the auspices Of
Island Council, and 10 response to their
their invitation Plymouth and Ohio
Councils, Of Bellaire; Kirkwoo1 Coun-
Gil, Of Kirkwood; Ohio Valley Council,
Of Bridgeport; Logan Council, OF Sher-
/ rard, and Enterprise and Washington
Councils OF this city, turned out a fair
proportion Of their strength and march
/ ed 90 the Island just before three
o'clock, being accompanied by the Jr.
/ o. ". A. VI. and Mayors bands.
At the school building the following
programme was followed:
/ S1ug-Jpe ODE. Members OF the Choir
PRAY er..........- .........R Rev. n. ID. T. Buckley
/ Address Presenting the Flag. REV. A. B. Riker
| Res poase-Accepting the Flag ...............
Supt. A. Nj. stevenson
song. Pupils Of Madison School
Muslc..... ........ Mayer IS Bana
AT the outset of his address, Rev. DR..
Riker said they were there at the invi-
/ tation Of a great Order, aad with a flag
/ which represented the highest attain
ments of human liberty, progress and
/ intelligence. They were there on
Thanksgiving Day-and that repre-
/ sented the past; they were there in the
presence Of the coming generation Of
men and women, in the persons Of the
! pupils-and that represented the future,
and they we're there in the pres
ence of our glorious American
civilization, and that represented the
/ present. Our country stood to-day up
on the highest pinnacle OF human at
I tainment. There never was q day
when Our'cOmmOn heritage looked so
/ far as now. There never was day
when, In all this broad land, the out
look was so bright as It appeared to-
day. The people were free, prosperous,
coutented, and happy, aud if our fathers
/ could look down to-day upon the land
they fought for and struggled for they
would say that their bright dream
for the future had been abuDdantlY re-
allied, and far sooner than they could
have expected. IL must have been that
they could not have looked for what is
now our realization ia less than three
hundred or five hundred yearS-and yet
10 had been accomplished in little more
than three short generations. All hu-
nanity was turning toward America.
( There had been a gradual development,
In all ages and through all times, toward
the present glorious American ciYiliZa-
ton. He was sometimes inclined TO the
thought that Moses must have had the
true American spirit in him. He had
even thought sometimes that our Lord
Jesus Christ must have had the idea Of
America and American ideas implanted
deeply ia his breast. All the great
writer's through the ages must have
I had some idea Of the future in their
minds-SOme inspiration Of that grand
government which exists to-day. The
idea did not originate with our fore
fathers, but they had the inspiration
and the dream of what was to
come as the fought and struggled for
the Independence which was now our
common heritage. These foreiathers
were impressed and inspired by two
fundamental thoughts. One was the
dignity OF the individual, and the other
was the sovereignty Of the people. These
TWO thoughts stood out prominently in
the history OF America, and
the benefits Wa now en-
Joy were the result Of these two great
truths and fundamental ideas. No peO-
pie on the face of the earth were so
prosperous; no people on the face Of the
earth were so free; no people on she
face of the earth were so filled with a
high type OF manhood as that which fills
our bosOms to-day, and in proportion as
we are benefited by this great inherit
lance there Is a great responsibility on
the American citizen OF to-day, that he
may transmit 20 generations yet unborn
the great benefits which have been
handed down TO us. ''ln other words, "
said he, standing on the pinnacle we do
to-day, we should speed on this great
heritage, and see to it that 10 suffers
not one jot or title Of deterioration or
decay. And to do this, It is proper
that ahis great patriotic Order, whose
principles are the perpetuation
Of America for Americans,> should
gather In a school house today and
furnish to that school q flag represent
ing America, and under whose folds the
teachers may teach 70 their pupils the
great ideas OF American citizenship.
Applause / believe there is no more
holy work 10 which people can engage
than ia teaching 90 their children the
great truths OF American patriotism.
q I believe thS country be-
longs 70 Americans No
foreigner has a. rEh' 20 a ISrt OF
our inheritance, and Sc tie blood OF
German, aud lrjSu, and Scotch and
English flows in my veins, bus
remembering that, l an neither
Dutch, nor Irish, noe Scotch
nor English, but I am au Amer
lean. Applause. And l believe when
man lands on our shores and takes
out bis naturalization papers, that very
moment the ScOtCbmaH, or the Dutch
man. or the Irishmau, or the EngllSh-
man ought 20 die and an American be
born, Applause. and be ought 10
leave an his old world ideas behind. l
am not quite prepared, nor disposed to
Insist upon 10, bat / sometimes think
foreigner ought TO remain longer In
this country before be has the right 10
vote. 10 takes time 90 make sd Ameri-
can citizen. lt took me twenty-One
years. aud ali / had 20 do was to learn
American civilization, but the foreign
er has TO unlearn one system Of ideas
and then learn another. The first is
the easiest, and think our American
civilization has come 10 a point
where IL ought 20 be thus regarded.
think the present genera
ton can hardly appreciate the feelings
and the times in which our ioreiathers
lived. / sometimes think We do not
properly appreciate our American civil
izatlon. When they divorced the Church
from the State they must have had q
clear idea Of the great benefits that ae-
in -.nnIa hrlnr Tor hnrh The Church