Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1894-06-03
Memorial Day Exercises.

49, N@N
afternoon nearly the entire population
OF the town and people from the sur
rounding country gathered at the
Odd Follows Hall to listen to the
exercises.
Promptly ut 1:30 p. NJ. the Odd
Fellows headed by A. Bruce, Marshal
Of the Day, marched in and took the
seats reserved for them and Ed Rein.
hart, Grand Warden Of the 1. o. o. F..
Of Nevada, called the people to order
and the choir, composed OF Mrs. 7. n.
Stone, Mrs. E. Remnant, Miss. Nellie
Ainley, Miss. Cora Harris, Miss Ger
tie Lang, DIR Mcdowell, l.. Winter
mantle, Q. W. Hull and Rev. w. H. !.
Houghton, sang the opening ode; after
which Rev. w. II. 1. Houghton in
voked the blessings Of God ON the ex-
ercises. The choir sang Peace after
which the President of the Day in a
few well chosen remarks welcomed
the people to the Hall. Mrs. Stone
and Miss Nellie Ainley sang a duet,
Beyond the Vale"
Rev.. +. S. Witter wasthen introduc.
ed and delivered an grafton, entitled
Lessons o. the Conflict" The follow
ing is the closing part Of his ad.
| dress:
%We meet to day under the auspices
OF u Lodge Of Odd Fellows. This
Memorial Day would not have been
publicly observed here had it not been
for the patriotic spirit and teachings
Of Odd Fellowship, which leads me
to say, finally, that the lessons Of
friendship, love and truth, to care for
the sick, bury the dead, educate the
orphan and support the widow, and
the lesson that no man can be a true
man who is not grateful to his Great
or, loyal to his country aud fraternal
to his fellow-mnn we're the lessons Of
that war for the Union. If the friend
ship Of David and Jonathan had ex-
listed in the Republic between 1776
and 1861 there would have been no
Rebellion and no war The son Of
the reigning king and the youthful
aspirant to the throne Of Israel were
true friends. The soul of Jonathan
was knit to the soul of David. The
jealous Saul seeks the life of David
and Jonathan saves his life. Thus a
friendship sprung up between them
in adversely which continued through
their lives. Slavery and sectional
hatred were cause of that war, but
they cannot exist where true friend
ship is, which would have saved this
land from its baptism of blood. IL
the love OF the Good Samaritan for
the wounded Jew had prevailed in
that nation, then no rebellion and no
war would have cursed it. The love
OF that Samaritan for the jew over
came national boundaries and sec
tional bitterness, rebuked the hypo-
critical professions Of priest and
levite and found expression in good
deeds to the wounded and unfortun-
ate. War cannot exist where love il.
Love puts no hnnd.cuffs on the wrists
and no shackles on the feet OF a
slave. The spirit that lifts up a fall
len foe puts the wine OF refreshment
into his mouth and the oil Of healing
into his wounds, takes him to a hotel
and pays his bills never would have
o%verthrown this Union. There were a
rebellion and a war because true
friendship and love did not universal
ly prevail. There was war because
Of n lack Of truth and because men
had not learned that no man can be a
true nan who is not grateful to his
Creator, loyal to his country and fra.
ternal to his fellow-mnn. Hence il
the men Of the nation had been true
Odd Fellows, and the women had
been daughters OF Rebecca, there
would have been no millions OF Union
dead to lamont to-day, no Union sol.
der graves for flowers, no wreck and
ruin along the pathway Of armies
and no fearful waste Of treasure and
OF life. And IL the time over comes
when the lion and the lamb shall lie
down together and nations will learn
war no more IL will come through
friendship, love and truth. War has
stalkcd over this earth, brandishing
the torch Of tho incendiary, marching
to the work Of destruction, creating
the riot OF death and the carnival OF
the grave. Go to tho field OF battle
and amid the shrek OF THE dying. the
clash OF weapons and the rom OF ar.
tillery, learn the nature of cruel war.
II has nnnihilated tho agriculture aud
commerce Of the richest nations ever
represented to us on the map OF the
globe. 1t Inns killed more beings
than now inltabit this earth. In fifty
battles fought by Julius Caesar he
trampled upon tho corpsos Of 1 ,l02,000
men. Tho Rebellion cost tho North
and South 100000 precious lives,
but friendship, love and truth arc
softening tho hearts and enlighten.
ing tho minds OF all mankind and the
universe will yet be n temple OF
amity and concord on which the in.
scription, Behold how good and pleas.
mt it is for brethren to dwell togeth.
or IN unity Tho temple of Janus
shall be closed. Tho swords aud
spears Of the nations will become