The Dalles daily chronicle. [volume] (The Dalles, Or.) 1890-1948, 1895-05-29
SIGNIFICANCE OF ToMoRRow.

History records an Athenian custom,
which was to wreath with flowers the
monuments of those who had fallen in
battle. Rome, nation which sur
passed her contemporaries in love of
arts and arms, erected statutes and gar
landed triumphal arches in honor of her
victorious brave. 1t is then in conform
ity to an ancient custom-a natural and
a grateful thing our American
people have set apart day in which to
decorate the graves of the heroic dead
who fought and fell that their country
might survive; and fitting it is that
With the beauty and fragrance of the
flowers we should bespeak our gratitude
and affection.
While this custom of decorating the
graves of soldiers has prevailed in other
countries, we are not aware that in any
other country it is day of national OBJ
servance. The custom was observed
with us on different days as early as
1S62-65. The custom spread and be-
came moro general, until President
Grant and the governors of several
stases were constrained to unite in rec
ommending the observance of one and
the same day for that purpose. In 1874,
by congressional enactment, the fitness
of a ceremonial so significant of the
nations obligation to the dead was rec
ognized, and May 30th was decided upon
as a legal holiday, now known and OBJ
served as Decoration Day in every state
of the union.
It was the VOW of the brave men who
went forth to battle in those gloomy
days that the integrity of the nation
should be preserved, at whatever cost of
fortune or of life; and the nation has
recorded its VOW that their patriotism
and sacrifice shall be honored, and that
our country shall be made and kept
worthy of their sacrifice. As each me-
mortal day comes around the nation
stands with the remnant of the soldiers
of the civil war-a remnant which is fast
growing smaller. until they shall soon
be no more-and beside the graves oi
their dead comrades renews it's vow.
We do not fear but what our American
people will stand to this VOW and pur-
pose, though they may sometimes seem
to forget them or fall far short of a
proper conception of the high behest
We shall not do this unless we are in
spired by the consciousness which ami
mated the hero of Trafalgar = "Oul
country expects every man to do his
duty"
The flag of our country must not float
over this broad land, with it's sixty mil.
lions of people, simply as symbol o.
power, but it must somehow be recog.
nized as the symbol of truth and right
Vind1cated, and consciousness of great
duties yet to be done. Not "eterna
vigilance" alone, but eternal effort a:
we'll, sis the price of liberty.''
A great country must come of great
men; men who will neither be silent
when great corruptions need rebuke
nor inactive when great evils are to be
put down. There are treasons many
and manifold, against which the loya
citizen is ever to be soldier and do bat.
tie. Traitors in the time of peace should
have no more mercy than traitors in the
time of war. There are batteries many
and manifold which we have to fight
the battle for temperance; for socia
purity; the battle OF labor against capi
tai and capital against labor; the battle
against poverty and for homes ant
plenty for our people; the battle against
the deadly isms which have been i'm
ported into our land, or which have
grown out of our own selfshness anc
greed, and which are warning agains
the very life of our nation.
To such battles we are called as {
nation; and fighting them manfull,
and patriotically we shall make our lanC
worthy of the sacrifices which we thi
day commemorate, and ourselves broth
ers with those who endured or fell il
the great conflict.