The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1898-06-02
TRIBUTE OF FLOWERS.
Sank Centre Has a Memorial
Day Service Never Before
Equaled In Her
History.

Everything seemed to consptre this
year to make Memorial day an ideal
one, and people seemed to enjoy the
prospect, coming into town early in
the morning until by the time an
nounced for the parade to start the
streets were lined on both sides by in
terested crowds. Promptly at the ap-
pointed time the parade, which was
more than two blocks long started and
passing through the principal streets
ended at the Grand Opera house
where large audience had already
assembled, making, with those in the
parade, more than could get into the
hall.
w. e. Hale of Minneapolis was the
orator of the day and he delivered an
address whichwilllong be remembered.
1t was thoughtful, carefully prepared
appeal to high citizenship and intelli-
gent patriotism. He referred to the
early history of the republic, the ex-
allied character of the men who were
chiefly instrumental in calling it into
being, and their intense love of the
broadcast political and religious liberty
Their wisdom in framing a constitu-
ton, which, while effective to bind to-
gether five millions of people and the
ten colonies, was broad enough to
meet the demands Of 70, 000,0 600 of peo-
pie and forty-fve states. 1t has been
tested in peace and war, and tested in
the scramble of bitter international
strife.
He compared our republic with those
of ancient times and emphasized the
fact that it was the exact equality OF
all classes of citizens before the law
which gave the American republic its
superior strength, and it's promise of
prepetuity.
He paid a fine tribute to Lincoln and
his noble coadjutors and fellow pa
triots of the civil war, and quoting
from his Gettysburg speech in an elo-
quent peroration, rounded out an ad-
dress which was as instr in =
spring as it was interesting and tlo-
quent. It's exalted and enObling
thought was clothed in suitable dig
nifty of diction--making it a super b
effort.
The hall was beautifully decorated,
the stagefront being very tastefully al
ranged with blossoms and plants and
over the monument erected to the ''un-
KNOWN dead, lovely wreathes and
festoons hung in silent but graceful
eloquence, commemorative a service
of love which reoccuring each year
helps to tread out from between our
hearts the weeds of selfishness and
greed.
The whole service at the hall, includ-
ing musical and other numbers, was
good. No break occurred from be-
ginning to end, and Mr.. Norris as
commander of the post exercised a
great deal of generalship in carrying
out the order of the day while he was
supported by able assistants.
In the afternoon the largest process
sion that has ever hOnCred Memorial
day by visiting the cemeteries here,
went out, and the graves of the SOL
diers were strewn with flowers. Rev.
Chas. W. Lawson delivered short
address, his theme being "Some
American Mile Stones" The whole
service was commemorative and
wholly worthy of sincere and patri-
otto people.
The day was unmarried by any dem
onstration of rowdyism or display OF
sports, seeming to have been sacred
to the memory of the dead, which is
an agreeable feature from the usual
customary it always continue so.
Rev. J. F. Hamilton conducted the
Grand Army Memorial services of a
religious character on Sunday even
ing. The regular evening service
was said, and the responses were
heartily entered into by the immense
congregation. The church choir as
sisted, and w. l. Henshaw sang a
solo very effectively. Mr.. Hamilton
preached an admirable sermon from
the text: "What mean We by this
service?" After reviewing briefly the
history of the Children of Israel in
Egypt, and the clear manifestation OF
Gods power in their behalf, he drew
a strong parallelism with this favored
nation of ours. He dwelt upon the
terrible fratricidal struggle which
ended the cause of slavery, and as
serted that the uplifting of the coun-
try, both north and south justified all
the blood and treasure it cost. He
/ said that practical liberty never has
been achieved independent of religion,
and the hope of our republic rested
upon the exalted morality of the peo-
pie. He cited the conspicuous failures