The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1901-05-06
VETERANS ON RECORD.
Lincoln Post Makes a Plea For
Memorial Day.

Lincoln Post, G. A. r.. at its meeting
on Saturday evening, May 4, adopted an
address appealing to the public for
proper and fitting observance of Memo
rial day. The veterans have placed
themselves on record as being against
holiday amusements upon the only day
of the year that has been dedicated to
the memory of the heroic dead of the
dress:
To the Public.
Fellow Christians, Patriots and Coun-
tryrnen-Allow us with kindly plead
ings to call to your minds the fact that
at the instance of the surviving sol
diers of the civil war, the Goth of May,
called Memorial day" was set apart
as the anniversary of the death of
union soldiers, to be observed with ap-
propriate ceremonies.
The grateful people of A saved re-
public, through it's congress, made this
day a legal holiday in order that the
surviving comrades, families and rela~
tives of deceased soldiers, and patri-
otto citizens with their families might
be free to participate in professions
and the sol INN ceremonies of the one
day dedicated to our heroic dead.
Memorial day, therefore, is a hallowed
national holiday, exclusively provided
that grateful people may extend
more tenderly and universally It's N OSI
righteous remembrance to it's noble
dead, thus recognizing that our ma
tional splendor has its root in a SOL
dier's grave.
Through the thoughtlessness of youth.
the greed of gain and the pleasures of
debauch, Memorial day is being more
and more changed from its original IN
tent and devoted to base purposes. To
such an extent has it been prostftuted
that it's hallowed friendships its rev.
erence for the dead and the sanctity of
the graves it honors have been so disre-
garded and dishOnored that fearful
degeneracy of patriotism is imminent
together with the loss of all sense Of
sacredness of human feelings and sac
rifices
Races of all kinds. ball games. the
aters, card parties, dances, banquets
and the like on this national funeral
day are as great an offense against
good taste and patriotism as for chill
dren or other members Of a household
to turn from the funeral GRAFTON and
grave Of a dead father to similar rev.
elries.
The boys ought to stop playing while
the fathers funeral is taking place. ana
not make a gala day of an occasion
when even the leaves sing q requiem
and the flowers yield their choicest per
fune for the nations dead. republic
which does not frown upon its citizens.
whether chief magistrate. tramp or vag-
abond. who prostitutes things sacred
and holy, will soon fall by reason of the
weakness of its own moral corruption.
The use of Memorial Day as a day of
revelry is an affrOnt to the living sol
der and to the widows and orphans of
the dead, whose virtues we rehearse. as
we uphold the cause to which they gave
the fullest measure of their devotion,
when on that day we decorate their
toubs remembering that our liberty tree
draws its life from hearts that once
were happy with us in our country's
service.
We feel that civilized public, to say
the least, should refrain from counter
ancing, by either presence or words, such
prostitution and desecration of patriot
ism, death and the grave, and we are
convinced that the liberation of such
invasion, indicates and entails the de-
generaey of our country, and is a men
ace to its liberties and perpetuity.
The public should respect the rights
of that solemn procession. which, with
suppressed weeping, breaking hearts
and memories. is marching all day long
to our country's cemeteries to honor our
heroic dead
Unless the sacredeness of Memorial
Day can be maintained, it were better
that it were stricken from the calendar
as a national holiday.
For these reasons. we, a remnant of
those. who in the dark and bloody days
from 1861 to 1865. stood shoulder to