Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1902-05-26

V. Il. L., Sons of Veterans. Ladies'
Aid society. Ladies of the &. \. r..
and the Naval Reserves. The major
ity of the men were in uniform.
The interior of the church was
beautifully and tastefully decorated
with the national coIors and flowers
and pOttcd plants and pictures Of ma
tional heroes adorned the walls. The
musical program WAS patriotic in its
nature and included solos by Miss
Woodin and Miss Boguc and numbers
by quartet composed of the Misses
Noodin and Bogue and the Mcssrs.
Anderson and Hazard. At the con-
clusion of the services Thomas IL.
Flynn. chief of the bugle corps of
the 9th regiment. blew taps.
old story Rehearsed.
Rev. William Torrance took his text
from Joshua l:G, What mean We by
these stoncS?"
in one of the great crises in Is
raers destiny" he said, when
strange unlooked-for dclivcrance
came to the Israclitcs. Joshua com
manded that memorial stones should
be put up to commemorate the event,
so that when the children in after
years should ask, What mean We by
these stones?' the story Of these olden
days would be rchearsed to future
generations. We have something of
this kind in America. The monu-
ments raised To commemorate great
cvents-the Fourth of July and Mem
orial day will carry down to future
generations the great things which
they commemorate.
Forty years ago we were i'm the
midst of the most gigantic struggle
that the pen of the historian was ever
called upon to record. The whole
land was ablaze with the spirit of
war. Call after call was made by the
the answer was sent back We arc
coming, Father Abraham, five hun
dred thousand strong until at the
close of the war more than 900. 600
men were under arms. More than n
quarter of a million men gave up
their lives, mostly from wounds in
battle. It was a tremendous sacrifice
and some countries would not have
been worth IL. How is it with ours?
While we may differ i'm its application,
most of Us believe in the Providence
of God. both in natural and individ-
ual affairs. 1t il intensely interesting
to trace the footsteps of God in our
natural history. rs Il nation VIC be-
long to new era.
Maine Disaster Changes All.
Before that night when the Maine
was blown mp in Havana harbor prob
ably there could not have been found
q score of men in the whole country
who would have voted t. accept any
foreign possession il one were offered
to Us. But The blowing up of the
Maine changed all. The short, sharp
war with Spain left US III possession
of Il great group of islands half way
across the globe ard compelled us to
take orr place as one of the great
powers of the world, but today we
are becoming more and more deeply |
in all that pertains TO the
W clfare of the whole human race.
I'm this onward movement YOU men |
Of the G.. \. Il. have mad your place |
and done your part. The soldiers of |
America have never faltercd when the |
welfare and honor of their country |
was at stake.
''War is not an unmitigated evil |
Some of the sublimest characteristics
IF human nature have to be cultivat-
I'd by the soldier. Such, for example,
as that prompt and unquestioning
obedience TO orders. This is one of
The highest traits of the christian
life. TO do the will of God, even when
we do not know the reason for the
Another characteristic of
he soldier is self-deniaI. He is a liv-
ng testimony that there is something