Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1905-05-31

just listened, said, This country wa,
conceived in liberty and dedicated +,
the proposition that all men are created
equal There had arisen along side :,
this. another view, directly opposite
| that race of men had been created +,
be the slaves of another; and Tins h,,,
man slavery was introduced into tbi.
country. dating back to our earlies,
times. as carly as 1871 when more tba,
700 slaves had been brought into
South Carolina. The conditions in the
South, both climatic and agricultural
tended to foster the institution of sIav.
cry until the thought became firmly
| fixed in the minds of many good mon
| that it was of Divine origin. Throupb.
| ont the Northern states the other nro-
position, that all men were created
equal. tlOurished and grew and became
| as strongly imbeddad in the minds and
| hearts of the people. Thus we had two
directly attagonistic propositions
growing side by side in enc country
each with its conscientious arherents
1t is interesting to read the histor,,
of our country so years Irior to the
| Civil War and to note the efforts IN
harmonizc these two conflicting elo
ments under one flag. The older in
habitarts will remember the efforts tn
compromise. the establishing of Mason
and Dixon's line. the settlement of Kan
sas. and the bred Scott decision which
aroused such intense excitement and in
tercst through both the North and the
South. Abraham Lincoln said in a
srecch at Chicago in 1853, "a house di
Ni6p6 against itself al OF,
licve this government cannot endure
permanently half slave and half free.
| do not expect the Union to be dis
solved. l do not expect the house to
fall. but l do expect it will cease to be
divided"
The war came and right prevailed.
The proposition that all men were
created equal was sustained by the sac
riflce IF the BOYS in Dluc AID today it is.
accepted by all that this question was
settled rightly. We have in a neigh
boring city in our State one Of the
prominent generals who conscientious
ly cspouscd the cause of the South, to-
day speaking words OF patriotism and
communication to the veterans i'm blue
for their devotion to the cause which
resulted in great blessing to the whole
country.
The thought arises, was the question
settled when Ice surrendered at Apo
matoX court house. and were equal
rights fully established never to trouble
us again" Are the same tendencies
row to be dealt with as were then the
cause of the great conflict?
Early in lhc history of mankind il
was dcclecd by the Creator that 'in
the sweat of thy face shalt thou ca.
bread In tho disobedinnce of that
command has come no'end of trouble
Men have been striving frcm that day
to this to eat their bread by the sweat
Of other mcE's brows. chat spir;.
brought forth human slavery and con-
scauentiy tn" great Civil War; 1t is at
work now as then, yet Under different
corms because of different conditions.
Parents declare that their children
shall not be obliged to endure the hard
ship and labor which they themselves
passed through. Young men are heard
to say that the world owes them a liv-
ing. therefore they will get it without
working for It. Thus the conflict goes
on. Men strive to accomplish this pur-
pose aHd their victims oppose. This ap-
pears in the various schemes of stock
scCulation the promoting of bogus en-
tcrprises and the traffic in worthless
securities. appealing. as they do, to that
desire which all mankind in some de-
crcc, at least. possesses, to get some
thing for nothing. We also have tn"
forms of gambling and other like
Sc lIcncS all with tho object of obtain
ing money without an adequate expcn-
diturc of labor.
The great evil of our time fostcrcd
and cherished by this desire to live by
he labor of others an evil which is the
cause of hrec-fOurthS Of the misery
ana suffering endured by the human
race today, EXCEEDING the misery caused
BY war. pcstil"nccs and famine COM
hincd. IS the traffic in alcoholic drink.
THIS is aided, to be sure. by the appc-
lite which sometimes takes control of
men and which IS fostrrcd by those who
for the sake of profit would encourage
this great evil. These are the wrongs
with which the people of today must
deal, wrongs growing out of the same
principle with which our fathers had to
contend
IT REQUIRES courage and sacrifice on
'hc part of our citizens. today. to up
hold the righteous principles which We.
have inherited and which have become
| ours through the sacrifice of our
fathers, that every man, rich or poor.
black or white. may have an equal OBJ
portunity with every other man i'm the
pursuit of prosperity and happiness
The Grafton was by Rev c. W.
Eradlee. who spoke as follows:
The Rev. Charles w. Bradlee of the
Methodist church of this city, honored
Memorial day and the members of the
w. S. Heath Post of this city with a
Memorial address such rs il has sell
dom been the privilege of this people
to hear. In densely packed Opera
house. the audience was subdued into
| Il silence which lasted for about an
| hour and which was nothing less than
MANY -.