Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1905-05-27
Memorial
Day IN
RockLSiond

6: :: :: ::: :: :: =: =;
but the grandest. Army of the Repub-
| lie with the solemn purpose of doing
honor TO those who have gone before.
Songs will be sung the tune to which
marched many of their number TO the
bourne from which no traveller re-
turns" The bugle will call together
the living, and in their dreams while
| the trumpet sounds they will assemble
and march side by side with their
comrades long since gone, where the
sword and bayonet are unknown and
everlasting peace reigneth. To the liv-
ing. the roll of the drums will once
more suggest the thunder of the can
non: but 10 the dead. drum and bugle.
rifle and cannon are only accoutre-
ments that symbolic a life and home
laid down for country.
The day will witness one more rally
around that flag. and when marching
orders are received. unsteady feet will
in many instances totter into the open
| ings left in the ranks as they marched
year ago. They will take the place
of those who have fallen in the battle
which knows no arbitration; the battle
where the death roll is the only treaty
of peace; the battle in which every
man is his own general and his own
private; the battle in which none are
volunteers. and but few are deserters
the battle of life.
Some of the Grand Army men do not
take kindly to the tendency of the time
to make Memorial day a time for out
ings and pleasures. Baseball games
and other sports are looked upon as an
indication that the youth does not have
the proper conception of the ceremo-
MES and their solemnity. But % and
80 years ago were not these same
young men school children then dec
Grating the graves of the departed
comrades the same as the school chill
! dren are today? The young men of
today well remember the flag drills
and exercises they participated in as
children in the public schools. and this
practice not only is not among the
passing things, but grows each year in
| its scope. AS long as the schools teach
| of the war of the rebellion and OBJ
serve that day for a memorial of those
who gave up their lives TO save their
country, the fear for the future is I'M
warranted. With alt other days that
have come down in history as days of
observation, each in its own peculiar
way. there will be a deviation from
the original ideas of appropriate cere-
monies and conduct, but while the
head and hand observe the day in one
way, there is only one way in the heart.
| The program for Memorial day in
/ Rock Island does not differ materially
from those of years in the past. An eX-
cellent speaker for the morning exer-
cises in Court House square has been
secured in Hon. John J. Brown. of Van
dalia, who will deliver the Grafton Be
sides the music and the G. A. r. serv-
ices, there will be the reading of Lin
coins Gettysburg address. At Chip
piannOck cemetery, exercises will be
held in the afternoon. There will be
remarks by Hon. William McConochie
and James F. Witter, the usual music
and the reading of Lincoln's Gettys-
| DuiS duuTeSS Dy II. B. Hayden
! The decoration of the soldiers graves
will be done as usual by the school
children under the auspices of Buford
post No. 243. G. A r.
The usual ceremonies will take place
in the afternoon at the National Gene
terry al the Rock Island arsenal. being
in charge of August Wentz post. of
| Davenport.
poDd 70 tho SnL1ior Il, bra,tr ..CoJ