The Sauk Centre herald. (Sauk Centre, Stearns County, Minn.) 1886-current, 1906-05-31
l can not refrain from speaking of

1 can not refrain from speaking of
another menacing danger which
claims more victims each year than
fell on Southern battlefelds; which
causes each year more misery, more
sorrow, more disrupted homes,
greater waste of money than military
campaign. And yet we do not do
anything, we think we can't do any,
thing. And meanwhile the liquor
traffic corrupts our politics, disregards
our laws, and will at last trample
upon our liberties. Nothing is safe
from its unholy tonch. What are we
going to do about it? The question
is up to us.
These and other things of moment
Gus concern confront us and demand
our attention. Have we faith enough
in the right, in virtue, in manhood,
in our country and in God, to meet
these dangers and to overcome them?
These are not idle fancies. 1t be-
hooves us to show the spirit of 81,
would we fight and win the battles of
country and humanity today.
Let me indicate some OF the things
which must characterize us as patriot
ic citizens If we would initiate the
heroic example of the boys of 81 and
rs.
l A nation is strong in proportion
as its sons have learned obedience.
The soldiers did not win battles until
they had learned the lesson of dis
cipline. They were compelled to
recognize authority and to show I'M
questioning obedience.
We seem to imbibe the spirit of in
dependence with the air we breathe,
but we forget that license is not
liberty, and that true freedom is i'm
possible without the recognition of
authority. The elector is sovereign,
| but for his own good and for the good
of all he delegates authorityEto his
representatives, and the law is the
authority to which he bows. The law
is therefore supreme, and if the citi-
zen does not obey the law he makes
he is neither fit to rule nor yet to be
free. In the home and in the school
our youth too frequently rule when
they should be made to obey. And
the result is disastrous for them and
| for orr free institutions
This laxity of regard for authority
is one of the most potent causes for
the growth OF crime in our land. 1t
surprises me that parents will SO often
uphold their children when cases Of
INSTRUMENTATION appear in the schools,
for even when their case may be ex-
ceptional, for the sake of effective
authority and their own good it would
seem that the teachers should be sus-
tanned. Lessons of obedience to
authority must begin with our youth
if our future citizenship shall be law
abiding. 1t is more necessary that
they shout learn reverence for authority
than that they should acquire the
knowledge of books and pass the ex-
aminatiohs.
If we really keep or break the laws
as our convenience or desire prompts,
we can not hope for the continuance
of popular government. The corner
stone of liberty is reverence for law.
Obedience to every law by all alike,
obedience to the powers that make
for righteousness, obedience to the
purest ideals of civic life-this is what
our Memorial day should teach.
2 Fidelity is another of the soldiers
qualities we want to see repeated in
our age. Fidelity is of the essence of
faith. Duty is its watchword. Con-
science is its guiding star. A good
soldier will stand at his post whatever
comes. His captain may depend on
him. Treason never enters his
thoughts, nor will he ever shirk any
responsibility. We need men today
who will be faithful not only to their
convictions but to duty as we'll. 1t is
easier to be quiet than to speak out
against some wrong. Too many shirk
the responsibility of citizenship at
the primaries and the polls, so
that this neglect becomes the
opportunity of corrupt and designing
men. Too many would escape the