The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1907-04-20
taker Behrens, and subsequently
shipped to the former home of the
deceased at Winfred, S. d.
RESOLUTIONS.
Harncy Post, No. %, Department
South Dakota G. A. II.

| themselves little notoriety by
snatching the laurels from the tomb
of departed worth to wreath the
unworthy brows of living medi-
ocrity.
And whereas, The excuse given
for these acts of vandalism, viz:
that these songs were written to
celebrate some local situation or
event and are not .up-to-date' or
broad enough to meet the demands
OF the Nation of today, we deem
utterly perurile and unworthy of
refutation and
Whereas, We greatly fear if these
unpatriotic acts so unrcbuied that
others will follow in the same path
uotil all our l,'..giotic songs E9i!l ~
a.nascu]ate! a:,G destroyed, AID o.it
cf the nob'est sources OF insair-
elton 10 legality to freedom aa1 free
IONS flag ho lost forever 10 o.
posterity. Therefore, he it
Resolved That We aenoln"
these acts us the wor!: Of f'igioy''
grafters, intent upon arroGati1e r
themselves the honols duo to bette,
men, destined il >unchea!scd TO de
Troralize aud destroy our naiiGna!
songs, lower the standard of Datli-
N;ic devotion to liberty and native
land and perchance at last quenah
the fire on freedoms altar; and we
aatl upon our State and National De-
s,artments, our comrades everywhere
and all patriotic citizens, to unite
with us in forcing down and stamp
irs out forever these budding
schemes of dishonorable greed.
We declare that when the guns
of treason opened upon doomed
sumpter and our flag was trailed in
the dust that among the most potent
influences that inspired us to go forth
to save the nation from dismenber-
ment were these old patriotic songs
sung by mothers, wives, sisters and
sweethearts, as with tear-stained
| cheeks and quivering lips they bade
us go and save the land they loved.
We sang these songs on the terrible
forced marches and by the lonely
bivouac fire to hearten and cheer
each other up. We shouted them
amid the fame and smoke Of the
hot and bloody charge where death
reaped his richest harvest; and we
murmured them by the lowly grave
as we planted the painted board to
mark the last resting place of fall
len comrade land we will not permit
their desecration without an effort
to save them from lhe hand Of the
spoiler.
We further declare that when any
writer shall compose an ode which
shall be generally accepted by the
American people as voicing their
highest aspirations of loyalty and
devotion to our beloved country we
will gladly inscribe his name on the
roll of fame by the side of those of
Hopkinson, Key, Smith and Howe,
but we reco s.li2e the fact that ii IS
one thing to write an original poem
that shall cause the hearts of mil
lions to move as one; and quite an
other thing to inject into such poem
d leGDlc i6ldSll OIL llS sublime Seull-
ments The former requires purest
sentiments of patriotism combined
with the his,,t,t poetic scr; is. the
latter demands only an irrepressibia
thirst for notoriety. monumental
cheek and unlimited gall and should
se discoHntenanced by every repu-
able citizen.
Resolved that, The Star Span
gled Banner in triumph shall wave,
DER the land the free and the
home of the brave" is deep enough
and high enough to meet the de-
mands of the loftiest patriotism and
"My Country tbs of Thee" covers
every foot of soil over which our
| banner floats.
Resolved, That these resolutions
be furnished the press for publica-
tion and copies be sent to our State
and National Departments.