Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1893-1920, 1907-05-30
HONOR TO HEROES


allegiance to the old flag. The state
TO them was only a part of the natioG.
We love Iowa and Illinois today, bnt
We love our whole country better. We
deplore war in all its forms and battle
should be waged to the end that peace
may ensue. Two thousand years Of
stagnation in the far east have now
been broken by the Russians and tn
Japanese on the shores of the yellow
Sea-
THE little Japanese hero, as he goes
down with his stOne-laden ship in the
mouth of the harbOr of Port Arthur.
firing a farewell pistol shot from the
topmaSt over his own grave, conquerS
the admiration of his enemies. His OK
ample will bear fruit in many a sue
ceeding battle. The Spartans at Their
mOpylae were few in number, but they
did not die in vain. The Texans per
ished rather than surrender in the
Alamo, and at San Jacinto the Mex
| made the Alamo so costly Il prize.
Honor Nations Defenders.
! Every nation honors its defenders
alive or dead. The Greeks still sleep
under the memorial mound at Chae:-
Onea. The victims of the Maine Were
transported by tender hands to the
woods of Arlington. Every nation tina;
is worthy of living respects and hon
ors its defenders. 1t was a hapHy
thought of John \. Logan when he is
sued his orders to the G. \. K. for the
| first memorial observance.
This day has become a part of III
peoples life. America has few hoii-
days. We are too busy a people to de
vote much time to recreation or rest.
But the thought of setting apart one
day in each year to the honor of the
dead, has appealed to the patriotism OF
the people. This national holiday has
become part of our national life. The
living do themselves honor in thus re-
membering the dead. TO live in the
hearts we leave behind is not to die
Napoleon knew the living influence
lof the dead LatOur dAuvergne's
name was borne upon the roll of each
regiment and was called by the order
~ sergeants. When the orderly called
'LatOur d'Auvergne: the respOnS
was: Dead on the field of battle
And so, though dead. his example still
survived to do honor for France. The
Peruvians. in like manner, preserved
the name of 'Grau,' and when his
name was called, the answer was: He
is amongst the heroes Lone Chief
said to his young braves, BE killed on
a hill high up. 1t is not manly to be
killed in a hollow There are many
Grams and Latour d'AuverSnes: bu;
opportunity does not come. and they
carry their heroism to an unknown
grave. But peace has heroic names
as well as war.
| Heroes of Civil Life.
Let ME give you an illustration in the
modest life and manly death of my Old
friend, Dan Butteriicld. He was a con.
ductor on the Northwestern railway,
and had become old and almost worn
out in hard service. His life had been
noted only for integrity and faithful
work. But an opportunity came AM
he met his death and his duty. BY
some great oversight or accident, two
trains We're sent out to meet each 9th
er at high rate of speed Coming
suddenly in sight of each other. long
freight train and another loaded with
passengers suddenly confronted one
another at forty miles an hour, with
out the possibility of preventing tn,
collision. Butterfeld saw the ap
preaching danger in time TO leap from
the train and save his own life, but his
first thought was for the passengers n
his charge. He knew that if the train
should be uncoupled from the engine
: the rebound would give a chance OF
life to the men and women on tn,
train. But if coupled the engine woult
be followed by the cars into mass O
wreckage. into the fire and steam o
the colliding engines.
without a moments hesitation III
rushed to certain death. and uncOuplin:
the baggage car from the engine jus
as the crash came, found himsel
thrown to the earth and buried in
; chaos of fire and broken steel, willis
the train of well built passenger coach
es rebounded and stood uninjured OF
the track
Dan Butterfeld died for his fellow
= men, and added another name to tn
: dead heroes of civil life. Peace hat
3 her victories no less than war man
career is only the surface of his life
!, That surface often gives no sign of tn
- depths beneath. The shallow mum
muir, but the deep are dumb
mo war was ever conducted so fire
l. from all superstition and reliance upo
: signs and wonders, as that of 1861
It goose and a goat were the advanc
4 guard of the first crusade, and the so
d diers followed those dumb creature
J. with faith in their inspired Leadership
Do -, fl,a o.,- hal -;