Mower County transcript., 1907-06-05
justify the violation Of law

t tEa- &. s. 1a -G-InT
justify the violation Of law ..s
The basis of every interest, the
foundation of all our liberties and
the very maintenance of civilization
itself depends on the impartial en-
forcement of law.
Obedience to law is. PATRIOTISM,
and DISOBEDIENCE is ANARCHY
and RUIN.
Upon this principle, my friends,
rests the hope of our Republic. These
men whose graves we decorate to-
day, set this high standard of Patri-
otism, and if our nation is to endure
that standard must never be lowered
Secretary Root in his address be-
fore the Pan-American Conference
at Rio Janerio last summer uttered
these words.
''The United States wants no VIC
tories but those of Peace,
mo territory but our own, and
mo sovereign except Sovereignty
over ourselves,
"The United States believes that
the weakest republic is entitled to
the same respect as the largest en-
pire"-and our firm adherence to
these principles will prove gauran-
ty to other republics, and become
the hope of the world.
No other government in all this
world has ever offered such unset
fish conditions of citizenship as ours.
We make no account of mans creed,
or his nationality, or his occupation
as a condition Of citizenship. We do
not ask whether he is rich or poor
or whether he labors with his
hands or with his head" The only
thing we ask is whether he intends
to act decently and honorably to his
neighbors, and obey in spirit the
laws of the state.
For, as President Roosevelt says,
1--WE must remember that men can
not escape being governed, either
they must govern themselves, or sub
nit to being governed by Others -
THE GRAND ARMY OF THE RE-
PUBLIC.
There is no need, before this in
telligent audience, of extolling the
work of the Grand Army-its rec
ord is written in deeds that will
stand as a great object lesson of
true patriotism for all time Mem
bership in this organization is an
honor that anyone may feel justly
proud of, and how any man who is
eligible to membership is not en-
joying the blessings of that conrad
ship found only within it's ranks, is
indeed strange. In our own state
there are upwards of 1000 veterans
of the war, who are not enrolled in
this great organization, but are
standing aloof, depriving themselves
of the blessed privilege of minister
ing to the broken-down comrades
and their destitute families. If there
are any such within the sound of
my voice today, let me plead with
you to fall into line, fiji up these
constantly increasing gaps in our
ranks, and once more touch elbows
with your comrades of the sixty's.
The Grand Army of the Republic
is the only organization in all our
country that is doomed to extinction.
Masonry, Odd Fellowship, and all
other fraternai societies, and
churches, are SO organized that they
may ,perpetuate their existence in
definitely. But the Grand Army can
never perpetuate itself beyond the
lifetime Of its present membership.
"The Grand Army of the Republic
had no predecessor. and it can have
no SUCCESSOR
Its death rate is one every ten
mtnutes-one thousand every week,
or fifty thousand a year, and as there
are only $50 thousand of them left,
at this rate (which must steadily
increase) school boy can figure
out about how long it will be till
the last veteran of that great war
will have answered his final roll call.
One of the speakers at our Ma
tional Encampment at Minneapolis
said:
During the War, our ranks were
recruited with new levies, who came
at the call of the President, to take
the places made vacant by the raw
ages of war.
"But today there is no Lincoln to
call them, no Grant to command
them, no Sherman or Thomas or
to counsel them. No Lo-
gan or Sheridan, Fitzpatrick or Gus
ter to lead them. Our march is
onward, but it is ever tow
ards the Eternal Camping Ground"
And of all that great army that
op1 dug W CuS uclcuSc VI Olu STlOIy,
in the sixties, if the muster roll was
called today, fully three-fourths of
them would answer, if they answered !!
at all, from the other shore.
In my travels about this state,
have found it difficult to induce these I
old soldiers to give in public their :
personal experiences during the war :
But with all this modesty, I know !;
hat down deep in their hearts they
Ire proud of their war record, and
do not believe that the wealth of
his nation would induce one OF
hem to part with that record.
Comrades, the flag for which we
fought is today recognized every
where as the symbol of freedom and
privilege. A gentleman now travel
ng abroad recently wrote home:
II have seen lots of American
lags in my time. but I believe the
'arther one gets from home the more
beautiful the fig of his country
seems. I suppose every man sees a
great deal Of meaning in the flag
If his own country; but am proud
% be the citizen of country whose