The Goodland republic. [volume] (Goodland, Kan.) 1891-1907, 1907-05-31

Something OF Its Origin and q Pro
ptecT as 20 Its Future
(By Major General Fred D. Grant,
The idea OF this beautiful custom
was first suggested and made a great
national holiday by General John A
Logan he was q thoughtful man,
sWayed BY sentiment OF the highest
order, and q close student OF the class
les He read much and frequently re-
ferred to historic episodes IN his
speeches
BY nature General Logan was in
cliued to be heroic and so after The
war, after reading much about the
beautiful customs OF the ancient
Greeks In hOnOring their dead heroes
with ceremonies and flowers at an
nual festivals it came to him In a.
moment OF Inspiration that IL would
be a patriotic and popular thing to
likewise honor the dead soldiers OF
our own country in a similar way. He
held that to decorate the soldiers
Nay with its flowers and blooming
splendOr would awaken new senti-
ments Of loyalty and regard for the
/ government among the people.
It was a fact, as he well knew, that
nearly every household had lost one
or more members or relatives or dear
friends General LOgan's Inspiration
aWOke g response in every heart and
/ his movement was soon organized and
made OF national Importance Grand
Army posts were established in every
section OF the country. All agreed
that decorating the graves OF soldiers
with flowers on the day appointed
would give the nation new life and be
welcomed by all the SOple.
But this is not all The religious
/ sentiment at the bottom OF the idea
/ of hOnoring the dead soldiers and
peFDeLuatfnE the memory OF their he
/ higher and nObleF than anything
/ in the days Of the Greeks. Thus
/ It came about that Memorial day be-
l came the greatest Of all our Ameri-
1 can holidays It was a day for the
| bereaved to commune at the tOmbs OF
their hOnOred dead
For many years, as we all know,
I the custom was an eYent-the most
hOlidayS-but later on, as the ranks
l Of the survivors grew thinner and the
families who had contributed so many
I lives 70 the war passed away, the day
became more like other holidays
day more noted for military parade,
a day for games and piCnics and haY-
| ing a good time generally, until nov
! the general public are coming to LOOK
on Memorial day as an ordinary ma
tiOnal holiday, like WashingCOn's
birthday or the Fourth Of July.
Had it not been for the deep reli-
giOus sentiment, with prayers and
church services held in honor Of the
soldiers, Memorial day would from
been attended with the noise and dis
play OF the Fourth Of July. FOTtu-
nately this religious sentiment his
made the people more thoughtful,
and instead Of noise and gun firing we
have gone in for more quiet recrea-
tiOn-cOuntry picnics-making the
day more like a festival than 4 day
OF mere noise and parade.
I think it IS a beautiful idea, this
decorating the graves Of those who
sacrificed their lives in the tremen-
dous days Of the war and purely out
Of patriotic devotion, and it is a pity
indeed that public sentiment is grad
ually changing and we are forgetting
the solemn lessons taught by the war
and Of the sacred meaning Of honor
ing the dead-drifting away and
making the sacred festival more ana
more a common holiday OF races,
noisy picniCs and having 4 good time
generally, with no particular senti-
ment animating the thousands who
should take a higher view Of Ne
mortal day.