The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1908-12-07
IMPRESSIVE SERVICES. WERE
HELD BY THE BEMIDJI ELKS
Memorial Sunday Ftingy Observed Yesterday With Pub
lie Services at City Ha..Judge Stanton Delivered Fine
Address to the Assembled Brothers.

dAA SII1pCo duu VIC dc lduSut tudl
the destiny of our order is linked
with the destiny of our country.
Our ritual impresses US with the
! glory of the flag and reminds US that
the gentle breezes with lingering
caress kiss the folds of no flag which
can compass with it in beauty; that
there is no such red in budding
rose, in falling leaf or sparkling
wine; no such white in April blossom,
in crescent moon or mountain snow;
no such blue IN woman's eye, oceans
depth or heavens dawn and no
such pageantry of clustering light in
all the spectrum of the sea and sky.
Mighty things have been accom-.
pliShed in this, the latest born of the
nations, during its existence of but
little more than one hundred years,
and yet, it has been we'll said, we
are entering upon new era of which
the twentieth century will be the
beginning and for which the Nine
teenth century has been a prepara-
ton
Progress is the law of the Ameri.
can race which stands for all that is
best of all the races. Truly we are
a people that know no rest. Was it
McCauley who said, "A point which
yesterday was invisible is the goal
today and will be the starting point
tomorrow? Something which is now
dimly foreshadowed may be cleaned
from the words of an eloquent
churchman: We can but believe
that singular mission is assigned to
America, glorious for ourselves and
benefcent to the whole race,'-that
of bringing forth a new social and
political order, based more than any
other, upon the common brother
hood of man, and, more than any
other, securing to the multitude of
the people social happiness and
equality of rights.
"Can 1t be doubted that in the
fulhllment of this prophecy, the
accomplishment of the stupendous
work, for which one hundred years
has been but period of prepara-
ton, that the institution of Elk
dom will prove potent factor :?
This fraternity with Its organiza-
ton extending to every part of
America, numbering among it's
adherents representatives of every
calling-the toiler for daily bread,
no less than men of letters and of
great affairs-actuated and in
spired by the highest motives
known to man, will stand for
stability in government, for relig-
Gus to!eration--the freedom alike
of belief and of unbelief-for the
largest measure of liberty-liberty
regulated and restrained by law
and for all that the sure test of
time has shown to be the best in
what makes up the warp and wool
of our splendid civilization.
In a word, the great mission of
our order will be accomplished, in
part, by conserving, not destroying,
that which it has cost our race the
sleepless endeavor of centuries to
achieve. The teachings of our order
are pure and. holy, designed to i'm,
press every member with the highest
conception of those duties which
every man owes to himself, to his
fellow man and to his God; to adj
monish him that he owes to himself
the sacred duty of retaining from
all those indulgences which tend to
impair his faculties and degrade his
being.
TO his fellow man he is taught
to act upon the principles Of
brotherly love and to always re.
member that the unity and harmony
which prevades the union should
form conspicuous elements in the
human character The true signi
ficance of the word charity is known
to none better than to the members
of Our order and the blessed influence
of brotherly love and charity prompt
every Elk to those noble deeds oil
benevolence which give joy ano
gladness to many weary, sad and
sorrowing heart.
The charity which characterizes
an Fix is not that which is limited
to simple gifts and contributions Of
money, but that true charity which
extends beyond these to all the
wants of the great brotherhood Of
mankind. When the cold and pitiles:
storms of selfish, unfeeling worlc
beat upon the heart, the genuine
charity of an Elk throws around il
the broad mantle of brotherly love
and affection and causes the soul Of
the recipient to overflow with graft
tude and joy. -. 4
1 If a brother is led astray by the
erring propensities of his nature
that same brand of charity prompts
the true Elk to remind him of his