The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1908-05-25

vice of their country to protect its
flag and maintain its honor among the
nations Of the world. A generation has
succeeded in point Of time and the
major portion Of our population has
changed it's personnel. Our children
can scarcely understand the import of
this memorial day. They have the
right to enquire and it becomes US as
parents to explain its meaning to them.
Recently a child ten years of age ask
ed the meaning of Decoration Day.
When tod that it is a time set apart
for strewing flowers upon the graves
of dead soldiers, the child asked, DO
you mean the soldiers that died in
Cuba?'' The little one was living in
the history of today and naturally as
ISOLATED soldiery and warfare with the
present
We, who were children in 1868, when
General John A. Logan instituted this
day, had no need to ask such a ques-
ton. Scarcely a home in all the land
but had lost in battle one or more
brave sons. The vacant chair, the
fresh tales of soldier life, the recount
ing of battle scenes, mothers tears,
mingled with those of the children, told
the story and made the history of
that awful war a part of our own life.
But the old home circle is now broken;
children are grown to mature years;
the lips of more than two-thirds of the
veterans are closed in death; many
mothers have lost the sorrowing tears
in the presence of God in Heaven: and
nothing but history and silent tomb
stones tell the story of the fallen
brave. But 1 misrepresent my thought
~. Ir,z-&
There is a living monument growing
out of the war of '61-'65, whose founda-
ton was laid by the patriots of 1916
Its shaft is rising higher and higher
under the astonishing development of
our great government and the noble
deeds Of her sons, in the Antilles and
great Pacific archipelago.
Not all monuments are built of
granite. Some consist of architectural
some of cardinal principles
laid down; some are the outgrowth of
noble seIf-sacrif1cing deeds. The name
Of Wren, the architect. is ever asso-
ciated with st. Pauls Cathedral, Lon
DON The name of Roebling with the
building of the Brooklyn bridge. The |
name of Patrick Henry with the Dec |
aration of independence. The weeping |
owe and the name of every Son of War
with the perpetuity and prosperity of
our own free land. 1t is of this last |
named monument I wish to speak.
The symbol of our monument is the /
lag of our nation-The Stars and |
Stripes. There it is,
Long may it wave
Ger the land of the free
And the home of the brave"
The component parts of this monu
mental symbol are significant in them
selves. This flag was inspired of God;
conceived of man; born of woman. God
las blessed it; men have protected it;
women have prayed for it. The mate
'ia1 used in the construction of our
irst flag consisted of the white shirt
If a civilian, the blue overcoat of a
oldier and the red flannel underdress
# a soldiers wife. How jealousy all |
representative classes have guarded it.
The colors are significant-red, protec.-
d by the blood of its defenders; white,
epresenting an equal citizenship, pure
government and right living: blue,
oyalty on the part of it's subjects
wherever found. The very letters COM |
rising it's name have. by ardent admir-
The spiritual signifi-
ance-faith, love and grace. The tenn
'oral significance-fidelity, learning,
America, greatness.
This monument has a message for us
his day. Let us read it. We see here
n the pedestal, inscribed in letters,
trong and bold
Never in war but for humanity's
AXE.
1620-Religious liberation for all our
1776-Cfvil liberty and absolute inde-
endence.
1S12-Equal rights on the high seas. {
1S61-Moral and personal freedom for /
II. I
1S65-Union forever. |,
1894 helping hand to the OPP s
ressed.
1s01-The protection of the vanquish- /
q in China. I
1904 mediator between Russia and I
apan. II
There are some waiting inches here {
Thich 1 hope to live to see filed up, {
amely, universal peace through arbi- +
ration; complete emancipation from I
he liquor traffic; and Jesus Christ in !
II our national and personal affairs. {
Wherever this symbol is carried ma 9
ons intuitively read that it represents 2
country whose citizens enjoy equal S
irthright. franchise, social and intel /
sctual privileges, and in whose breast Y
here lives martial spirit born of our c
lthers. 1t means that any one of our s
TX million young men, who are soon t
D control the affairs of this govern t
lent. may by birthright and other I
within their reach, be- a
ONE its president. 1t means that each a
these six million young men may, | t
Y franchise, have an equal voice in
etermining who of their number may d
ecome their high servant. It means I
nat any or all of these young men i
lay move in the very best of society | t
nd enjoy the privileges of the grandest | O
zee educational system in the world. s
means more, namely. that all of Y
1ese young men already possess the f
atriotic spirit of their fathers which II
lspires them to the highest regard for C
lat ''Old Flag" and woe to the alien I
no attempts its overthrow. More yet,
means that even those of our citi- :
ens born from under its fold, but who I,
trough circumstances may come under 4