The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1909-06-04

membrance of generations of men.
owe are here to refresh our mem
cries of the sacrifices made by men,
also women, some lying dead and also
How often do we wake to find our
something unattainabe. and we awake
to very monotonous world Joseph's
was the same. He was bound and
taken away, but he preserved his integ
rity. How often it must have come
to him to forsalle his God and cry out.
but he did not, and his character
stands out eminently in the Old
Testament as he chung fast to that
wonderful revelation for which God
used him. If God is to use us. then
there must be a preparation, flowers
cannot be planted in cinders. the soil
must be prepared-our consciences.
"We live upon a material world. one
in which values are not truly meas
ured. where men put emphasis on ma
terial instead of spiritual things Men
are measured by their progress in ma
terial methods, the railroad, bank. com
merce and the large business projects
the artists, the educators and ideaIists
are tabooed: the men who receive
monuments are the men who deal in
money, and the educator goes on to
poverty, but the vitally and really val
liable are those who train the mind
and educate the mind Let us not for
get that even the dreamers. the gem
erals and the statesmen are men of
strong Imagination but have lacked ex-
ecutive power "The powers of i'm
agination should be given full play to
the splendid vision of life before us.
Most people have the idea that a mir
age is a dangerous thing. Do not for
get that back of the mirage is the
reality. The great heroes that you
have heard of today saw it. Abraham
saw it. and caught the new vision. the
possibility of God being spirit" ''This
is. Decoration day. said Rev. Haupt.
"and [ am glad of the privilege to re-
mind you of heroes of the past, and the
splendid imagination of those who have
gone out simply to do their duty. We
are glad to come to them today after
the saints of the Old Testament. to
the men of modern times down to our
own day, those men who have stood
with their own lives as witnesses. re-
member those upon whose graves we
lay flowers. We are proud and happy
to call them Americans and as Ameri-
cans, let us give full play to our i'm
agination and know what we are Let
us remember Columbus and his dreams.
They meant nothing for him. but thev
were true and he has been exalted -
Our dreams are true and we must
arise and begin the duties of life. We
can afford to wait. and not be discour-
aged. but do the duty even at the hour
of Encouragement. Where is God? Let
us think of the boy"
"And what is it to be an Ameri-
can?
owe are Americans and followers of
the stars and stripes, and today we
are mere as Americans to salute our
banner
eve love it, although sometimes we
fail to read its message. which is the
symbol Of our patriotism, as the cross
is of our religion.
"Let us dream on, and let us remem-
Der one thing, that as we dream. let
us continue in our faith in Almighty
ho will md,
"There is great danger before the
American people in the fact that So
ciety cannot endure without law. In
order to transform tyranny into liberty,
we must simply transform the seat of
government; as long as represented
will be tyranny, it must be trans
formed and placed within. Every one
must be governed, until able to govern
themselves, and then will they be
free.
''Let us dream on, but let us know
that no man can be compelled to say
believe, unless his conscience says So
let him go out and dream UNI
til his heart and soul responds
and he can say, it's true. The
progress of the world is towards the
revelation of God. Let us dream on and
lift our eyes. Christ was obedient even
unto death and God crowned him with
life everlasting"
In closing Rev. Haupt spoke a few
words of congratulation and encourage
mont IN tba GRO duof;n oloee ,Ioo so
ferring to the great pleasure it was to
him to be present at their exercises.
The services closed with benediction
by Rev. Peter Clare,