The Bemidji daily pioneer. [volume] (Bemidji, Minn.) 1904-1971, 1910-07-06
P. ]. Russell Says We Are Drifting
And Must True Up to the s
Constitution
MODERN PROBLEMS ARE LIKE
THOSE OF THE REVOLUTION.
Believes They Can be Met And Solved
And Sees Glorious Future
For America.
P. ]. Russell was orator of the day

P. J. Russell was orator of the day
Monday and delivered speech
which has been pronounced the
best heard here in many years.
Mr.. Russell was wanted for the
Fourth in several other towns but
consented to stay here because it is
his home. Following is his speech
in full:
| can add little to the welcome
which has been extended to you by
Mayor Parker. We are glad to have
you with US to assist in proper and
fitting celebration of the 134th ami
versary of the Declaration of Inde-
pendence; glad that you are here to
compete in friendly rivalry with our
volunteer fremen in feats of skill,
strength and endurance. It is CON-
petition of this kind which is so
conducive to your usefulness in
saving not only property, but human
life as we'll l feel, l know, in fact
that your competition will be friendly,
as competition between all true
sportsmen should be, and l know
that when the time for your dis
charge shall come, that opposite
each of your names on the roll of
your organization will be this record
of service, Faithful and Honor
able"
We are gathered here to fttingly
observe the birth of nation, now
grown to be one of ninety millions
of inhabitants, the mightiest republic
the world has ever seen. To give
thanks to Him, who made these
things possible, who made and
preserved US nation. And surely
no place could be more fitting.
The minds and hands of men are
continually striving to Guido each
other in identifying churches and
temples erected in His name, so
that our minds may be lifted above
the things of this earth. Here we
are gathered in His own temple, the
work of His own hands, where the
historic and picturesque Mississippi
expands in to one of Minnesota's
fairest gems, beautiful Lake Be-
midi.
You have no. the time to listen
nor have the inclination
to follow the fortunes of the
Continental army from Lexington
to Yorktown, to recount its triumphs
and its defeats. its gladness and it's
gloom; the heroism and sacrifices of
the colonists, their wives and their
daughters. That is history. Rather
would | talk to you of the causes
which led up to the declaration of
our independence, and the revolu-
ton which ended at Yorktown. 1t
must be borne in mind that
when the colonists took up arms
against KING George, in defence of
their rights, as they saw them, it
was not with the intention of a
forcible separation from Great
Britain. 1t was not until after the
battles of Lexington and Bunker
hill were fought that the colonists
demanded and declared their COM
plete severance from the crown, and
had the concessions offered by Great
Britain after the Declaration of
independence been made before
battles, who can tell what might
have been written on the pages of
American history. While the
Declaration of indie pendence recites
long list of grievances, to my mind
there were but three great causes
which led up to the war of the
revolution.
LIST. The imposition of a duty on
certain articles expor ted from Eng
land, and among which was tea.
This is particularly obnoxious as it
was considered a necessity, and to
show their condemnation of such
policy the colonists refrained from
using it although they organized a