Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1911-08-16
MASS MEETING FOR
MORSE ..MlNDEGAVE''

MORSE ''NllNDEGAVE''
Willmar was represented at the
monster mass meeting at the State
Fair Grounds at Hamline last Sun
day, by Hon. L. 0. Thorpe, president
OF the National Committee for the
Centennial Gift to Norway, and May
or E. C. Wellin. .a -"
The Minneapolis Journal published
the following report Of last Sundays
meeting: 49,.
Thousands Of Norwegians met
yesterday afternoon at the state fair
grounds to give an enthusiastic start
to the movement for the memorial
gift or "mindegave" to Norway, May
II, 1914. The attendance is estimated
at 5000 and in any event it was one
Of the largest gatherings of sons and
daughters of Norway ever brought
together in America. And in the same
measure that the crowd was large
the purpose of the committee in ar
ranging the big folkfest was realized.
'The aims and plans Of the com
mittee fully were explained and the
project approved and encouraged by
Governor A. 0. Eberhardt, Professor
Julius E. Olson Of the University of
Wisconsin, Professor J. O.. Hall
Northwestern university; Mrs. T. H.
Dahl, Minneapolis; former Senator
L. 0. Thorpe, Willmar, chairman of
the general committee; Samuel G. w.
erson, state auditor and C. D. Morck,
Minneapolis. -.
"Dovre and Nordmaendenes Sing
ing societies Of Minneapolis and
Fran and Nordmaendenes Singing
societies of St. Paul sang the songs
Of their native and their adopted
countries. The massed chorus gave
the national hymns Of the United
States and Norway with excellent
effect and aroused much enthusiasm.
"Although the gathering was an
immense one, it is believed that it
would have been much larger had the
weather not been so threatening at
/! the time when the people were getting
ready to set out for Hamline. The
rains of the morning and gloomy ap-
pearance of the sky up to nearly
Ip m. undoubtedly deferred a great
many from venturing forth.
Governor Eberhardt, who was in
troduced as having been confirmed in
la Norwegian church and being good
deal Of a Norwegian in his sympath-
les, said that while Norway had pro-
duced many men Of genius, the peo-
pie who had made the country great
were it's plain people who did the
country's work on sea and land and
conquered the wilderness of America
and elsewhere. IF you feel that you
ought to apologize for being a Nor
wegian,' he said, then you are worth
less as an American
'Dr. Olson spoke at some length on
what Norway has done for the en-
/; ancipation Of women and the cause
of liberty generally, and in conclusion
said that the country is on the VERGE
Of an industrial revival through the
development Of power from her in
Vulnerable waterfalls.
"When the first woman took he1
seat i'll the national legislature the
president made cordial and dignified
speech welcoming her, which was re-
ceived with great applause by the
other members he said.
ut is the greatest wrong Of mod
ern3 civilization that the women are
mot recognized. It is said that they
do not know how to vote. When the
Norwegian constitution was adopted
on the 18th of May, 1914, there was
mot a single farmer in Norway who
knew how to cast his vote. Why?
They had never had the opportunity
/ So it will be with women; it will take
them some time to practice, but when
they become accustomed to casting
the ballot there will be no more care
full nor more discriminating vote cas-
ters.' .
"Mrs Dahl spoke Of the work OF
the women's auxiliary to the general
committee and urged the women ia
join the local organizations. The plan
Of campaign for collecting money fol
the big fund was explained by Messrs
Thorpe and Morck and eloquently APP
proved by Professor Hall. He ex-
pressed the hope that when the gift
was presented to the mother country
on the centennial Of her independence
May II, 1914, that every descendant
Of the Norwegian race in America
would be able to say that he had a
share therein" a5...