Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1911-06-02
zURRAH, AND COME ON.

C6ioux City Journal.
The statement thet Memorial Day
lis the most sacred day Ct all the
year isn't true. e Isn't - sacred az
Sunday, week in ana week out; and
Sunday is not oppressively sacred. !.
the old soldiers do not provide exef-
cises for Memorial Day there IL moth
ing doing to commemorate the sacri-
f1ces Of the civil war. The day ID wei
coined chiefly as a holiday, so written
in the statutes and 30 proclaimed by
official proclamation. One can think OF
the civil war II he wants to. and II ne
has speech to make he will get down
the books and proceed to that task. 1t
Is even a more convenient day than
the Fourth Of July on which to say
things Of our national heroes. for there
are old fellows on the front seats to
nod their heads. There are no revo!r-
tionary heroes still drawing the breath
Of life and to natter with oratorica!
flowers fashioned In the mind. 1t fs
not difficult to say beautiful things Of
the boys OF '61, and If there be the
least power Of imagination the flag ct
the free. floating in the peaceful breeze.
Is stimulating to thought Of its glory.
Of its majesty, of its world power,
backed by the mighty thought that the
union OF these states is gathered about
it, and that it symbolizes. from sea to
sea, from gulf to boundary line, the
honor, the integrity. the patriotism. OF
the people OF the worlds greatest re-
public. It is easy to call for unf'ag-
ging devotion to the memory OF boys
and men who won the cay when Lee
surrendered his sword to Grant, and to
say that as long as one Of these shall
live a grateful country will make hfTn
type of all. But on reflection 1t will
be held that the veteran should let
the postoftice go to younger man.
There is the house made with hands,
and the house not made with hands,
and there is some entrance still on
Memorial; Day into the portals of the
latter. But the thing uppermost In the
mind OF the multitude is something
else. It is thing At for a holiday;
and the thing At for a holiday Is sport.
The crowd is off for the ball game.
It is of for the picnic: and IS sorry 1t
has not time to help with the solemn
exercises and with the decorating at
the graves. The golf tourney looks
good to many. qualified in muscle and
in years for soldiery life should the
exigency arise. There isn't near as
around as there was fifty years ago:
for it is recognized that the old soldier
must die In the course of nature, and
that there Is no national emergency
calling upon widows to give their
sons and wives their husbands to the
pe-ils of camp and march and the
fierce fury OF shot and shell. And so
Memorial Day is not, and is not likely
ever again to be "the most sacred day
Of all the year" Men. and women, too,
crowd the house made with hands:
and they applaud the fellows who are
winning now. on the stage. on the field
Of ball or golf on the water, at the
dance. or In the service Of dainty re-
freshments. The fighting. even the
fighting over again Of old battles. IL
reserved for another day-some day
that Is not holiday, and on which the
struggling. pushing mass get down to
brass tacks. And they say it's neces-
sary to save the lives of people. FOL
low me; and let the dead bury their
dead" Hurrah. and come on.