Ashland tidings. [volume] (Ashland, Or.) 1876-1919, 1912-06-06

to tasting. Greece had four great
festivals, national in character. To
these all Greece came. None save
Greeks could enter for the honors.
All Others to the Greek was barbar-
ian. 1t was on these national occa-
sions that all differences were for
gotten-it was then all were Greeks.
Do you not well remember when the
tread of the Orient horde made
the shores of the EuXine tremble
in the mountain pass where Leon
idas and his gallant band perished
alone because the Peloponnessus was
engaged in keeping inviOlate one of
its holidays? So devoted was the
Greek to his holidays and to his ira
ditions that his brother in the front
ranks was suffered to perish rather
than his holy day and his traditions
be allowed to perish or suffer
neglect
The Jew, too. had his holiday his
fast and his feast periods. Long
ago as separate national unit the
Hebrew kingdom ceased to be a part
of the world of natiOns-but he is
today as distinct a nationality as one
can find. His characteristics are as
yirile today as were they in the best
days of the kingdom.
What, my friends, is there about
the jew that makes him so persistent
SO permanent? Let it be whatso-
ever you will, that something is seen
at its highest potency in his hOli-
days and in his traditions. They are
part of him-he is a part of them.
The Sabbath, the Passover, his feasts,
his fasts-all to him sacred, all re-
membered as mileposts in a history
dear to the heart of every member of
the most prosecuted race in all his
tory. If you do not believe that the
Passover is a definite reality to an
orthodox Jew today, | beg of you to
interview him or his children as to
| its cOmmemoration. Tell you to
what trouble and expense the head
of the family is willing to go that
he may be an example to his family
as to the traditions of his people.
There may be a struggle to hold the
young Jew to his faith don't know
but this | do know, he has been
held, and by the training in the home
and the sacredness of the Jewish
| lore. He believes steadfastly in all
| the life and all the traditions of his
people, and he is true to his faith.
He remembers that the Angel of
Death passed over the land of Egypt
and that wherever there was blood
on the Intel the angel entered not.
| All that was unclean to his ances-
tors is unclean to him also.
The stolid Cinnamon, ancestor
worshipers for a century, have with
! stood all the permeating influences
and invasions of the modern civiliza-
tiOn. Why? Because they have
! been true to the ideals set before
them as a distinct nation
Is America true to her best ideal?
The greatest nation of all time, the
proud possessor of the grandest hills
and deepest dales, is she true to her
traditions, to her obligations, and to
her opportunities? | leave you to
answer, while we study our national
life in our holidays. We have no ma
tional holiday but we have days in
our calendar dear to the national
heart and consciousness-Chr
Thanksgiving, July 4 and Decoration
Day. These great national holidays
are dual in their natures. Sunday
and Christmas have to do with the
greatest ideal known to man. No one
| will deny the fact that as a nation
approaches the goal set by the pur-
poses of these days, such nation rises
in power and in influence both at
home and abroad. 1t would stand
for helpfulness, fair dealing, gener-
| Osity, temperance-all the virtues
and fine qualities as men know them.
And it is equally true that the re-
moteness of the real nation from the
ideals set by the traditions of Sun
day and Christmas determine the
degradation and the poverty of that
nation.
But the other days-July A, and
Decoration and Thanksgiving
in many ways though different in
motive and in purpose. July the
4th at it's very inception was a glad
day-a day of bonfire and transpar
encies. We remember the account of
! the boy and the impatient grand
| father in the belfrey of independence
| Hall in Philadelphia; how the old
man shook his head, repeating
They will never do it, they will
never do it" At last the boy, clap
ping his hands, shouted, Ring,
/ grandfather, ring!" And as the ole,
! bell swung to and fro the vibrations
from its brassy throat were taken
up by the pulsating mob and the
quiet atmosphere of the staid Qua
! ker city was turned into medley
of tangled noise. From throat to
throat went the joyful message, from
street to street the light of kindled
! bonfire added to the excitement and
/ the enthusiasm of the half frenZied
populace To this day the same quail
ties mark the return of our nation S
birthday. Indeed he is man of
poor spirit and enthusiasm if he can
not rejoice in the emotion and the
eXuberance of this day of huzza and
victory. In fact, every good, patri-
otic citizen wants to shout and sing;
we all want to hear the eagle scream
and see Old Glory wave wildly in
freedom and in huzza. But Decora-
tion Day We want it to be quiet.
The storm OF battle has passed I'm
numbered dead are sleeping in the
b cemeteries OF the North and beneath
the sod Of the Southland. We come
10 this day with reverence and with
awe-nOt with our hearts bowed in