Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1912-05-31
STORM PREVENTED
MEMORIAL PARADE
Judge Gibson Addressed Veterans
in Auditorium
Present Struggle Is for Political Freedom
American Ballot the Weapon Which
Must BE Employed.

Must Be Employed. t
Decidedly unfavorable conditions at
tended the Memorial day Observance nv
Sedgwick post. G. A. r., and Stedgwick
Woman's Relief corps yesterday. a heavy.
downpour of rain which began before the
program and continued the rest of the
day keeping the attendance in the An
'ditorium down to a small number and
making 1t necessary to give up entirely
the parade and the visits to the ceme-
teries. Peals of thunder and vivi1
flashes of lightning married the program.
but the two organizations mentioned
were out in good numbers and listened to
an excellent address by Hon. e. w. 9Th
son of this town. The front of the
stage was decorated handsomely with
wreaths and flowers, central niece
being a pillow bearing the letters @ A.
r.
Col Kittredge Haskins was officer of
the day. He expressed regret that the
days plans could not be carried ont and
said that a committee would perform
the service of decorating the graves this
afternoon He mentioned the fact that
Sedgwick post had lost 1913 members nv
death since it's organization The First
Regiment band played Rock of Ages
Rev. 70. Q. S. Osgood offered PRAYER. a
quartet consisting of w. a. Gilbert. w
S. Stearns, F. C. Adams and A. L.
Clapp sang two selections and then Col
Haskins introduced Judge Gibson as the
orator of the day.
Judge Gibson said that the great Civil
war was fight for a principle and that
the sacrifice was in vain and the reward
a mockery II the people of the nation
were now to regard material prosperity
alone as the objective of national effort
The supreme effort he said, SHOULD
be to esta blish in fact and perpetuate a
government uyitb
rights as the basic principle and para
mount to all others" In the so years
that have passed since the war the
speaker said. the captains of industry
seemingly have tried to bring all the
business of the country under their COM
mercial supremacy, setting aside the ten
commandments and setting up in their
place code of commercial ethics de-
structive of the moral fibre of the peo-
pie ITO accomplish their purpose" he
said, they must control city councils,
state legislatures, and put their own men
into the chief executive offices of the
people, elect their attorneys as repre-
sentatives and senators in Congress- that
only legislation favorable to the allied
interests become the rule and guide of
the people"
THE shifting scenes of the past few
years have revealed the political bosses
at work in the control of the selection
VI pubic OFFICIALS anu the direction or
legisa tive action There has been re-
vealed to us the army of CRAFTS that is
attacking our institutions and threaten
ing our national existence, and the same
principle is involved as precipitated the
great civil struggle"
There Is another struggle going on
today 1t is just as important as the
struggle in which you members of the
Grand Army engaged. You fought
| against the system of African slavery
| and for human freedom. Today the fight
| is against political slavery and for po-
| litical freedom"
I'm this fight the greatest of all weap-
| ons Is used-the American ballot. 1t
must be used with intelligence and rea-
son. We go forth into the fray armed
| with 1t. 1t must be used to do the
| greatest amount of execution in driving
| the political boss out of his job, in drv
| ing graft and corruption out of public
| life, in selecting for public office only
those who are honest and efficient"
| THE government for which you sac
rificed shall not be dragged down and be
| used longer to serve the selfish purposes
| of those who would prostitute it to
| their own ends. In this struggle we need
| the courage resolution and steadfast in
| tegrity which you exhibited in that great
| struggle"
At the close of the address the band
|
tet sang "Tenting tonight on the old
| camp ground" and all Joined in singing
| America" after which Rev. E. S. Har-
rison of West Bratteboro pronounced the
| benedction.
The Methodist church was well filled
| Sunday morning, when Rev. F.. A. Wells
| preached to the members of Sedgwich
post and the Womans Relief corps The
church was decorated with flags and
| flowers. The text of the sermon was
| Hebrews 70: l. Wherefore seeing We
| also are comprised about with so great
| cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside
every weight, and the sin which does
| so easily beset us, and let us run with
| patience the race that is set before us
| He pictured the gladiator mentioned by
| Saint Paul, who, as he stepped out
| waiting for his giant antagonist, looked
] about for sources of inspiration to make
him equal to the fray. In the vast au'
| dence he saw here and there an OLD
veteran, who took an added interest,
| having passed through the contests
| themselves. Applying this scene the
| speaker said that the nations battles
were not all fought and the great dan
gers had not all been faced. We need
| all the sources of strength we can get
and We find much of IT in the old SOL
diers about US. He also pictured the
| runner as he sees lined up the contest
| ants for the prize He realizes the need
of being stripped of every incumbrance
that binders the free exercise of every
muscle and sinew. So with u.s. Weights
| and sins are synonymous. Both are
comprehended by the one term selfish
ness. The man who is to serve his race
best must be unselfsh and must throw
himself with courage and abandon t.
the service of his country.
Delega atoms from the post and Relief
corps went to West Dummerston Sunday
| baI. I'M ha A
of this town making an address. A del
egation of veterans also went to Gull
ford to perform the service of decorat-
ing the graves. Yesterday morning
members of the post decorated the
graves In the West Brattleboro ceme'
terry