The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1913-06-28
MEMORIAL ADDRESS.
Delivered by Rev. P, A. Gilmore Before
the Knights of Pythias at Marsh
field, Memorial Sunday.

neiu, memorial SUNDAY.
Following is the memorial address dc
livered before the lodge OF Knights o
Pythias at Marshfeld on their Memoria
Sunday;
IF | were to select biblical text a
a sort of foundation or compass to thes
remarks il would be, Genesis 40, Am
my brothers keeperY There is but on
answer to the question, Am | my broth
er's keeper and that is an aflirmatiy,
answer. We are living in an age o
| brotherhood; in an age when every tru'
man, through various Influences ha:
been made to realize his obligation IL
! his brother man, and that whoever
| wrongs his brother. wrongs himself anc
sins against his God We are living
in an age when through the influence
of the pulpit, the platform, the press
and the fruits of modern scientific in
vestigation, the conscience of man kind
is being awakened.
"As a nation, we are coming to real.
ize our obligation to the criminal, the
tramp, and outcast, and TO look upon
them as worth saving, and, in many in
stances our prison houses and peniten.
tiaries are being converted into reforma-
tory institutions. The criminal is oft
times the product of harmful and de-
grading environment the blighted fruit
age of years of debasing associations.
What he needs is mental, moral and
spiritual reformation, and we are seek
ing TO bring this about, not so much by
a dark gloomy cell, bread and water,
and an iron couch. as by the more civil
izng influences of Christian literature,
helpful and sympathetic associations,
and refining labor, and in many instances
he is being given back not as a menace,
but as blessing to society.
"This idea of brotherhood is manifest
ing itself throughout the nation in the
enactment Of more righteous laws relat-
ing to child labor. woman labor and
the relations of employer and employee.
We believe that any habit, employment
or condition OF environment that saps
the physical energies, ruins the morals,
or invites the grim. gaunt specter OF
poverty to the door becomes a national
for anything that robs people
of their virtue, robs the nation of its
strength.
We are opening our hearts to the So
eial outcast, the fallen woman, and, in
stead of drawing our silken skirts aside
on the Jericho road, and passing by on
the other side, with sort of holier than
thou bearing we are hating and, with
christ-like solicitude, speaking words of
kindness and sympathy, pouring the oil
Of compassion upon bleeding wounds,
and trying to let light into darkened
lives. Consecrated millions are being de-
voted to the moral and physical re-
generation of one who too often is the
.reature of environment, and who should
be an object for pity rather than scorn.
"The spirit of brotherhood is posses
sing MS politically. and the wrath of an
nation, the moral momen-
um of 90,000,000 Of long suffering but |
ustce loving people, that can no more
70 halted than can the chariot wheels |
# God, is saying to the political CRATER |
md the heller, Public Office is public
rust, and govern yourselves according
V, else our votes will consign you to |
lolitical oblivion from whence there shall
,e no return 1t is good sign, a
ign of better and brighter day.
8 a commodity to be bought and sold
a political shambles, and stock manipu-
ltors and trust magnates whose greedy
and has 'ached deep into the pockets
t the toiling people. until their own
heeks stick out with fairness, are being
rowded to the wall and are finding
themselves in cramped quarters.
"The foreign immigrant coming to our
hores is looked upon not SO much as
troublesome intruder who should be
ept at arms length, whose presence
mong ms is detrimeut but on the
ther hand as brother whose blood and ,
nergy and enterprise are to become an
nportant. even an essential part in the
of nation. His children [
ttend our schools, study our text books,
aster our language, and. If need be, [
e beneath our flag. In our mills and {
lctories their ingenious fingers help I
axe the things that the world needs.
hey make the rough unseemly granite I
melt away into things of beauty S
lille their brawny hands wrest from c
lie soil those products without which no b
'tion could long survive.
I'VE believe that true brotherhood n
kes into consideration the future pos v
rity of the race. and thus present day II
citations in favor of the conservation n
our national resources is being crys n
lized into state and national laws. O
atching from the hand of greed and f
those natural resources o