Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1914-06-03

of gold and glory she found at last
not hope, but the mere memory of
pride.
We pride ourselves with reason
that we have faced the problems of
the past not as partisans, but as
Americans. Yet today commercialism
and her fruits are being fostered by
the very same forces which have made
us great. We must destroy them or
they will destroy US. 1t is not true,
however, that to be patriotic nation
must necessarily be poor, or that
with riches there must always come
degeneracy. Rome was already rich
when law and civilization spread over
the world in her legions, and in the
darkest hour of our own history Mas
sachusetts sent her richest man,
John Hancock, to draft the Declara-
ton of independence, and Virginia
her richest planter, George Washing
ton to lead the colonial armies. 1t
is we'll to know our strength, it is
better, however, to know our weak
ness, it is best, knowing both, to
make our weakness strong. Nations
like men become great, not by diff
culties avoided, but by difficulties
overcome, and the ideal which over
comes them is neither riches nor
poverty, but spirit of unselfish
patriotism.
There is not mighty viaduct, not
great cathedral, not a line of rails
traced across the stretches of the
prairie, that has not demanded the
sacrifice of human life. The spread
of civilization demands no less. That
many may rejoice few must suffer.
There will be as there have been, de-
mands from some for the sacrifice of
wealth, comfort, ambition, livelihood,
of human life itself.
The Egyptian died, but he left be
hind him the Pyramids; the Phoeni-
clan died, but he left to the world
the alphabet and navigation. The.
Greek died, but poetry and philosophy
blossomed, where he had striven.
The Roman died, but the barbarian
who slew him could not shake the
mighty fabric of law which was to
become the basis of social order
The Swede and the German died, but
in the smoke of thirty years of battle
there was kindled the pure white
fire Of religious liberty. The French
man died, but beneath his heroic
frame lay dead the feudal system,
never to rise again. The English
man has died, but the wastes of
Australia and Manitoba yield food
to the hungry of Europe, the monster
of the Gauges no longer feeds on
helpless children, the girl widow no
longer dies in torment on the funeral
pyre, and the very haunts of the thug
and the tiger have become the
highways of commerce. The sons of
John Smith, Plain American, still
live, but are facing problems mani
fold.
Our gathering here today is, how
ever, in no sense a protest, but it is
memorial, memorial to all those
now silent John Smiths, Plain
Americans, who in the past have
served their country faithfully and
we'll. Whether upon the field Of
battle or in far humber spheres, if
they have done their work from
motives of pure patriotism, then shall
they and each of them have a share
in our memorial tribute. Across the
courtyard on that first Civil War
monument erected to the soldier dead,
there are engraved the names of TAB
loyal sons of Grant county who gave
their lives in civil war for the nation.
We honor them for that supreme
sacrifice. No less do we honor those
who in a humble, though not less
noble manner, have served their
country, dying in the service. And
If in our gatherings on these decora-
ton days, we should find some lesson
for ourselves, if we should grasp
some trifing fragment of their in
spiration, or should breathe the spirit
of their ideal of unseltish patriotism,
then is this truly not only decora-
tion day, but memorial day-a day
of benediction.
A great French soldier, La Tour
D. Auvergne, was the hero of many
battles, bit remained by his own
choice in the ranks. Napoleon gave
him sword and the official title,
First among the grenadiers of
France When he was killed, the
emperor ordered that his heart be en-
trusted to the keeping of his regi-
ment, that his name be called at
every roll-call, and that his next
comrade should make answer, dead
upOn the field of honor - Tn orr own