The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1914-05-12
THOSE WHO HAVE
SHOWN US THE WAY

Fate - destiny - whatever you
please to call the whimsical thing
that rules mems lives--works in Won
derful and unexpected ways in deal
things. From the highest peaks of
heredity it hurls the shapely bould-
ers, from which we look for heroes
to be fashioned, and makes of them
the trampled dust and crushed stones
of the roadways of the earth. And
it delightsto take the commonest clay
and with swift and sudden deftness
mould it into forms which challenge
the admiration of all the world.
And so-there were nineteen sail
or boys-literally boys; for most of
them were under twenty-five
whose existence up to a few weeks
ago had been most commonplace,
and whose records gave no forecast
that they would be singled out
among all their fellows for an end
that would place q crown of glory
upon their lives. TO them, obscure,
unknown, unheralded, came the call
of Fate; and as they answered,
proudly, cheerfully, gladly, and with
the eXaltation of patriotism burning
in souls that mayhap before had
seemed only sordid, upon the brow
of each was placed a wreath of i'm
mortelles that will not fade or with
er while the country in whose sery
ice they died holds place among the
nations of the earth.
Yesterday these men, gathered
from humble environments in widely
scattered parts of the earth; and rep
resenting in birth many natonal-
les, but in death only one, lay side
by side at Brooklyn, while nation
mourned, and a nations chief paid
fitting tribute to their memory and
deeds. All! theirs was an end that
the proudest in the land might envy;
theirs a burial such as, in these days
of the commonplace, few may hope
to win, a few days ago but common
seamen in the service of their coun-
try, today they lie in the silent ex-
allied arstocracy of patriotism, i'm
measurably raised above the aristo-
cracy Of mere purse or place
For they gave their all to their
country all the years that stretched
far and fair beyond the portals of
youth, and which made their lives
so dear to them. And more-they
gave an example which in many
young heart throughout the land
will enkindle the fires of patriotism,
and bring home the lesson that the
most commonplace lives may be
crowned with the glory of heroism
by sacrifice and service.
And there is one thing more-let
no man, in his narrow provincial
ism, cast 4 sheer upon the foreign
er" who is a part of our citizenship.
This foreigner of today is tomorrow
the heroic patriot the defender of
his adopted country. Read the roll
of the dead whom the nation hon
ored yesterday. Hebrew names, Irish
names, French names, German
names, names of unclassified or UNI
identified nationality. II listened to
the names, said President Wilson,
because they were not Irishmen or
Germans or Hebrews when they
went to Vera Cruz. They were
Americans and no matter whore
their people came from they did the
things that were American.
In the spring time of their lives
they died. In the spring time of the
year they are laid to rest In all sea
sons their memories will be kept
ever green in the hearts of CRATE
full people for whom they gave their
all "They have shown us the way"