The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1915-05-31

| sacredness and patriotism with WHICH
God has endowed US. They are pleas
| ing that we shall not forget her, but
that we too shall uphold her sacred
folds, and live for her, serve her. and
yes, fight and die for her. II need be.
1t is because of this transition we
have assembled here together. MOI
only In memorium of what noble work
they did in the war. and reconstruc-
tion but to . reminded again anew
| of our duties and obligations to the
country that they hold so dear. we
have assembled to pay our last trip-
ute to the hero fathers of our most
noble land and to the women who 50
grandly stood by their sides AMI
fought as great battle, keeping the
hearth fires Of the nation aglow while
| all seemed chaos. We too have as
sembled to consider seriously our last
ing responsibility to the nation for
which they so nobly stood. And to-
morrow, that beautiful festival, dedi-
Gated to brotherly love-" there will
assemble small groups Of men in blue
and gray, recalling proudly by their
presence. the nations past. About
them will crowd their children and
grandchildren, singing songs, and
again, standing in awe and silence as
their noble deeds will be recounted1
by kind and tender lips. They VIII
realize they are standing in the
presence of the worlds, greatest trag-2
edies.
The Unknown Dead.
Let US now pay our passing respect
for those, who never saw what they
had won. What mean these stones.
While standing few years ago on
the battlefield of Gettysburgh. at
Cemetery Ridge, noticed a great and
impressive monument that seemed to
overawe all other monuments close
by. Then, surrounding this master
piece OF art. we're hundreds of small
numbered stone, plain, but dignihed.
wondered what they could be, so
inquired Of gentleman near me ana
his reply was: They are the un-
known dead" My hat came of.
went to a nearby bench and sat and
thought and sat and thought, the I'M
known dead" They had never real
lied what they had accomplished.
And as sat there my mind flashed
back to that wonderful leader whom
we all reverence today. Lincoln. He
had won. If he only had remained
to know the glory Of it, to undertand
how we love him. And then. the
father of our country came to my
mind, Washington, how his name is
ihallowed today, but little did he
realize the glory which he had rigb:-
ily attained. Further back. Paul.
that stately man of God, after giving
the religion of Jesus Christ an i'm.
ipetus that has sent 1t down the ages
! even to ourselves, was only too soon
cut Off he could only have realiz-
! ed what he had won. And too, Jesus,
vet a young man, was take away when
the battle was surging hottest. If He
/ could only have seen what He had ac-
I complished. Again ] thought of the
vast number under these stones-tae
unknown dead. Laying there wei e
! both blue and gray. Both fought LOT
| what they believed to be right, BON
| died for a cause that seemed to he
sacred duty Then realized it was
upon this spot that the immortal
| lincoln had spoken those never-to-5e
forgotten words, of the Gettysburg
address.
Lincoln Did Not Live In Vain.
| Time after time reviewed the
speech and as I rose to leave, 1-sa1d
half aloud, You have heard none
sing your praises, you have never seen
what YOU have won. but you have not
! lived in vain, for by your dying you
4 have shown us the path to heaven is
sweet. You died nobly, unflinchinsly
may God kindle the fame that fired