The weekly tribune and the Cape County herald. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1914-1918, 1916-06-15
FINCH FAVORS
RIGHTEOUS, WAR
IN FLAG SPEECH
Is Better Than UnhOly Peace,
Orator At Elk Services
Declares.
CALLS UPON u. s. TO
PROTECT CITIZENS
Honor of the Flag Is Up to You
and |, Says-Big Crowd
Attends.

Declaring that the United States
must protect American citizens "any.
where the sun Shines" former Judge
James A. Finch, of Fornfelt, yester-
day afternoon said a righteous wal
is better than an unrighteous and un-
holy peace" in his address at the Flag
Day exercises of the Elks Club.
The address was delivered before a
crowd of more than 700 men, women
and children in the Courthouse park
late yesterday afternoon. 1t was the
closing feature of a program of songs
and addresses in which both school
children and members of the Elks
lodge did homage to the American
i flag.
"If the Government does not mean
protection of its citizens not only here,
but likewise abroad, it is not worthy
to survive. If it does not give protec-
tion under any and all circumstances,
it is doomed to despair. If there is
one function Of government, it is the
protection of life, liberty and prop
erty," Judge Finch said.
81 know no good man who is in
favor of war. But a righteous war is
better than an unrighteous and un-
holy peace.
"The record that George Washing
ton made, however illustrious, will not
serve for US. Our future depends up
on ourselves and the way in which we
work out our own salvation.
II trust our mothers shall not have
to do as the German and English and
French mothers are doing in giving up
their boys; but it is the spirit of 10y
atty and devotion that saves a coun-
try. l know our mothers will be as
brave as those.
"Let us re-consecrate our lives to
America to an undivided union,
strength of purpose, the upbuilding of
American institutions and new glories
for our flag"
Mr.. Finch opened his address by
declaring that he believed Flag Day
will become national day of tran
scendent Importance, because, he said,
if we are to preserve our independence
we must inculcate into the minds of
the youth of the country the ideas of
Americanism in the broadest terms.
What the flag means to the coming
generations is up to you and me. We
can not partake of the glory of the
past, but we, ourselves, must hand it
down clean and undefiled."
He said youth must be made to know
that we are living in the greatest
country of the world, and opportuni-
ties will be even greater if the people
will exercise their power of suffrage
universally.
He attacked the citizen who fails to
go to the polls to vote, as failing to
perform his duty, and said those citi-
zens turn the institutions and govern
ment of the country over to interests
having axes to grind.
Judge Finch said the press is one
of the most potent factors in rejecting
as we'll as directing public opinion if
the influence of the business office
may be ruled away from the editorial
page. He said that when universal
exercise of the suffrage becomes real,
the people will control in every de-
partment of the government and the
Stars and Stripes will be brightest in
the worlds diadem of national ban
ners.
Mr.. Finch closed his address with
two stanzas from poem entitled "The
American Flag" as follows:
"Your flag and my flag, and how it
flies today |
In your land and my land and half
worldaway;
Rose red and blood red its stripes for
ever CLEAN,
Snow white and soul white, the good
forefathers' dream;
Sky blue and true blue with stars that
gleam Alright;
The gloried guidon of the day. shell
ter through the night.