The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-06-01

remember them in love and gratitude.
The fact of their service is bright
gleam on history's dark page of war.
Brave Hearts At Home.
There were also brave hearts at
home, both men and women, for all
could not then, as all cannot now, go
TO the battles frot. What confiice the
home folks endured, knowing that
any mail might bring news of the
death of one, they loved. And on this
day of memories we may well pay our
tribute to the war generation. 1t
touched them all. Scarcely home was
left without vacant chair, or a
wounded member of the household
That generation was true to us. 1t
preserved our heritage in the dark
days when there was ''sound of battle
in the land and of great destruction"
Honor and glory and praise from this
generation to the last!
!. NJ Spanish American War.
nc "The heroisni, valous and patriotism
Nv Sof the old days sprung up anew in the
,trbriefer conflice of the Spanish Ameri
Sracan war and our citizenship proved
ne its loyalty with eager and glad re-
}r Spouse TO countrys call, again proving
Il that "Tis< as easy to be heores as to
9 tue carved upon our fathers graves
"In 1917 there is a new CALL 1t is no
longer a conflict with these of our
own household, nor with those we
misgovern at. our very doors. 1t is a
new call for the unshackling of a
world instead of a race; of humanity
instead of one people. And the sons
and gfand-sons of worthy sires are
finding leach his place and doing his
Bit The world war will cease, me-
thinks, only when Prussian militar-
ism and the house of Hohenzollern
have bent the neck and bowed the
"There are in this land people who
are come from many chimes, born un-
I der various flags; there are others
I who are native tot this soil, many of
whom have inherited characteristics
of various nationalities. But we have
or ought to have, this in common
the spirit of Americanism. Twenty
three years ago Theodore Roosevelt
wrote: tAmericanism is al question of
spirit, conviction and purpose, not of
creed and birthplace 1t was well
penned and a mighty truth. The
American spirit is the spirit of liber-
ty, which is the spirit of democracy,
which is the spirit of brotherhood,
which is the spirit of love and truth
and right and righteousness.
cit is the message of this spirit Of
Americanism to which all Americans
are loyal, differ in many things as we
may, that the flag of freedom, the
Stars and Stripes, your flag and my
flag, watts to the breeze and proclaims
to the world. For all mankind, Of
every cline and coast, no
Wave for thousand years,
o, Flag of Freedom wave"
Ceremonies at the Sandon.
At the Sandon theatre this morn
ing impressive Memorial day services
were held, the program opening with
a splendid band concert by the San
don band under the direction of Will
liam Sandon. Although the rainy
weather had interfered with the
program planned for the day, and
the pageant to be given by the school
children had been postponed, fair
sized audience was present during
the services. The stage was beauti-
fully decorated with flowers, and
large American flags, and was occu-
pied by ladies of the w. r. c.. men
Of the G. A. r. and the speakers.
Mrs. C. H. Nerbovig of the w. R. c..
presided as chairman, and announced
the program numbers.
Rev. C. j. Shut delivered the in
vocation, giving thanks for the
blessings enjoyed by the nation and
asking the Divine blessing upon the
soldiers past and present. and espe-
cially for the president during this
trying time: He closed with the
plea that the nations would find a
solution Of their difficulties which
would result in permanent world peace