The Bridgeport evening farmer. [volume] (Bridgeport, Conn.) 1866-1917, 1917-06-15
"PEACE ON r'oTa', GOOD WILL
TO MEN l., MYTH, DECLARES
JUDGE ROBERT E. OEFOREST
Day May Be Distant But It Is Sure to Come It Bears
Gods Attestation,'' Declares Speaker at Flag Day
Exercises in Seaside Park :

THE day may yet be far distant but
it is sure to come. The song of the
Angels: Peace upon Earth, good will
to men, is no myth. The promise of
time when war shall cease bears
Gods attestation."
Judge Robert e. DeForest thrilled
O. patriotic audience at the Flag Day
exercises IN Seaside park yesterday
afternoon in the principal address
His whole-souled plea for patriotism
of the genuine kind. and criticism OF
the patriotism that Is accompanied by
the lblare Of trumpets, made a deep
impression on his hearers.
The exercises were scheduled for
4:30 O'Clock. but they were begun
early because of the approaching
storm. Several hundred pupils of the
public schools under the direction of
Miss Cora, Purviance, sang appropri-
ate anthems. accompanied by the
Wheeler & Wilson band.
Rev. Frank c.. Rideout, pastor of
the Second Baptist cnurcoh, opened
the exercises with prayer, City Clerk
J. A. H. Robinson read the proclama-
ton of Gov. Holcomb, calling for an
observance of Flag Day. st,
THE Star Spangled Banner" was
\ raised on the pole. at Breezy Point. A
gunner's squad of the United States
Boys Scouts fired salute. Members
Of the G.. A. r., Elias Howe postS No.
g. were present as guards of honor.
Afterward, the G. A. r. men, the
Spanish War Veterans and the Sons
of Veterans were entertained at the
Elks' club.
George M. Eames, president of the
4 board of park commissioners. deliver
ed an address. He said that it was
! one Of the proudest moments in his
life.
Judge DeForest's address follows. in
full:
..Today we assemble to honor the
flag Of our country.
cit is of first Importance to re-
member that the flag itself, is only
piece of cloth, and commands our
reverence solely by reason Of glorious
deeds, with which it is associated,
a and the ideas for which it stands.
Really intelligent and patriotic
men will regard it in no other light.
Aside from this, there is no virtue in
our demonstrations Of respect. Hol-
low and thoughtless adulations,
heartless ceremonials and formalities,
the mere rattle Of drums, or .blare OF
uumQ6LS, OF IOdI Oh VOlCSSy WITHOUT
the genuine spirit Of worship, that
looks beyond the symbol to the truth
It represents. are worse than heathen
fdolatry, and amount to shameful
dissertation of the Banner of the Re-
public.
"The most benighted devotee pros
trate before his craven image, has a
vision of some divine reality, of
which the idol is but a feeble reflec-
ton, and puts to shame the loud
mouthed exhorter, and the self con
stituted dictator, who bawl and scrib.
BILE about the Star Spangled Banner
with no genuine appreciation Of its
real significance.
Moreover, If we have the right
spirit, we surely need not to be ad-
rnonished against prostituting that
glorious ensign to unworthy uses II
is related of King Charles the First
that, when youth he desired to
reach a high shelf in the Royal Ii
barry, and. inquired for something or
which to stand. his attendant placed
upon q chair for him copy of the
Holy Bible, and suggested that by
stepping upon it, he might attain the
desired height. The prince with
righteous indignation and rebuke
commanded it be taken away. Il
was. in its physical substance, onl,
printed and bound volume, paper
parchment perhaps. ink, vellum, bu
to him. it was the veritable word o.
God, and he shrank with horror
from the thought, that 1t could bt
used for a human foot-stooL OF al
the events stirring and momentous
in the life of that unhappy monarch
ending as it did, upon the scaffold
none undertake to say, has left
more indehble impression on tn,
mind and heart of succeeding genera
ton than that one incident, We nees
lessons of reverence for honorabl
things. a
Even so, to those, who, with RICH
feeling and understanding, venerat
the flag, it cannot but be offensive t.
see it displayed as a mere trade at
traction, pictured as a beading 70
some commercial advertisement
craftily as g. disguise. wrapped abou
some tricky speculation paraded Il
mere partisan professions to kno1
that is sung to, as an apology for in
decent theatrfcals,- or employed, il
any manner, as a false pretense o
loyalty where no loyalty really exists
Away with such schemes and subter
fuges.
TN comparison with such conduc
- bAAAos SAfC 0OAAaS0 AdAdIAC, WIN, ASN
ertheless, from conscientious motives
tears or burns, or tran1ples upon tn
flag, is entitled to respectful consid
GRAFTON.
$50 then, what does il commemor
ate? What does it in this tremendou
: crisis of the world proclaim, plea
for, promises
There have been at least three no
table stages along its path of glory
We think of it as borne by the heroi
men of Revolutionary Days, bare
footed, half clad, half starved, arme
with such rude implements Of de
Tense as they could snatch from tn
corners of their cabins with scarce1
any equipment but their own brav
hearts against the British power
borne nevertheless to, and plante,
upon, the heights of national indie
pendence-we think with ever in
creasing gratitude of the foundatio
thus laid by them for the expansiv
liberty, which today, enables us to
the arbiter of the worlds destiny.
yet, after all, there was a certai
narrowness in the immediate motive
of that struggle, motives of necessit
and self preservation, and protectio
for those personally dear and Deepen
dent Worthy motives truly, nobl
motives beyond all doubt, but yet, nc
the worthiest and the noblest G