The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-05-31

, glorious citizenship. Thus, we are here
to-day to remember lovingly and with
reverence the characters and deeds OF the
brave and generous soldiers of our Civil
war.
"a little more than a year ago ad-
dressed you on the subject of Prepared
ness To-day / have the honor to ad-
dress you on the subject of Democracy,
What is democracy? The word itself
comes from the Greek word, demokratis;
demos, people; krates, rule 1t is the
political system in which government is
directly exercised or controlled by the
people collectively. President Lincoln de
fined democracy to be the government OF
the people, by the people, for the people
That is principle which Americans have
paid for with their blood and which they
understand with every fibre of their be-
ing.
This very day you have been exem-
plifying the spirit of democracy in the
decoration of your comrades graves.
You have demonstrated that this day
with its beautiful and sacred ceremony
of flowers is for all. In the democracy
of death all are equal In the republic
of the grave there Us no rank. And in
the heart of the nation there is no par
TALLY for shoulder strap or star. The
little drummer boy, with crushed and
faded cap, and the great captain with
gold trimmed and plumed chapeau, are
alike the recipients of our gratitude and
our affection. Between them re make
no distinction in memory, in floral trib-
ute, or in our love. The nameless pri-
va IA bn Glaanc ,,pI~botup hanpatl the
pines of the Southland is as dear to the
great heart of the people on this day as
the mightiest general who rests in the
sacred soil of Arlington, or as the great
captain who sleeps on the banks of the
beautiful and historic Hudson. Each
made tender of all he had, There was
no reservation. All-Iife itself-was
freely given. And no man hath greater |
love than that. Beyond that point com
parison cannot be projected. In that de- |
mocracy of death, Vermont, In proper
ton to her population, more Of her sons /
fell in battle and more gave their lives
to the cause of the union than OF any |
other northern state.
"Your comrades whose graves we dee
GRATED to-day marched to death beneath /
their flag, the Stars and Stripes. As the
cross is the emblem OF Christianity, and
as the crescent is the emblem of NOLAN
mechanism, so the Stars and Stripes stand
for the glory OF our country. This flag
represents love made mighty and last
ing as life, by saeriicial service.
Here let us stop and think moment
while we count the cost OF this flag For
each of its as stars seven thousand, two
h,,a bn;r
lives If we should count them accord
ing to the Is stripes, each stripe would
represent at least twenty-six thousand
nine hundred and eighteen lives. Into its
field of blue tincture of the sky--have
gone million women's prayers and
hopes and fears and tears
" Woven in its stripes Of red are hearts
that bled
Wrapped in its folds are heroes dead;
Tears in every fibre OF its thread:
Grand, priceless baner of the free
"The flag typifes the soul of the peo I
Pile, the hope of the nation, the sacrifice |
Of the hosts who have poured out upon G
the altar of true devotion to this land
Of promise need of service for the well :
fare of the country and the glory of al T
mighty God. !
mo true patriot is he who can gaze
upon the beauty of Old Glory without i
pride and a warming heart. Every star ,
las history and tells mighty story. t
Every rudy stripe is dyed in loyalty a
md a willing sacrifice, the like of which
history cannot surpass. Every stripe OF u
white reveals the purity of the limpid I
rue ideals that run at the core and cen b
.er of our nations life. Blue as the .
rching heavens her star-strewn field is
edolent with hope as vast as the skies, G.
}athed in a nations suffering and dedi "
ated to nations liberty the flag OF e
'ur country has gained its power and viii o
Weld an increasing future strength be- a
ause it was set up in the name of God g
nd will be upheld by His almighty pow u
r. v
I'm my feeble way | am trying to o.
peak of our country's debt to you true Y
earted patriots, who kept all the stars Il
n that field of blue, and to realize the U
ull meaning of the fact that the stripes v
un horizontal in every state to-day. =
Only recently an old soldier at flag
aising looking at the colors, and then
{ his empty sleeve, said Someone asked
he if was not sorry for having lost my
rm, and replied, mo, it has been torn
rom my body that not one star should
e torn from our glorious flag Oh, |
hank God you men furnished lesson for
he youth of to-day. That was the spr
of 81. | hope il will be the spirit OF
he boys of 1917. Like one of old, ! will
ray that double portion OF your spirit
lay fall upon our Young men, that they
Jay be baptized with the baptism where
18th you We're baptized.
"A great deal has happened in the
ord since we met in this house one
ear ago. One year ago this day Col.
eeyes said, We are looking ON the
Ioodiest war Of all history. To-day,
e are not spectators. we are partici-
ants. year ago this melon was neu
al. to-day we are one of the many
alligerents. The work of a thousand
Ears and the hopes OF thousand more,
] have been crowded back into the melt
e pot of hideous and brutal war. HUI
anity goes up TO its Golgotha, and it
cans the blood seat of Gethsemane for
cry nation. For the moment the war
oud hangs black and menaoing all
ound the sky. The thunders speak OF
ath. The hghtnings flash of hell. 1t
oks 80 though the world is bleeding at
cry pore. The sun is in eclipse. Civil
alton is crossed by barbarism, its glory
mad Ia ebafno W. .,-doN li.-iusf