The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1917-09-21


fifty young men, who are among those
who are selected for the new national
army.
w. r. MaIlgren Presided.
w. r. Mallgren, clerk of the court
of Nicollet county, was the presiding
officer He announced as the first
number of the program the playing Of
Sousa's popular production, STARS and
Stripes Forever" This was played by
the Hofmeister band and then the
speaking began.
The invocation was pronounced by
DR.. Johnson, president of Gustavus
Adolphus college, praying that the
American people may realize the
blessings of their magnificent coun-
try, and be ready to defend it's liber-
ties and it's institutions.
Mr.. Mallgren spoke of the 105
young men that Nicollet county was
called upon to furnish to the national
army. In their honor Nicollet county
was holding this celebration, doing
what other counties had already done
or would do in the near future. He
spoke of the great war slogan of the
day, do your Bit" and named many
ways in which those who did not go
to the front could help achieve the
victory. He spoke of the $4,000 Red
Cross drive that was about to be made
in Nicollet county. He declared that
nobody living in this country could be
neutral. Those who were not for the
government were against the govern
ment.
Senator Henry N. Benson, an
nounced as the first speaker on the
program, laid stress on the declara-
tion that the people of Nicollet county
were loyal. He said he knew them as
we'll as anybody. While it was true
that before the United States was in
the war many of the people of that
county had their sympathies on the
side of the central empires, when the
stars and stripes assumed place
among the nations on the side of the
allies, all that was changed. He de-
clared that Nicollet county was nine
ty-nine per cent loyal. Senator Ben
son addressed the boys who had been
called into the service and assured
them that the people of Nicollet
county would care for the dear ones
that they were to leave behind, when
they went forth. The speaker point
ed to the statue Of Governor John A.
Johnson, standing a few rods off at
his left, and expressed his confidence
that if the governor were yet alive, he
would be more than willing to give
his all for the flag.
Sang Star SpangIed Banner.
The whole assemblage now sang
the sStar Spangled Banner" led by
Rev, Crarey, pastor of the Episcopal
church at st. Peter.
The next speaker was Herbert P.
Keller, former mayor of st. Paul. Mr..
Keller was introduced as man OF
German descent. He followed out that
thought in a part of his address, tell
ing how his grandfather had taken
part in the revolutionary movement in
Germany in 1S4S, how this grandfath-
er and his son, the speakers father,
had been forced to flee from Germany,
and how they came to America, seek
ing with success the blessings of lib
erty, which they would gladly have
seen established in their own father
land.
Another selection was now played
by the Hofmeister band, and then
there was an address by Senator John
Moonan of Waseca county. Mr.
Moonan emphasized the thought that
no honest man could wear the Stars
and Stripes on his sleeve and another
flag across his heart. He laid stress
on the duty of every father to educate
10 oh Ivny -
try. 1t was as certainly his duty to
teach his children loyalty to their
country as to teach them loyalty to
their God.
Former Governor A. o. Eberhart,
former mayor of st. Paul, was the
last speaker presented. The former
governor showed how the central en-
pires had violated every principle of
international law laid down in the
London and Hague conference He de-
clared there could be no lasting peace
based on a compromise. There could
be no compromise between right and
wrong, between life and death. If the
Hohenzollerns should prevail in their
efforts to maintain their power, the
whole fight for liberty would have to
uO IouSuL OuI all over again. A per-
manent peace would never come, I'M
til the rights and liberties of the lit
tie nations that had been trampled
down by the central empires were ad-
equately secured and guaranteed.
Just before announcing the close of
the program, the chairman called at
tention to the fact that fifty of those
selected from Nicollet county for the
new national army would leave st.
Peter on Friday evening for Fort
Dodge, and the people were urged to
turn out and give the boys the right
kind of parting greeting.
Many of those who had taken part
in the parade, as we'll as others,
spent large part of the evening
dancing at the ST. Peter armory. This
was appropriately adorned at the
entrance with red, white and blue in
candescent light bulbs. At times there
were as many as 200 couples on the
floor. The dancing continued into the
wee small hours.