The Madison daily leader. [volume] (Madison, S.D.) 1890-current, 1917-05-05

H@ addressing himself to
AA the men enlisted i'm the
Y enterprise of overthrow
ing military despotism. Judge d.
ID. Holdridge said Boys. I'd
like to go with you. Indeed, /
may yet go with you. I'm not speak
ing as one who says he would go
with YOU. I'm not speaking as one
who says he would go then does not,
for in the great civil war | myself
kissed a wife and three babies good
bye and went to arms. And when
you get to the front, if you see a real
old man come over the distant hill
and wave his handkerchief TO you
that's me-" concluded the silyery
haired patriot, in the idiom, his voice
drowned in a storm of applause for
the sentiment of loyalty, of the men
who fought. the men who are going
TO fight. and the old man who has
spent a long life fighting and in in
terpreting the laws Of the country
he loves.
In every sense the meeting last
night was a sweating, bowling sue
cess. Enthusiasm pervaded the
crowd packed from the doors of the
entrance to the remote alcove be-
meath the rear galleries. as the crowd
rendered the tributes of attention
and applause to speakers and their
sentiments. and an excellent program
of entertainment. The supposed
apathy of the city was thrown aside.
and for one night i'm the history of
the town in this great war. the PEG
pie u%nbuckled and let themselves go
without restraint.
The crowd gathered early in the
large auditorium. Music by the I'M
perial band on the street called them
10 the meeting. The newly enlisted
men formed i'm line at the firemen'-
hall and marched in a body to seats
reserved near the front of the audito-
rum. When they were seated, vet
Grams OF the civil war entered be
meath the banner for which they
fought. and were also seated at the
extreme front in their reservation.
to the music of THE Star Spangled
Banner"
A tabIeau of ''To Arms-To
Farms" represented by a soldier
with his weapon. and a farmer with
his implement was the first to meet
the audience as the curtain rose.
Both obeying the command of the
nation, they presented arms. And at
another insistent command they
marched away TO duty.
DR.. J. w. Heston took charge of
the announcements. acting as mod
orator of the meeting. A chorus OF
six male voices sang America" and
answered an insistent encore by an
other verse OF the same. Indeed. al
most every number was requested by
the audience to repeat, but in some
cases ii was impracticable. Children
of the model class in the Normal
school sang a patriotic song, contain
ing an especially strong appeal 70
mothers who have sons. This was
followed by a drill by the pupils OF
the third and fourth grades of the
Washington school, and the double
male quartet again sang to applause.
DR.. Heston then announced thai
there were two speakers present.
n~eighbors Of ours, who needed no in
PRODUCTION. Father T.. A. Flynn
swayed the audience with an appeal
for gratitude TO the men who gave
and the men who are about TO give
their lives for the preservation OF
our country's honor and the freedom
of the world. The material remu-
.neration for such sacrifice is small
at the best, the speaker said. tut
the grandest and most satisfying 10
the men who cheerfully gave their all
is that of appreciation and gratitude,
that the feeling of real gratitude
is cheap to us. for we have much for
which TO be grateful in the good
things they got for us with their
blood. He called for a demonstra-
ton of actual loyalty to the soldiers
for Memorial day, and his voice was
not one of pleading or accusation.
but carried a command, the force OF
which was felt to be impelling.
Louis Molloy played a violin selec-
ton which was honored by an en-
core. Then d. ID. Holdridge spoke.
using that intimately personal tone
of a mar among many friends. Mr..
Holdridge's address held a cheerfully
hopeful tone, admitting by neither
word or manner that there was
aught but patriotism, unity and loyal
ty in our country. Even the grim
r~ealizations OF war were treated in a
manner which, while in no wise les
SEEMING its hatefulness, placed It in
the light of cheerful sacrifice. He
would accompany the boys in any
capacity assigned, even to backing
boots, he said, and might wave to
them from a hilltop later. Persons
of other towns-not Madison. he ar
raigned scathingly for their SNUG
self satisfaction while yet wasting
the of the nation. Hy-
phenated Americans he did not be-
lieve possible-he never saw such a
thing or person-cheerfully optimis-
tic, he did not believe there was
but one nationality, n creed.
one party.
Following an inspiring flag drill
by pupils of the seventh grade, DR..
Heston spoke at some length on the
necessities for observing Memorial
day. The needs of money and CO.
operation were urged, and donations
solicited for the purpose of reviving