The Cook County news-herald. [volume] (Grand Marais, Cook County, Minn.) 1909-current, 1917-09-19
GRAND MARAlS BIDS FARE
WELL TO SOLDIER BOYS
People From all Parts Of the County
Attended Largest Patriotic Meet
ing Ever Held Here.

"A large mass meeting under the
auspices of the County Commission
Of Public Safety, and the Red Cross
Society, assisted by the Commercial
Club Of Grand Marais, was held in
the Princess Theater for the purpose
of giving encouragement to the SOL
diers on the eve of their departure
for the war.
The meeting was presided over by
DR.. F. B. Hicks who opened by hav-
ing the audience sing "America" aft
err which Rev. Ripon gave the invo-
cation. DR.. Hicks then called on
ex-senator w. E. Culkin. Mr.. Culkin
dwelt upon some Of the vital issues
at stake in the present war and in a
most logical and convincing manner
he justified the United States entry
into this great conflict. He also re-
ferred to the foul tactics of the
German government in seeking to
gain their purpose. Mr.. Culkin is a
very strong and deliberate speaker,
and the arguments which he so ably
advanced were invincible and beyond
the possibility of dispute. His
speech will long be remembered. DR..
Hicks voiced the sentiments of every
one present when he said, eve shall
be better citizens for having heard
Mr. Culkin's address,"
Mrs. Olson, who is working under
the auspices of the National Council
Of Defense gave an address which
was we'll received by every one in
the audience. Mrs. Olson is very ef-
f'cient as a public speaker, and her
charming personality makes her
peaking very effective and will go
long way toward making her work
abundantly successful.
Last but not least, Mr.. Preus, the
State Auditor, was called upon who
responded with a few WE'LL chosen re-
marks, and dwelt upon some of the
important questions connected with
the present war. He gave the boys
come sound practical advice. Mr..
Preus made profound impression
upon the people here, and everyone
considered it great privilege to
have the opportunity of hearing him.
The chairman then closed the meet
ing by having the audience sing the
"Star Spangled Banner" after which
about one hundred and fifty people
cat down to a delicious banquet
which was prepared by the ladies of
the Red Cross Society, in the Trading
Post building kindly loaned by Mr..
c. J. johnson.
| Speeches were again the order of
the day. DR.. Hicks acted as toast
master and called upon several
speakers, who responded nobly, and
their words must have been a source
of inspiration and uplift to the boys
on the eve of their departure for
the great war;
Rev. Ripon, while giving this war
his approval, argued against the per-
manent necessity of war. He said,
"the view that war is inevitable is
defended by certain presentation of
biology, the science that deals with
the origin and life history of plants
and animals. Darwin's great phrases,
the struggle for existence and the
survival of the fittest' have been
used to prove that a fierce violent
struggle must always go on in the
world Of men and that the strongest
must survive. Darwin himself would
certainly not own the distortion of
his doctrine which has often been
made by his followers.
'But biology is not the last word.
Man is not tied up to what we call
nature, !. e.,sub-human nature, for
guidance about his own life. The
nature of man is not to be under
stood at all until we have recognized
that he is in communication with a
life above him. If tiger tears his
victim, is that any reason for saying
that man must tear his fellow man.
'When the biological argument is
presented then, for the continuance
of war as a permanent feature of
human society, there are two replies
to make to it. One is that biology
does not support any such conten-
tion. We know that men at any rate
have been capable of dreaming and
desiring something beyond the state
of war. To the statement that ma
ture tolerates or ordains this or
that, it is quite a good answer to
say, my nature does not, it demands
something better
There are some writer's who ad-
vance the theory that war is a per-
manent necessity on the ground that
strife and struggle are in the plan
and process of creation, and in the