Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1917-05-31
RAIN BARS PATRIOTIC PARADE
BUT DOES NOT STOP MEETINGS

unmarked graves.
Time, the great healer of animos-
tiles, has drawn the mantle of char
ity over the causes of that great war,
and this day first designed to honor
the Union dead alone has become as
well, day for renewal OF our al
legiance to our democratic ideals, 4
day in which the survivors of that
great conflict can meet with the men
who were their foes, in common citi-
zenship of thoroughly united cOun-
try, and the son OF the man who wore
the blue stands shoulder to shoulder
with the son of the man who wore
! the gray, united IA common purpose
and common patriotism and togeth-
err beneath the star spangled banner
of unity and freedom will bear that
flag to victory against the foreign foe.
Decoration Day has become more
than holiday. II has become holy
day in the United States. at which
time not only should the American
citizen look backward to the facts re-
ceding period Of the Civil War with
the thought of the men who bore the
burden of the conflict now with halt
ing feet and decimated ranks march
ing on to their final byOnac, but 1t
should be a day to look forward to,
look inward and endeavor to see for
ourselves whether this institution
which these men sacrificed their en-
ergy and their lives to perpetuate is
being kept by us of later generation
with the same spirit and the same pat
riotism with which they preserved it
to us.
"The founders of this government
with an abiding faith in the abilities
of its future citizenship to perpetuate
the character of freedom which they
drafted, founded the government as
the greatest experiment in individual
freedom and local government
that had ever been attempted to that
time. Not without much doubt and
many trials was this government
launched upon its career and not with
out many struggle did it finally sue
coed in keeping its foothold and TAX
ing its place in the family of nations
With many troubles. which were prin-
cipally local, but with ever increasing
strength and increasing material
wealth it came down to the period
OF the election OF Lincoln as presi-
dent, when all the flames of discOrd
and the illfeeling which had been ac-
cumulating in the years Immediately
preceding that event broke into flame
and there was inaugurated the great
est war which this country then, or
since, had experienced and the great
est civil war perhaps that any coun-
try had endured The skies were
clouded for years, but liberty finally
triumphed and the nation rose after
I
chattel slavery eliminated, with the
power and authority OF the National
Government firmly established, and
for the first time in the Nations his
tory. Jetfersons statement 'in the
Declaration of Independence that all
mon are created equal and endowed
with the inalenabe right to life, lib
erty and the pursuit Of happiness,
was made literally true
I'm the early years Of our Nations
history we literally followed the adj
, vice of Washington and avoided en-
: tangling alliances with foreign ma
tons We have lived to ourselves
: without regard to the enmities anG
[ the discords that troubled the nations
, OF Europe. As conditions existed We
} could do so, but times have changed
Modern inventions have brought the
/. nations of the world close together
, so that now the happenings in Lon
! do nor Berlin at midnight are report
t ed in the morning papers. The speech
Q Of the German Chancellor in The I'm
i perial Parliament is discussed on tn,
! streets of Ottawa within few hours
J. after its delivery, and the world i
n growing smaller. Where in the pas
q we could withdraw into our shell AM
: deny an interest In foreign affairs
d that time has passed, and indeed ha
$ been long passed and this Nation o
n ours can no longer live the life of tn
s. old days, but must awake 20 a realizs
n ton that what is beneficial for tn
:, freedom and liberty of mankind mus
d be upheld whether it is at LONE o
e abroad, and that anything whic
T. would attack our liberties on foreig
y soil can be felt as readily here a
T. there.
" "That IL the principle Of liberty an
n free citizenship and responsible go
10 world war we must bear our pal
10 therein. Today we look about us an
n endeavor to realize that the Unite
al states is engaged In foreign wa
ar ~ involved in this mighty con1agr
ut ton which seems to be destroyir
as civilization and the manhood of Eu
8, ope and Asia. When this war brol
a In Europe we behed It first wi