The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1917-05-31
VETERANS GO
IN CARRIAGES
Continued from first pagel


and veterans gave their salute to tn
dead.
Returning to City square through
Washington and Church streets the pa
raiders broke ranks, many joining Thu
crowd at the opera house. The exercises
were well calculated to inspire patriotism
and the message brought by Rev. Cross
land was filled with Americanism, witha
ii contained its tribute to the memory
of men who gave their all for the flag al
well as an appeal to the young men oil
to-day. The clergyman proved himself 8
forceful speaker and telling points in his
grafton were warmly applauded.
John w. Averill acted as chairman oil
the exercises and while the audience was
being seated he attended to some of the
minor details of arrangement. Some
one had thoughtfully provided lemonade
for the veterans Someone else had seen
| to it that seats well toward the front
were reserved for them and others had
reserved places for the musicians. The
| stage was attractively decorated with
| flowers and the national eolors.
| The program opened with selection
| by the band and then came the reading
of the general orders and the impressive
salute to the dead by Adjt. j. G. Harris.
Band music interpolated at this point and
then the tribute TO the unknown dead
and Lincoln's Gettysburg address were
recited by Comrade A. j. Baldwin. Aft
er another band selection Rev. j. w. Bar
nett, pastor of the Congregational church,
offered prayer.
The singing of "America" by the audi
ence, with the band playing the accom-
paniment, reached volume not attained
in some other years. When the last
verse had been finished the chairman in
troduced Rev Mr.. Grassland, who spoke
for nearly three-quarters of an hour on
Democracy" His address was given as
follows:
Rev. Mr.. Crossland's Address.
members of r. d. Crandall post, G. A.
r., veterans of the Spanish American
war, Sons of Veterans, Ladies of the G.
A. r., ladies and gentlemen, boys and
girls: We are here to-day in pursuance
of established custom, in obedience to
formal legislative enactment, in memory
of past sacrifices and in acknowledgement
of exalted services unselfshly rendered.
We are gathered together in commemora
ton of the devotion, the valor and
achievements OF our soldier dead, who, in
life, were the uniform of the republic.
The inanimate soil of continent, the
sands of the islands OF the seas and the
solemn water of the great deep cover
their silent forms, but their memories
still live and are ever present in the
thought and hearts of virile and mighty
people; and their souls still go marching
on, inspiring and impelling lbs to acts Of
TO love of country and to
obedience to its laws. We, therefore, de- |
vote this day to sacred memories and we |
it TO holy purposes, 1t is a |
day of tribute to the dead and a day of |
honor to the living.
while this day is observed in the |
memory of our soldier dead in whatever I
war they served, it is in a special sense
dedicated to the dead of the great Civil |
war 1t may be that this is true because
it, observance was first instituted by I
the survivors of the great struggle in
of their fallen comrades. But it
IS also true for other and more enduring
'easors-because of the magnitude OF the
conflict, the numbers engaged, the con
'anguinity of the foe, the unparalleled
'ortitude and devotion OF the partici-
lants, the superlative sacrifices made at
ZONE and in the field, the character of
he battles fought and the immeasure-
bile value of the issue involved. Meas
lred by these standards, all other wars
n which the republic has been engaged
ade into insignifcance, and all battles
ink into mere skirmishes. BY this ] do
lot disparage the valor or the devotion
f the soldiers of Washington, nor of the
cad of 1912, nor the sacrifice or courage
4 those who fell in Mexico or upon the ,
lains, or on the mountains of the West
or do / pluck a single laurel from the /
row of the gallant ones who died facing {
he red glove of Spanish anger in Cuba, {
or from the heroes who drove the yellow ,
ag of Spain from the islands and waters {
two seas. We thank God for every !
ingle one of those brave defenders of G
ur republic. Nevertheless, the greater
truggle left the deeper impress upon the )
alton and the more endearing one, II
Here, this day, and at this shrine, we i
enew our faith in the republic and in its {
In the waters of this peren- 7
ial fountain we are rebaptized unto
orship of freedom and love of country. r
ere we pledge ourselves anew TO the a
efense of liberty and the faithful per Il
,rmance of the high duties of free citi- n
,nship; and here we teach our children f
he value of self denial and sacrifice and b
ne meaning of the flag. It is this fact t
rat makes Memorial day holy day; a t
nv of highest value to all the people, il
nd of rarest worth to the nation; day | {
ch in the exemplificstion of the duties u
nd of the rewards of American citizen n
Zip; day. not for the benefit of the n
lad. but for the good of the living. u
hat we have done or may do to-day
N never be of any import to the dead. v
here is nothing in all the earth that we Y
n do for them. Asleep in death. they 4
e past our help. Careless of the sun h
line and the storm, they are beyond our "
insure or praise. We can add TO them n
glory. We cannot give them immor- Il
lily. They no longer need us, but we b
ed them. Without them-what they "
id and did and the history by them II
ritten--we would be poor, indeed, and il
-od citizenship would be for us far m
ore difficult of attainment. Because of m
II own needs we cannot forget them. e,
ne beautiful in their lives is to us like 81
e beauty of the lilies; the memory of Al
cir good deeds, like the fragrance Of dt
e roses; their virtues. like the sweet 10
IS of ripened fruit; and their example, Q,
A..