The Glenwood post., 1917-04-14


of democracy in world wide death
grip with autocracy. We are now or
soon will be pitted against the most
powerful and pittiless military machine
that has yet appeared upon earth, which
is dominated by the descendants of the
old mediaeval kings and aristocrats who
still in this twentieth century proclaim
the divine right to rule and make
war at pleasure. We take up the gage
of battle with no hatred for the Ger
man people, for right Or wrong we be-
lieve that it is not their fault, but that
it is the arbitrary acts of their auto
cratic rulers that has drawn us into
the conflict. Strange and unbelievable
as it may seem to them, we sincerely
hope they may be able soon to obtain
an honorable and lasting peace based
upon justice. But we just as sincerely
hope that the conflict may forever
smash the autocratc power of their
old lines of kings and princes whose
favorte pastime throughout history has
been war. Whose sport for centuries
blood of their people.
"And whatever price we are des-
tined to pay for our part in this war
we only ask that the reward for our
sacrifices may be that all the military
machinery of death and destruction of
all nations of the earth may be ir
revocably annihiliated and abolished
for all time to come: and finally thai
the ideals of democracy may prevail
and its blessings be extended to every
people of the earth -
Mayor Thorson' s address was as fol
lows:
"Friends and Ncighbors: have
taken it upon myself to call You togeth
er today to help us with appropriate
services the raising of our flag. 1t is
only proper that our city should have
its own flag as we have asked every
citizen 70 display the national colors at
this time, and as my term as your
mayor is drawing to close within a
few hours, it is indeed with the highes5
sense of honor that bring my admin
instration to an end with exercises of
love and devotion to our country.
"Our country that just now is being
so sorely tried and tested in its devo-
ton to the principles of liberty, AMI
we may at times differ with those who
are in authority as to the conduct of
our internal affairs, but it can be truly
said that when we are assailed from
without that We become one united
people and that in such contest that
we are about to enter there is no one
| here who has doubt as to his posi-
ton and where his duty lies. 1t may
be stated in a single sentence. Stand
by the Union; stand by the govern
ment' It is the representative of the
Union. Stand by the administration in
its war measures. 1t means success
and for the time being the government
is all the people, united behind the
president. Politics are forgotten, and
am happy that President Wilson has
behind him the support of a united
congress where party lines are forgo'-
ten, for the time, and with one purpose
in view, that of bringing an honorable
peace to this land of ours, this land
that has been the birthplace of free
dom and the mother of all republics
That flag has led the way to freedom
of nearly the entire world. 1t has been
the hope of those who have been op
pressed and when we glance back over
the pages of history and there read or
loyalty and devotion as shown by the
sons who have come to us from foreign
lands, we know that the same devotion
still exists and that every man stands
ready to defend our flag. We are
proud of the name of American and all
that it signifies This flag is America !
| in every stripe and star and may she
ever wave over our land until time ia
no more.
''To her we drink, for her we pray,
Our voices silent never;
For her we'll fight, come what come
may,
The stars and stripes forever
At the close of the addresses the big
flag was raised to its position by little
lowing pledge to the flag was then
pronounced:
''I pledge allegiance to my flag and
to the republic for which it stand.
One nation, indivisible, with liberty AMI