The Lancaster news. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1905-current, 1918-04-23
Both the Opera House and Court
House Were Used and Each
Speaker Made Two Addresses
PARADE WAS A FEATURE
Handsome Floats and Decorated
Automobiles Furnished Spec
tacle That Impressed the I'M
mense Crowds Which Filled
the Streets.

Notwithstanding the rain of the
previous night and the threatening
weather early in the day, the patri-
otto rally held here Saturday came up
to all expectations and was a grand
success. On account of the rain,
doors, the opera house and the court
house being used. Neither being
large enough to accommodate
the crowd, each speaker made two
addresses, one at each place. The
parade, which was scheduled for
1880 in the forenoon was postponed
until four in the afternoon.
Excellent Music.
The 77th Field Artillery band
from Camp Greene, Charlotte, ar
rived on the 8: 55 train and rendered
several selections on the street before
the speaking began. The band, COM
posed of "a stalwart young Ameri-
cans, is one of the best ever heard in
this section, and the music on this
occasion may be properly described
as excellent.
At IL o'clock, the hour announced
for the speaking, the opera house
was taxed to its capacity, the isles,
doors and stairway being occupied.
Likewise, the court house was pack
ed, as many standing in the door and
upon the steps as could find room.
The court house was used to take
care of the overflow from the opera
house and as soon as a speaker fin
ished at the latter place, he imme-
iiately went to the court house to
speak again.
Address of Welcome.
Col. Leroy Springs was master of
ceremonies and opened the meeting
by asking the audience to sing 1.-The
Star spangled Banner He then in
troduced Mayor Roach S. Stewart,
who, he said, needed no introduction
to an audience of Lancaster county
people, but who would make the ad-
dress OF welcome. Mayor Stewart,
always good speaker. was unusual
ly good on this occasion, devoting
his address entirely to matters per-
tanning to the war and Liberty bonds.
Mayor Stewart said
I'VE have met for the solemn
purpose of rededicating our services,
our fortunes and our lives to the
sacred cause of human liberty. The
hands upon the dial plate of time
now point to the crucial hour when
"the chaff shall be winnowed from
the wheat" when the goats shall
be separated from the sheep" We
stand before the Judment Bar of
history, and upon its indestructibIe
records we must enter our convic-
tions.
I'VE are for or against civilization.
We condemn or approve the spolia-
ton and rape of Belgium. We look
upon the heroic suffering and un-
paralleled sacrifice of France with
burning Indignation or we silently
acquiesece in cowsrdly shame. We
know that England and italy fight
today for us, our homes and institu-
tions. or we cravenly and selflshly
refuse to admit It, Our hearts fill
with flaming wrath when we
think of the Lusitania and the Tus-
cania, or we refuse to believe that
which we know to be true. We have.
Hannibal like, laid our hands upon
the altar of our country and sworn
to avenge the death of our soldiers
in mo Mans Land" or we have
secretly and shamefully decided to
pnrsue our selfish ends. We love
our soldiers first or we worship at
the shrine OF the almighty dollar.