Alma record. (Alma, Mich.) 1878-1928, 1918-02-14
LINCOLN BANQUET
A BIG SUCCESS
Banquet OF Mems Society OF
Presbyterian Church Had
Large Attendance.
OSBORNE GAVE AN ADDRESS
Thrilled His Attentive Audience With
Fine Patriotic Address Which
Touched On War.

The first annual Lincoln banquet Of
the Mems society Of the Presbyterian
church held in the church parlors or
Tuesday evening was one Of the big
gest successes of anything of the kind
attempted in this city in some years.
Following delightful banquet,
toastmaster William A. Bahlke called
upon Rev. Mason Of the church for a
toast, Our Aims" Rev. Mason told
the large number of men and boys
present of the aims Of the Mems soci-
ETY. for civic, moral and religious bet
terment of the community in which we
live. He invited everyone interested
in these matters to associate with the
society for the promotion of these
highly important matters.
The Hon Chase S. Osborne, Of the
500, the principal speaker of the even
ing, was introduced by Mr. Bahlke
The patriotic address which he gave
held the close attention of everyone
and was conceded to be the finest Of
the three addresses given by him dur
ing the day.
Right at the beginning of his ad-
dress Mr.. Osborne praised the lofty
ideals of the Mems society, and the
part that such ideals play in the max
ing of a community and state. He
told of and compared our great land
with the lands Of other countries,
showing how much more fertile this
country was.
From this point he went back in
history to the early days of Athens
when it was the great seat of learning
Of the then civilized world. He told Of
the ruling classes of Athens, of the
slaves, Of the working women, and of
the oath Of the youths Of Athens. Then
the decline. because the oath was not
kept, because Athens did not have the
right sense Of proportion. Then came
Rome, the rise. the fall. and the rise
and fall of other great countries of
history. falling when sense Of proper
tion has been lost, when everything
has gone wrong.
Then back to the United States,
which has come TO its own through be-
ing right and having The right proper
tions.
He spoke of the great manifestation
of patriotism Of the millions of Amer
lean men who marched out and volun-
tarily offered themSelveS on the al
tar Of their country, the greatest dis
play Of patriotism that the world has
ever seen.
He turned then to the war and said
that the Republic offered the greatest
menace to the Kaiser and 70 Autoc-
racy, and indicated by past history
that we have long had the enmity Of
Germany He used historical ex-
amples here, pointing out the Samoan
affair of 1889; the German fleet at
Manila which came near to causing
war; the notes that followed the loot
ing by Germans during the Boxer up
rising in China, and the Venezeula af-
fair of 1903, when Teddy" gave Ger
many three days TO get her fleet out
side of the three mile zone Contin-
uing he said that this was very much
our war, and that we were fortunate
in having as our allies some Of the fin
est peoples in the world.
He said that he did not know wheth-
er or not we should hate the Ger
mans, but that when he heard Of the
sinking of the Tuscania with two
thousand American soldiers aboard
he believed that he hated them. He
said. IL don't know for the minute
whether we should just go over and
butcher them or Just wiring their
necks. that the worlI could not be half
Liberty believing ard half dcspotic."
Then his praise o. the ideals Of the
Mems society came home in his clos
ing words, when he said that we
should strive to be the best instru-
ments of God That if we are. we
will be the most worthy of his people
and will be the sons chosen to lead
forth the world safely from the great
struggle.
During his splendid address he paid
a glowing tribute TO that great Amer
ican, Abraham Lincoln, on whose
109th birthday the banquet was being
held. He said that he was probably
the greatest Of commoners, Of all time
with the exception of the Man of Naz-
areth. He said that the thing of Lin
coin was not clothes, was not looks.
but his divine truth, and that no mon
ument was needed for him other than
the reverence Of the entire world.