Free trader-journal. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1916-1920, 1918-04-29
0. H. S. AUDITORIUM Is
PACKED FOR FAREWELL
EXERCISES
PRAISE OLD GLORY.
REV. G. W. cHESSMAN DELIVERS
ADDRESS BEFORE VAST AUDI.
ENCE GATHERED AT THE HIGH
SCHOOL TO GIVE So HONOR MEN
FITTING SENo.oFF.

Ottawa last night side tracked lis
usual diversion to take part in the
more important duty of sending fifty.
three brave honor men into the army
knowing that the home folks were be.
hind them to a man. a crowd which
packed the high school auditorium un.
I'll every available bit Of standing
space was occupied. jammed the spa.
ci0us gathering place while the God.
speed exercises were in progress
a fitting program consisting of pa.
triotic and religious music was par.
ticipatcd IN by the audience, with John
Noff leading the singing. The cere.
monies started with pronouncement
OF the Invocation by Rev. Father
Dunn, assistant to Rev. Dean Quinn,
at st. COLUMBIA church, followed by a
patriotic address by Rev. G, w
Chessman, pastor Of the First Baptist
church. III HIS speech. which rung
with patriotism and praise of the
allied cause. Rev Chessman said
To my mind, it is the most remark.
able thing that our nation. so paci.
fistic In sentiment shortly before we
entered the war, should so harmoni.
ously aud enthusiastically ge; into it
q little over Il year ago. The eXpla.
nation is that We suddenly compre.
hendcd intellectually, what it meant
and saw that participation was inevi-
able. The rank and file Of American
people. thanks TO .he disseminating
power OF the press. the educational
functioning of the pulpit, the war
books IN our libraries, and ;hc pat.
rlO' ic addresses in city. village. and
hamlet the country over, saw il was
not only Great Britain's and Frances
wal. but also our war
We are in the war today because
We could not keep out Of il and be
sclf-respecting rs a nation, we are in
IL because We could do no other. so
help us God We departed from our
traditional Monroe Doctrine policy
because self.preservaton Imperative
ly demanded IT, and in addition. the
benevolent instincts OF Christian
pa.i0n prompted the championing Of
tho rights OF weaker peoples 50 flag.
antly violated We natiOnalizcd the
principle of the good Samaritan and
went to the rescue of bleeding Bel.
eium that had fallen among thieves
and was left bleeding by the wayside.
America would have been selfish,
craven, despicable, crassly material.
istic nation, the degenerate sons OF
fighting forefathers who counted
not their lives dear unto themselves
in the struggle for freedom, il we had
stood BY in snug complaccncy or
moral uDc0ncern while the fires of in
sane. barbaric ambitions, incarnate
warl0rds, rocked the very founda
ti0ns on which rested the priceless
liberties Of the world. We are In the
war because - Our fathers brought
forth on this continent a new nation
conceived in liberty and dedicated tt
the proposition that all men are ere
atod equal Now we are engaged il
a great war testing whether that ma
tion Or any nation so conceived or sc
dedicated, can long endure il is !
titanic struggle tnat government 0
the people and by the people and fo
the people, shall not perish from n,
earth"
Ambassador Morgenlhau, u goo,
authority. informs us that German!
has been. and is. planning world con
quest By force OF arms. The Hohcn
zollcrns are alarmed at the progress
democracy is making and are readin
tho handwriting ON the wall for auto
cracy's demise unless democracy |
routed The ambassador to Turke
tells US The co.existence of domot
racy and autocracy can never be an,
thing better than an armed truce.
mus be annhlated Immediatel,
completely. and forever. a. whateve
cost" President Wilson means tn
same thing when he says, Our pre-
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