Fulton County tribune. (Wauseon, Ohio) 1883-1925, 1918-07-05

tradlctlOn to the fundamental prlncl-
pies of such a government and at
the same time to preserve the union
of states in one nation in which and
through which this same spirit of '76
predominates.
Too much honor. may not be given
to the men of the 'sixties;" they also
have made a sacrifice that has be-
come chief cornerstone of the ma
tional structure, and they also were
led by man whose grandeur of char
acter is without a parallel in history
past or present.
Then America became the haven of
desire for the people of every nation
on the globe; to it have come the
poor and oppressed of all the world;
here they have been able to enjoy the
fruits Of their own labors Those
who, no matter how they toiled or
how they saved, might never have had
square yard of ground to call their
own, have come with nothing, and
here in the land of opportunity they
have by their labors surrounded
themselves with broad acres of fertile
land, which they look out upon with
justifable pride and call their own to
enjoy and pass on to their children.
Here they were welcomed, protected
and taken in as part of the govern
ment which made possible the pros
perity they enjoyed. Here they have
and equality.
But other influences have come into
this government, influences that tend
to weaken rather than strengthen;
that tend to disintegrate rather than
bind more closely. 1t has been true
that wealth rather than the common
good has been the standard set up.
Selfishness, avarice, greed, are among
the factors that have crept in and
impeded the progress of this Democ-
racy toward perfection.
One hundred and forty-two years
is not long time in the history of the
to test the quality and endurance of
a governmental system; many pow
ers and prfncipalities have arisen,
reached their zenith and gone down to
their final end and oblivion in less
time than that, and it is an eloquent
commendation and testimony to the
C"@lity and character of the Ameri-
''an Ideal and the endurance of the
Spirit of '76 that, in spite of the ad-
verse and insidious influences referred
to in the foregoing, the present finds
this nation of ours still intact = a
strong, united people, loyal still to
the principles of Freedom, Equality,
and Justice, and standing today as
the champion of these principles not
alone for itself but for all the nations
of the earth. The Stars and Stripes
waves today not only over this "Land
of the Free and Home of the Brave"
but as well on the far-fung battle line
of Europe as the symbol of Human
Liberty, the assurance of Human
Rights, and the guarantee of Impair
tial Justice.
The one hundred forty ami
versary of the birth of this American
Democracy finds us at the beginning
the declaration Of the inalienable
rights of all men to life, liberty, and
the pursuit of happiness is to be made
in all lands and all climes. The Spirit
of '76 is still alive, and it is leading
on in the war against inhumanity
injustice, and oppression. Now, as
in the past, men and women are COM
ing together to give their time, then
energy, their possessions, and them
selves, not for personal acquisition OF
more wealth or territory or rights
but to give to others-to all the worlc
the rights of which they have beez
deprived; to stop the unspeakable
cruelty and wrongful oppression.
\ AS a mans life, so nations life
"consisteth not in the abundance o.
things which (it) possesses"
| Our nation has entered into {
larger, more abundant life than it ha'
ever known before. The American
Ideal will live in every land unde
the sun; above the battle scarret
fields OF Belgium and France it shal
rise like some glorious angel of peac
with comfort and healing in it's wing
, for the succor of the people who ar
bruised and bleeding from the shoe
of war. And within the boundarie
: of our own land there will come
: new dawning; new conception o
: true values; new -sterlin
manhood standing on it's own merits
! the ideal toward which our youn
t manhood shall work and strive.
e The peace and comfort of all, tn
progress to a larger, better, true
: brotherhood of men under the Father
) hood of God, in whose sight the soul
: of all men are equally precious.