Weekly Caledonian. (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1919-1920, 1919-09-24
Judge StaffOrd's Speech
Two Thousand People Parti-
cipate in the Towns Sol
der Celebration

Fair skies and ideal weather favor
cd Randolph Monday and its well
come to their returned soldiers at
tracted over 1000 people. The day
opened with mammoth parade in
which all the fr:lternal organizations
and business firms participated and
there were 100 soldiers in the line.
The soldiers were given a dinner at
the parish house and in the afternoon
all listened to Judge Wendell T.. Stat
iord's address upon the theme "rhc
Labor Questionable New Riddle of
the Sphinx" Judge Stafiord's tri-
butte to the soldiers was us follows:
at has been our fortune to watch
from day to day the dramatic course
of the greatest war in history. One
by one we have seen it draw into its
whirlpool all the strong nations of
the earth. Even our own republic,
that hated war, was compelled at last
by plain regard to its own safety and
simple fidelity to its own principles
to take part. But there were those
among us who had the high privilege
Of doing something more than watch
the battle; they were themselves a
part of it. They helped to win the
war. They risked all they had; and
some gave all they had. Some are
sleeping today under their crosses on
the fields Of France. Some died at
sea, and were buried in the "vast and
wondering grave" Some came back
MANNED and shattered, to receive, we
hope, the care and homage OF their
countlymen. And some stand Sound
and whole before our grateful eyes.
This is the day we have set apart to
bid them welcome home. If it had
not been for the work they did so
well across the seas, they and their
host of comrades, there would hove
been no home for them to come to.
This home is theirs indeed, for they
have made it safe and kept it home,
for them and for US all. Most fitting
is it, then, that we should celebrate
their coming,-that they should hear
us say, out of full hearts, that what
they have done for US shall never be
forgotten, and that the memory of
their comrades who have fallen shall
be green. They brought new honor
to the name, American. They gave
new glory to flag that was glorious
before. Chateau Thierry, the Marine,
the Somme, St. Mihiel, the Argonac
these names are sacred in our
hearts for eve1more. We wcivc
them intoo ne garland with Bunkt,
Hill and Gettysburg, with Valley
Forge and Cedar Greek and Appa-
matox,-nevcr to be forgotten while
the people of this land still cherish
that freedom for which their heroes,
in every generation, fought or died"
After referring to the disturbed
condition of affairs all over the
world, following the war, and paying
tribute to the returning soldiers and
other workers in the war, Judge
Stafford took up the labor question
saying that it must be solved if free
government is to survive. The .:amc
question faces all the progressive
modern nations. In a country like
ours where the people can make any
changes in their laws which ma
jority desire there ought to be no
danger of bloody revolution, but
there are many signs that great bod
les of men are ready to resort to 9th
er means than the ballot to secure
their ends, and to set up class rule.
He discussed the principles involv-
ed in the policemen's strike in Boston
and the threatened strike of the rail-
road men, and set forth plan of
action which he believed would make
strikes impossible in all branches of
the public service, including trans
portation.