The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1920-03-08
CARRY ON THEIR WORK
Urges That While This Is prt
marty the Dead II Is in Wider
Sense Living

disturb the air, little patch of clay
be stirred for our last resting place.
la few discordant pangs OF pain VIII
sweep over some fond and dotlng
heart and soon it is ali forgotten.
struggle against it, as we VIII, reDei
against 1t as we must, how sadiy,
bitterly true it is. Even the mightiest
iof earth's sons pass, like Napoleon,
Into restless dream. AS the flying
bird leaves no path in the air, and
the mighty battleship no furrow IN
1.-THE waves, SO is our life on the ocean
Iof existence. Is it any wonder that
In heather king would build a Tai
lMahal adorned with the richest OF
gems that he might thus make
solemn protest against the ravages
iof time and seek to preserve his per.
Isonality to all succeeding genera.
!tions? Is it any wonder that men
cling with fevered anxiety to their
religion, when it holds out to them
the rapturous promise of life eternal
and supernal? And it is no wonder
that at the annual Mayt-ime. we
gather the choicest of garlands and
! bestrew the graves of our. departed
with their tender fragrance and
beauty. And it is by this annual
memorial that we protest against the
almost irresistible spirit of forgetful-
ness, always lowering about us.
Someone has said: Keep out of the
past; it is haunted. He, who in its
avenues gropes, shall find there the
ghost of a joy priced the most, and
/ a skeleton throng of dead hopes
Strilkingly beautiful as the sentiment
is. how we do love to linger around
f01y thn% ty1I, IF hn
loved ones gone before. Lest we
carry this matter Of dwelling amid
the tombs and sepulchres too far, let
me give you this gladstone message:
Turn, turn to the present, the new,
Today leads you up to the hill tops.
That are kissed by the radiant sun:
Today holds no tomb; all life's hopes
And today holds a prize to be won.
United for Aid. .s s'
From the earliest dawn of crea-
ton, men have united themselves
into bands or societies for mutual aid
and sympathy in the struggle for life
and loved ones. So deeply are the
principles of our beloved order woven
into the warp and wool of mems
mental nature, that even in the hour
Iof adversely, the sacredness of fra
tternal love shines out at it's brightest
and clearest. Some people imagine
that membership in a secret order
is obtained by reason of personal
favor or influential friends. No
greater mistake was ever made. 1t
lis by the law of natural affinity that
men are drawn together of similar
impulses and like aspirations. In
the mysterious soul-life into whose
hidden mysteries, no philosopher has
ever penetrated, may be found the
germ Of the affinity by which men
are led to covet association with
those who in deed as well as in need
are brothers. 1t is this that has raj
lied beneath the Elk banner an army
composed of the flower Of American
manhood And it is this same per-
iyading influence which will muster
Ia solid phalanx in battle array, so
long as selfishness, the mightiest foe
LOT fraternal love operates in TIE
lives of men. Man was created for
society and only surrounded by fam
ily and friends does he experience
any of the real enjoyment Of life.
of all men most miserable is that
poor deluded individual who worsh13s
only at his own shrine and fails to
sadmit into his affections, those with
whom he daily comes in. contact
From the cradle to the grave, at
Ieyery step of his career, man is
brought face to face with his own
heIplessness and his dependence
upon others. He might as well ex,
meet that the atmosphere OF frlgld
country would be freighted with the
fragrance of tropical flowers and his
ears delighted with the song OF birds
as to hope to enjoy life without the
society and sympathy of friends.
Upon this great need of humanity
does our Elk temple stand. Its won
derful growth during the brief period
'of it's existence is unequaIed IN the
history of secret organizations. Ii
acts as an organized check on the
growing selfiShness Of our times
And how much is its influence need
ed. All about us are human hearts
hungry for that sympathetic brother
ly touch which will tighten the bur
den and brighten the pathway of the
weary traveller, who perchance be-
longs to that number to whom lie
seems never-ending night.
Universal Equity.
"In this busy bustling world
where even the toddling infant is
taught by fond parents to look out
for number one and to keep an eye
ION the main chance and that it is
Everybody for himself and the devil
take the hindmost, men trample ruth
lessly under foot the finer sensibiii
|. ties of their fellows and life becomes
a battle ground where the principle
of the survival of the strongest has
full sway. 1t is to combat these eVi
!, teachings and wrong principles, thai
, the beautiful and impressive lessons
. of charity, justice and brotherly
, love are inculcated in our ritualistit
| work. Not that friendship which
, seeks only advancement for self, but
, that genuine article that inspires mer
. ito forget self and selfish aims in the
more noble and glorious pursuit O.
, the highest good for all humanity