The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1920-06-03
MEMORIAL SERVICES
FITTINGLY OBSERVED
All Business Houses Close as
Tribute to Soldier Dead
Speech by F. r. Jeffrey

ory of the nations soldier dead bust
ness was suspended in the city thru.
out Monday and appropriate ceremon
les conducted in the city and at the
cemetery. While it was impossible
for those engaged in the strawberry
harvest and other pressing farm work
to suspend operations, many of the
farmers came to town and on the
whole the ceremonies were the most
successful ever held in the city.
The days ceremonies started with
parade which formed at The Ameri-
can Legion rooms at 1890 o'clock. In
the line of march were veterans of the
Civil, the Spanish-American and the
World War, the Woman's Relief Corps
the Boy Scouts and the sons of Civil
War Veterans. With the exception. of
the color bearer, bugler and firing
squad the World War Veterans were
not in Uniform.
At the cemetery the ritualistic Me-
mortal services of the G. A. r. were
read, followed by the w. r. c. SER
vices to the unknown soldier dead.
Members Of The American Legion act
ed as escort, fired the volleys and
sounded taps.
Veterans Of all wars were guests at
q noon dinner served in the basement
of the M. E. church under the direc-
I ton of the w. r. c., who were ably
assisted by members Of the D. A. R.,
and the wives, mothers and sisters of
the World War Veterans. For sever
al years it has been the custom Of the
w. r. c. to serve these dinners at
their own expense. This year, how
ever, because of the increased number
Of veterans the Commercial club con-
tributed $40 toward defraying the ex-
penses Of the dinner.
The auditorium of the M. E. church
was filled to capacity at the public
memorial services at 2:30 p. m, The
ceremonies were presided over by s.
M. Henderson, commander of the To-
cal G. A. r. post and the address of
the day was delivered by F. r. Jeff
rey, state commander of The Ameri-
can Legion. As preface to Mr.. jeff
rey's address General Logan's Memo
rial Day orders was read by E. w.
Trenbath, adjutant, and Lincoln's Get
tysburg address by j. w. Vickers,
commander of the local American Le-
gion post.
Following up the spirit Of peace
time service as expressed in Lincoln's
famous message, Commander Jeffrey
delivered stirring appeal, calling
upon the citizens to rally to the de-
Tense of their country to the end that
the present day menace of radicalism
might be broken. He urged as pri-
mary duty of citizenship study and
understanding of the nature, purpose
and history of American government.
In the midst of the worldwide con-
fusion and novel political suggestions
he said it was easy for the citizen to
forget what it was that the veterans
Of the country's wars fought for; to
forget that thru the operation and in
fluence Of the constitution we were
fashioned out of discordant colonies
and bankrupt confederation into
united people. Thru the government
established by the constitution we've
enjoyed over longer period of time
more widely diffused material pros
perity and larger, safer growth In
ordered liberty than any other people.
He declared that the United States
OF. America under the constitution is
not socialistic democracy. 1t was
established and must remain a rep
resentative republic. It was found
ed upon the recognition of the moral
worth and practical value of the IN
dividual. Our whole constitutional
system was established to secure eff
fective protection for life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness by the indi-
vldual, subject only to such govern
mental restraint as assures the equal
right of every other citizen and the
common welfare of all the people.
The overthrow of this form OF gov
ernment, he declared is now being
planned and preached, by organlza-
tions of foreign inception, which have
gained foothold on American soil.
These organizations would substl-
tute for Americas representative gov
ernment the rule of the proletarlate
with class arrayed against class and
reduce the United States of America
70 the chaos of SOVIET Russia. he
cited some of the fundamentals OF the
soviet form of government and COM
pared them to the government OF free