The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1921-06-03

ton. and not by a dynasty or a
ruler or government. So this
day becomes indeed the Corona
ton of the Citizen. All great
conquests have been the con-
quests of the People. The truly
ample figures of History are not
Hannible and Napoleon and Cae-
sar and Alexander. They are
rather the great tribunes of de-
mocracy.-Pericles; Brutus; Gin
cinnatus; Hampden; Winklereid;
Bruce: Robert Emmett and Israel
Putnam. There has been no
movement upward except when
the citizen aspired. In Golden
Rome the proudest boast of any
man was to say II am a Roman
Citizen" The legend tells us that
when the earth was split asun-
der by great chasm that divld-
ed Rome, the oracles said that 1t
might not come together until
the choicest treasures of Rome
was thrown into the breach. And
Rome, declaring that Rome had
no treasure 50 worthy as loyal
citizen, threw himself into the
gap and the earth was healed
and came together over his body.
Always the citizen hurting him
self into every gap to maintain
the integrity of the nation,-this
has been the glory of the earth.
Horatius defending the bridge in
the brave days of old, fought as
citizen of Rome, and at the
was it he saw? He saw on Pala-
tinus the White Porch of His
Home" Always the citizen con-
scious of his home and his coun-
try,-this has been the saving
grace of nations.
Meaning of the Hour
The one great meaning or this hour
is that the dead are with us, cele-
brating this service, and giving to it
its deepest meaning. oh these boys
who have gone forth on the great
great and loyal dead are ever with
us if we be worthy of their memory.
They came TRANSPORTED back
Secure from change in their high
hearted ways,
Beautiful evermore and with the rays
OF dawn on their white shields of
expectation"
They will abide with us through
the days to come, lifting our hearts
up to the performance of duties noble
as their own. They will shame in us
every recreance to our ideals. They
will scourge us for every betrayal of
their love for every loyalty which re-
deems the sacrifice they made.
On the human side no thing CAN
be so beautiful as this,-this claim
ing of our part in the immortality of
riendship,-this joining of our voices
human voices to the deathless voices
of the choir invisible whose music
is the gladness of the world"
We come here thrilled with the
sense that this is an hour of joy. We
bring a tribute too high for tears
we come to remember not those who
have gone from us, but those who
enc comradeship. We do not come to
mourn at the gates of death but to
sing at the doorways of life, where
mortal and immortal merge, and hui
man grows divine.
Creed Of an American
What is the true Greed of the
American? l conceive it to be not
merely an adherence to ideals of Pa
triotism, but an adherence to the
principles of humanity. contem-
plate the living, vital American as
country, these words:
| will give my love to my Country
Not in wild excitements, mouthings,
threats or cheers,
Not in Dragging accents of cheap
vanity,
Not in enthusiasts that grow weary
with noisy acclaim;
Not in an isolated pride that forgets
all things else.
But rather in the high and holy mem
That all 1 have was bought for me
And paid for with the blood and tears
Who nobly and with dedicated
Gave all they had rather than to sur
render
Mans worthiest dreams and visions.
The patience and wisdom of such
men,
Their heroism and their agonies and
hopes
Beat on my humble life, and call to
To give a service in their name no
less beautiful and worthy
Than they gave.
So / shall love mankind, and hear
In every call of human need, call
For my best service of. true loving
kindness
And the sacrifice that thinks not
more of self
Than of the common good.
shall not sit at ease
And take my own cheap comfort till
know
That every justice that 1 dream of
o.. for myself,
And for my children, shall be equal
ly sure 49,.
To all the children of the earth.
Therefore. win the earnest love ana
faith
That all the heroes of the world have
left to me
Believing that their tears were not
in vain. ..
Believing that their sacrifice wouio
move l...
All after generations to redeem T.
Their sorrows in an equal consecra-
To the right of men, r..
I shall daily rise to greet the sun
With a new VOW to give my daily
living
In rapture, purity, earnestnes and Joy
To the things that are lovely and
human ,a
And neighborly and kindly and up
That the Flag of the United States
May shine with new glory of SER
vice
And be radient with eternal purposes
Because / have poured life worth
while