The commonwealth., 1921-11-16
Greenwood People At
tend Services In Hon.
or OF Veterans
OF THE GREAT
WORLD WAR
St0rer PIeSiaeS. Ven
able Speaks, RennIe
breaches Sermon.

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ASSEM- ass,a ~ ssa streets 10 witness
Lhe parade af eSr world war veterans
Erua1 Il 10 SO 3 m when the different
wUmeaS 5 arg2uiz2 s5ons Of Greenwood
served the veterans a Sumptuos
luncheon at the Confederate Memorial
Building
The speaking and song services
we're very interesting and impressive
throughout.
/ DR.. J. w. Storer, pastor of the
Baptist Church presided over the ex-
ercises, on account of the unavoidable
absence of DR.. V, c. Curtis, who was
called to GreenYille.
DR.. Storer requested the audience
to rise and join in singing America,
after which he made a few well word
ed remarks, closing with a brief but
splendid prayer,
Dir. w, 0. Hornbaker, pastor of the
Christian Church then followed with
Scripture reading from the 46th
Psalm, which was pertinent to the oc-
casion.
Hon. J. W. George introduced Hon.
| w. w. Venable, the speaker of the
day, paying handsome and deserved
tribute to that able and brilliant
young statesman.
Mr.. Venable made one of the most
eloquent and interesting speeches ever
heard in this city. He ably discussed
the different phases of the great war,
| paid glowing tribute to the valor of
American soldiers and their allies,
described viyidly the horrors and sac
rifices suffered, and made a strong
plea for permanent peace among the
nations. At the conclusion of his
superb address he was literally ap-
plauded by the large audience of ap-
preciativs people present.
| Following Mr.. Venable's speech, a
matchless choir--compose of Messrs.
Schilling, Wells, Kearney, Forman,
Prince, Hamilton, Hinman, Barbour,
Colmery and Mcdonald, with Mrs.
Barbour presiding at the organ-ren-
dered "Soldier Rest" in a sweet and
most impressive manner.
The Armistice Day sermon was then
delivered by Dr. Joseph Rennie, pas
tor of the Presbyterian Church, who
fully maintained his reputation as
one of the ablest and most eloquent
pulpit orators in the South. He con-
cluded his mastery sermon by hav-
ing the audience to join in prayer
with him, which concluded the exer-
cises at the church.
vENABLE'S SPEECH
The address of the day was made
by Hon. W. w. Venable, former
Congressman from this state, who
now resides at Clarksdale. Mr.. Ven-
able is a splendid orator and his re-
marks ran true to the occasion. He
said in part:
Behind every human act lies its
philosophy, the thoughts, the ideals,
the emotions that brought it into
being.
"We have met to commemorate the
valor, self sacrifice and achievements
of the sons of America and their COM
rades in arms in the great world war.
The significance of their service and
sacrifice lies in the significane of
the struggle.
| "Why did they fight, what was the
meaning of the clash of arms, the
millions dead, the millions wounded,
this tidal wave Of blood, suffering and
destruction that swept over the whole
world?
From the time that the great rev.
olutionary of Nazareth taught the
sanctity of individualism, the individ-
ual soul as the unit of value, the war
between the fundamental idea of au-
tocracy, whether of individuals or of
governments has gone on without ces-
sation.
"The one claiming that the individ-
ual is the unit of value and that gov
ernments or officer, however highly
placed, exists only for the purpose of
ordering affairs to the end that the
highest good of the individual may be
worked out; the other that the indi-
vidual exists for the benefit of the
slate and that the organization is
the thing.
Again was the right of free peo-
pies challenged by its old enemy.
There had grown UP in the Central
Empires philosophy whose logic was
world dominion and whose inevitable
result was war. A rationalistic the
ory of evolution as applied to gov
eminent held sway. 1t was argued
that ii was law Of nature that the
stronger creature should grow yet
stronger by overpowering the weak
er, that man was creature and hence
tbs law applied to man, that gov
ernments were but collections of in
dividuals and hence this law applied
to governments, that this was natures
way to eliminate the weaker elements,
leaving the stronger to become the
prognators of yet stronger race;
that by this process mankind was
likewise to be built to higher levels.
1t was argued that governments were
subject to this law and hence it fol-
lowed that to live according 10 the
law was to do but right and hence
the ability to conquer was conclusive
OF the right to do so. Since govern
ment was the instrumentality through
which this great law Of nature for
the upbuilding Of the race was to be
accomplished and since this was the
supreme thing, the rights of individ-
ualism must be subordinated to the
purposes Of the organization or gov
ernment and hence grew into exist
ence an over powering state worship |