The Grangeville globe. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho) 1907-1922, 1921-07-07

W" ireeuoh, our sovereignty, our
unity and even the very soul Of our
nation. Well may We say that our
dead have never died In vain.
IL seems that mankind lives within
the shadow Of some malign fate Sor-
row and trouble are the lot of every
generation, but somehow through il
all we are progressing onward. The
wars which We have fought and the
difficulties we have endured are but
the stepping stones to something high
er and better which we know not Of
have already spoken of the revo-
lutionary war and how by 1T our free
dom was achieved. Since that time
Tn every generation we have been i'll
volved in war of some kind and have
always emerged victorious. In the
great war Of the rebellion under the
leadership Of our Lincoln, the servi-
tude of the black man was abolished
anu it was forever decreed that our
nation should remain one and .ndis-
soluble. We engaged in another war
with England and in one with Mexi-
co; all Of this western country was
conquered from the red man; aud in
1898 America went to war with Spain
to liberate subject peoples Of the east
and west. Ensued then long period
OF tranquility and commercial advance.
Z mapt Annpi..a no min OF tl.,
people seemed tuned to material
things and to us of this generation
war seemed far away indeed. 1t Is
easy to become self-satisfied and SNUG,
and l fear that at the end of twenty
years of peace the soul of America did
not respond as freely AS before to the
ideals upon which it was founded,
until It heard the tocs.n call of the
great war
SO this being the course of our coun-
! try, its thought and inspiration, the
perpetuation of which has builded here
the worlds greatest democracy, may
we not inquire in the light of the last
people in that conflict, the effects Of
which are still influencing the times
i'll all lands and among all peoples.
III an ind. vidual here or there
whether in humble situation or high
in the councils of the nations. Official
or otherwise-gives expression to
view that our people were influenced
| in the great conflict by other than a
pure adherence to the creed Of the
founders of our government-an I'M
| selfish adherence to the pricciple that
men should be free and eglial. that
right should prevail over might and
that democracy, untrammelled democ-
racy, should march at the head of all
civilization-then such a view is that
of but an individual and does not
represent the mind and heart of
America.
| 1T is ill of ME to speak of the Amer
lean soldier because l was on the bat
tie front. Let others speak of lis as
they viii. But | have journeyed be-
meath the scream and rush of the shell
and in the lannon's roar, in the mud
| of the trenches and on battle fields of
! flame. | know the tears of France
and the stern sorrow of England,
have seen my comrades die, but
| through it all have never heard from
| the lips of single one a word or
sentiment that did not harmonize with
the ideals we have gained from our
forefathers. Their acts were neither
selfish nor sOrdid. The blood of those
who fell cOnsecrated the earth anew
for mankind, and they left a badge Of
honor for the homes they left bereav-
ed. l feel and believe that the great
clean soul of America will continue to
tice which uplifted the nation to the
proud position of saviour of all that
man has CLEANED i'm his tortuous
struggle upward, in that blacklist hour
of the worlds history.
Great tributes have been paid to the
flag, when We give thought to some Of
the chapters Of our history. In that
connection my mind goes back to two
incidents Of the recent past which, in
my opinion, constitute the greatest Of
these tributes. One scene Is at Ira
falgar Square in London. American
soldiers have reached this metropolis
OF the old world and are biyouacked
at the famous square The soldiers
are massed, but over them here and
there float the stars and stripes. Be-
yond and surrounding them are mass
es OF British people-the aged, the
young, the stalwart-men, women and
children. Their eyes are turned to-
ward Old Glory. They are crying.
singing and praying in tribute to Old
Glory, the colors Of the constitution
and declaration of independence. the
colors of a democracy-the colors
founded on res stance OF their for
bears. They are paying tribute to