The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1922-05-31
WAR SOME TIMES
RIGHTEOUS Ca! CAD s!..I';; !.
2Oseptls
REV. ". R. HAM[|N
Memorial Day Speaker Sees
Hope Of Universal Peace
IMPRESSIVE CEREMONIES
Veterans of All Wars Take Part
in Customary Parade to
Soldiers Home
IMPRESSIVE CEREMONIES

cemeteries, took part IN tne MenioI'
ial day services which were held yes
terday afternoon at the soldiers
home and at North Bennington ceme-
terry.
Nature could not have been IN
kinder mood on such day. 1t seem
ed as though spring herself sought TO
honor those who had fought and
those who made the supreme sacri-
fee, for the cause Of their country,
right and liberty.
Shortly after noon members OF the
Grand Army, Spanish war veterans
American legion boys and veterans
Of other wars gathered on School
street to form the parade. Most OF
the aged Civil war fighters rode in
machines furnished by members OF
the Woman's Relief corps or by the
Daughters Of the American Reyolu-
tion.
The lines were assembled without
difficulty or loss of time. At sig
nal from the marshal, John y. Leon
ard, the march began. First came
officers of the police department,
then Mr.. Leonard and his aides.
These were closely followed by the
Odd Fellows band. Color bearers,
representing the army and the navy
and carrying the standard for which
so many have laid down their lives,
were next in line.
Then came the members Of the
Bennington post of the American
legion, and a few men wearing the
blue of 81 who felt able to stand the
rather long walk. Behind them
marched long line of school chill
dren led by G. A. X. commander A.
NJ. Downs. They were, for the most
part, attired in white or patriotic
colors and carried small flags and
smiling faces. Down School street
they marched to the strains of mar
tial music, down Main to North
street, up North and thence to the
cemetery at the Soldiers home.
Quietly and reverently the square
was formed about the symbolic
shrine OF devotion, Hats were re.
moved: heads were bowed; and
silence reigned while the solemn
ritual in memorial was read over the
graves OF the sleeping heroes by Com
mander Downs and Chaplain Hatha-
way and members Of the Woman's
Relief Corps.
From the cemetery the gathering
removed to the seats and improvised
benches placed in front OF the band
stand The throng was called to or
der by the president of the day,
Judge Edward II. Holden. With a
few fitting remarks he introduced
Charles Bennett, member OF the
high school, who recited slowly and
with clearness the words OF Lin.
coins Gettysburg address. THE Va
cant Chair" was then sung by Earl
Chase. The orator of the day was
Rev. w. r. Hamlin OF North Benning
ton.
Mr.. Hamlin said in part: when
there is war we must all, more or
less sacrifice, but the soldier stands
more conspicuously in this light than
most of us. 1t is right that he
should, for while we may have given
Of our time. our money and our labor
he stood always ready to surrender
his ALL, his life. No sacrifice is
greater than this, unless, 1t be that
of a devoted mother who gives her
son to her country
~"Men of the Grand Army, We
thank you for what you have done
for us and your country, but we can
not thank you in another sense save
by gathering here this day and show.
ing all possible respect to your un'
speakable sacrifices and by instilllng
into the youth the patriotic devotion
and love of country which your ex.
ample has set, which you have often
written clearly vita your life-blood" !"
"War is a terrible thing. But war
is sometimes righteous thing. IL
is far better to fight for the right
than to be a paoihst and to allow
the wrong and unjust and unlawful
to prevail. Abraham Lincoln knew
that, when ne made his unhiching
moral stand against slavery. No
man ever loved he. fellowmen better
conflict was inevitable when the
South persisted In holding slaves"
"When Fort Sumter was fired up.
on he made ready at once to defend
the rights of the Union and defeat
the wrong. with force and human
lives II necessary Today the coun'
try is once more strong and united.
Where would 1t have been, had not
you men and those of you who 2lave
passed on, where would America be
II you had not gone forth from your
homes and suffered and bed End
died?"
"Men of the American Legion
many Of you thought that you enter
ed war to end war That is unlike
ly to be true for long time, but you
did a great deal toward that end and
= a great deal remains to be done. We
! cannot think that peace is at the
door when we read of the wonder
full inventions, such as guiding ships
, of ena md npronlanpe nv wirplog,