The Mankato free press., 1922-06-16
RESPECT FORFLAG
URGED BY SPEAKER
EXERCISES HELD ON SIB-
LEY MOUND YESTERDAY
ADDRESSFROM MARTIN
Program Was Permeated With
Patriotism; Singing and
Musical Features.

In a beautiful historic spot be.
meath the shade or rugged and
gnarled old oaks. which have wea-
thered the storms of many winters,
members of ManKato Lodge 20. 225
B. P. o. Elks, yesterday afternoon
held appropriate and impressive
Flag Day exercises. The weather
was ideal with a cool breeze blow
ing which permitted marching with
comfort. The parade which formed
at the entrance of ySibley Park. and
was headed by Mankato Elks band,
made an imposing picture as 1t
wound its course along the curved
paths of the park on its way to the
top of Sibley Mound where the altar
had been erected Hundreds OF
school children each one carrying
an American flag, members of the
lodge and many other people joined
in the procession
Around and about the altar were
strung an abundance of large Amer.
lean flags and Elks colors. Old
Glory never looked better than it
did Yesterday outlined against the
dark green foliage of the forest
trees Seated about the altar on the
grass were hundreds ofFpeople each
holding an American flag while the
altar was decorated with the ma
tional colors and flowers emblema-
tical of the order.
The music rendered by the Elks
Band and the vocal solos rendered
by the Elks male Quartette were
two of the most pleasing features OF
the exercises. The Quartette con-
sisted of: Maurice Switzer, Joseph
Kendall, Glen Shoemaker and Al
Kircher
The exercises were in. direct
charge of Exalted Ruler William
Knoff who was assisted by the other
officers of the lodge in carrying out
the ritulistic work for Flag Day.
The history of the Flag was told
In a most impressive manner by At
torney B. D. Grogan, and Attorney
Frank E. Morse delivered the tribute
to the. flag in an eloquent and artis-
tic manner.
Address BY Rev. Martin
The principal event on the pro-
gram of the day was patriotic ad-
dress by Rev. B. Martin of Winnie
bago who has been heard on sever
al previous occasions when he deliv-
cred patriotic addresses here during
the world war.
In opening his address the speak
er said that it would be a cold
hearted person indeed, who could
resist a quickening of the pulses in
the midst of a scene like the one
presented yesterday, with the Star
Spangled banner in evidence on all
sides. That flag, he said holds with
IN its folds everything we hold
worth while living for. Every
American has received a great heri-
tage from his forefathers. 1t is the
A,.kxy ~ hn
ton to be up, and doing with his
part of the worlds work so that this
heritage can be passed on to pos
terity. sL...g...,z -. ....s.
To know men at their best the
speaker said, one has to know them
as individuals, in groups; know their
motives, ASPIRATIONS, and the things
that move the hearts of men to
great deeds of good. These are some
Of the determining things in life.
The thing that matters is what we
are, not what we seem. 1t will not
be the physical we'll being that will
be of such great Importance as the
ideals. the hopes and aspirations
which move our hearts in right liv-
ing and thinking. We are a nation
seeking after those ideals and our
personal rights and liberties. Just
as long as a man does not carry
those ideals to extremes they are of
an up building nature. Just so long
as men are Just and heroic, there
need be little fear for the future of
this republic. -.
The speaker said that he was no
pessimist in regard to the future,
but he is not such an optimist as to
not see, dangers ahead. A
The great need of the country at
the present time is some outstand-
Ing ideal that will appeal to the
foreigner, the native born, the edu
Gated and the ignorant the rich and
the poor alike. 1t must be some out
standing, unifying ideal, which will
blend us into one solidified nation.
"One of the greatest evils of to-
day is that men prate about person
al rights, while they do not appre
late that there is a responsibility
resting on each one of us to do our
share in the days work. So long
as men seek their rights regardless
of the consequences this may bring
on others there is sure to be trou-
BILE, and there is no justiaation in
such a fight for rights. Whenever a
man or group of men seek to get
their rights regardless of the conse-
quences of others, they become a
menace.
There was near calamity caused
by 500, 900 men who threatened to
hold up the nation at the opening of
the World war if they did not get
their demands. This was the most
near a calamity the country ever saw
because it granted the power and