The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1924-10-31

spoke to an exceptionally large audi
ence at the Presbyterian Services
Sunday. Rev. Browne made mas
terful address. He said:
"The Protestant Churches turnout
the United States has set aside this
Sabbath (Oct. 26th) to be known as
Get he-Vote-Sunday. The pur-
pose of which was urged from the
pulpit the reminding of Christian
people their solemn obligation to go
to the polls and vote according to
their political opinions in this Presi-
Dental election.
81 purpose to carry out this duty
at this time to the best of my
ability. In order to best prosecute
this design / have chosen for the
vehicle of my thoughts two incidents
in the life of st. Paul which are
found in his biography as recorded
in Acts 81 :39 and Acts 22:24-28.
In the first of these passages l have
taken a slight liberty with the text
and have substituted for the word
"city" the word country. In the
second of these passages you will
note that the soldier says with
solemn astonishment with great
price obtained i this freedom" and
Paul answers with just pride "But
l was born free"
"a citizen of no mean country"
is phrase which can be truly APP
piled to the people of the United
States. Nor can we strain the limits
of extravagant expression when we
contemplate the grandeur of our
land and the exceeding high priv
ilege of being permitted to call our
selves citizen thereof. However it
is necessary to ask ourselves the
| question-what do we mean by
"our country. Some think of the
United States in terms of her geo.
graphical expanse and point with
pride to her magnificent distances"
from the 10th parallel on the North
to the Gulf of Mexico; from the
stormy Atlantic On the East to the
gentle Pacific on the west. Here
are millions of acres of mountains.
I forests, prairie, vast expanses of
limpid lakes, tangled silver ribbons
of rivers great and small. Again
when we think of "our country we
think in terms of her natural re-
sources and advantages. We try to
secure a concrete picture of her
gold, silver, iron, coal, copper
these the product of her under
Iground treasures. Her wheat fields,
corn fields, orchard groves, sheep,
cattle, horses, hogs-all these re-
mind us of richness beyond the
dreams of avarice. Again sour
lcountry" might mean that vast
assemblage of genius and hard work
evidenced in her industrial suprem-
acy. Factories great and innumer-
able whose whirring wheels turn
their speeding revolution day and
night and pour out upon a fortunate
people in every imaginable inven-
ton comfort and convenience
Again "our country" might mean
her international leadership: the
most of the worlds gold is in her
Golfers, industrial Leadership Of the
world is hers, material advantage of
every sort makes her tower above
all nations. In the contemplation
of all these alone a persons soul
should rise with pride in the thought
that he is a "citizen of no mean
country.
| "But these are only the external
trappings of our country and only
indicate her outward glory. The
thoughtful man is not satisfied I'M
less he can discover the peculiar
genius which make possible this
gorgeous apparel. Nor can a man
really knew our country until he
gains an understanding of the soul
of our nation. We really do not
know our friend by his externals.
His wealth, his business, his activ-
tiles, his speech will not convey to
US the soul of our friend. All
these things are but the outward ex-
ression of an inwardness which we
variously term-spirit, personality,
identity, soul-and by these express
sons we clumsily endeavor to inter
pref that imperishable something"
which is the real friend. Even so
is it true that we cannot interpret
our country by her outward mani
festation. They are but an index
of her inward genius which brought
all these things to pass.
what is the soul of America and
how shall we find it? "Soul' can
not be confined within the limits of
a definition but we may understand
what it is by it's motivating impulses.
Go to the great document of Ameri-
can liberties and you will find this
compelling phrase "life, liberty and
the pursuit of happiness. Here is
the motivating impulse of the soul
of America. Here will you find an
explanation of all her outward trap
pings of geographical, industrial,
governmental and commanding
beauty. Only people living under
tn blessed benefaction of such a
soul as the United States possesses
may claim an ideal citizenship.
"But in turn we ask what is citi-
zenship? The answer citizenship
means The government for life,
liberty and the pursuit of happi-
ness. This citizenship came to us
in the birth pangs of the American
Revolution. Since the world of men
began has the race endured a long
and painful travail to bring forth
it's manifest destiny-true citizen
ship. Let me illustrate this thought
b. bringing before your minds the
image of the common water lily, so
prolific in this land of lakes. Down
in the ooze and mud, under many
feet of water begins a curious move
of nature. A little green knob
comes into being and simultaneous
ly with it comes an urge to climb
out of its ooze and oppressive blan-
ket of covering waters. Tt begins