The Bismarck tribune. [volume] (Bismarck, N.D.) 1916-current, 1924-04-14
AMERICA0 ONLY
IDEAL URGED
BY M'FARLAND
Exalted Ruler of Elks of the
United States Address
Large Gathering
CITES LODGES IDEALS
Declares That Situation Is
Such That Nation Should
Always Be Prepared

With a matinee in Bismarck and
the main show at the Lewis 4 Clark
hotel, Mandan, in the evening, James
E. Mcfarland of Watertown, $. D.,
Grand Exalted Ruler Of the Elks and
Freddie f. Robinson, Chicago, di-
mnutivc grand secretary of the
same order were given a welcome
last Saturday such as only Elks can
extend.
1t was great day for Elkdom of
this section Of the state. From the
time the officials accompanied by DR..
Bolton of jamestown, District EXalt-
ed Ruler for North Dakota and
Charles ID. Ray Of Watertown, pri-
vate secretary of Grand Exalted
Ruler Mcfarland, arrived in the Twin
Cities of the Missouri SLOPE there
was something doing continually.
Officials of the Bismarck lodge
met the grand officers at Bismarck
Saturday morning. They were es-
corted from jamestown by l.. H. Con.
molly, Mandan, past district deputy
grand exalted ruler, Otto Bauer, H
J. Schafer, AL Weinhandl and II. X
Jensen, all of Mandan.
Upon arrival in Mandan the party
was given a royal western reception
Mcfarland was mounted on round
with typical hook EN- cow hat
He declared he would wear it at the
! annual convention of Elks at Bostor
this summer. He was also made ar
honorary member Of the Mandar
| roundup committee, all members o1
| which are Elks.
Entertained at Luncheon
Officials of the Mandan and Bis
| marck lodges were entertained al
| luncheon at Mandan and then the
party came over for taste of Bis
marck hospitality or for the mat
inee' as Freddie Robinson, who i.
hardly four feet in his stockings
put it.
The evening banquet was an even
! for Elkdom as it afforded closeup
| measure Of the man who heads ar
| order of some 100000 members ant
| directs the destinies of the lodg,
over which some of the leaders Of
the nation have presided
WatertOwn Attorney
! He is Watertown, S. d., attorney
of exceptional magnetism and a mos
eloquent speaker. Prominent in hi.
own state and a leader in Elk af
| fairs for years, he has been maxim,
nationwide tour visiting as man,
of the l.480 odd lodges that he car
before he yields the position to hi:
! successor. The trip has reached
! from coast to coast and from north
ern points to the Gulf of Mexico
He left late Saturday evening fo,
| Billings, Mont, and from there fol
Southwest point and finally Chicago
| where in May the corner stone of the
great Elk's memorial building is tt
be laid.
Sound Warning Note
Grand Exalted Ruler McFarlant
sounded warning note against thu
growth of radicalism and bolshevistit
tendencies in his evening address, {;
message of outstanding eloquence ano
most vigorous challenge to ever,
| Elk to awake to the true situation
that menaces popular government
| everywhere.
He was introduced by Mr., Connolly
| who was tOastmaster of the evening
Reverting to the news emanatine
from Washington on the japanese
immigration situation, he used this
as text for demanding a renewal
of American obligations and urged
preparedness to meet such situations
should they lead to war. As an ad.
vocate of peace if honorably posi-
bic, he deplored the indifference OF
the average voter toward his govern
ment which only the stress of war
can arouse.
i am proud said Mr.. Mcfarland
of being member of the greatest
American fraternity in one of the
greatest countries in the world. But
this brings to you and to me
and to every Elk in this nation a
corresponding responsibility
i often wonder if the 100000 Elks
in this nation realize that they owe
duty every day and every hour of
the day-fidelity to America. No
where as in United States do / know
available such a volatile citizenry
ready to respond t0 nations call
in the hour of need.
Internal Menace
But there is an internal menace
that threatens this nation and that
is indifference to the obligations of
citizenry. Unless all of US are faith
full to this sacred trust, we are going
to have more and more the rule of
the self seeking politician, the ra-
deal, the bolshevist and the COM
munist. We must vote in times of
peace as we'll as in times of war,
The man who fails to vote at any
election is as much a Stacker as he
who evades the draft.
Look at Minnesota and Iowa. In
Minnesota recently at senatorial
election only 81 percent of it's poten-
tial vote was cast, in Iowa only 40
percent and~recently in South Dakota
only 20 percent of the registered
vote turned out. You have the same
situation in North Dakota and the
indifference spreads to every state