Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1924-04-30

upon which can be guided for a great
distance and discharged over towns
and cities.
We as citizens should not remain
supine while the world is preparing for
suicide. The churches of God should
not allow any entering wedge to drive
them apart on trivial differences of
religious thought, but should stand
united against the common enemy, an
all-consuming war. Just as men of
ev3ry creed fought shoulder to
shoulder as Americans in the late war
to crush world militarism, so should
our churches stand shoulder to
shoulder to-day to preserve the world
peace that these men fought and died
for
There never was a time in the history
of America when we were more in need
of religious solidarity, the splendid
existence of which, in our own COM
munity is marked by these dedication
exercises. The common intelligence
of mankind should rise up and demand
the cooperation of all those peace-lov-
ing forces in this world that can be
assembled in a united cause to COM
bat those ever active forces that lead
on to war.
The man who says you cannot pre-
vent war until human nature changes"
would do we'll to consider the reaction
on human nature, once it is realized
that war may destroy us all in our own
dooryard.
Is not the greatest force for good
TO
join with every other church through
out America and the world in the
formation of an army of coward
Christian Soldiers marching under
one banner, to combat the rising tide
of world militarism? Greed and ritual
need be no barrier. These can be left
to intellectual Interpretation. The
main thing is to utilize every force that
is available to combat those powerful
forces and influences, which, unless
checked and thwarted, win result in
the downfall of civilization in your
day and mine
Thoughtful minds everywhere are
alive to-day to the issue whether 1914
marked the beginning of short de-
cisiVe war. or a series of wars result
ing in civilizations downfall Presi-
dent Coolidge, in speech within
week. sensing the imperative need for
curbing the constant increase of world
armament, made the impressive state
ment: "One clergyman is better than
an army with banners" If this
statement be true. and | subscribe to
the sound idea which it was intended
to convey. what would be the combined
effect if all the clergy of the world
could join in driving the compelling
conviction into the minds of those they
reach that civilization itself can only
be saved by new enlightenment?
take this occasion to pay a last
tribute to a very old friend of mine
an inanimate friend, to be sure. but one
that is associated with my earliest boy
hood memories. / refer to the old
town clock that has passed out of eX-
istence with the coming of the new.
It's usefulness has long been passed,
Its feeble efforts in later years have
not been marked by efficiency in ser
vice. but ] would not do justice to its
years of usefulness without EXPRESS
ing my appreciation and real affection
lOI ltlC olI LOW II NlbNh, lOI Iittil ~
sevunty-fve years a sentinel of our
time and a guardian OF the destiny of
our citizens, whose daily tasks, whose
hours of leisure, whose prayers and
meditations were regulated by it's
hands and strikings
Does it occur to you how the in
animate clock bears analogy to the
human life? In order to function its
movement must be more regular than
the heart; it's physical well being care
fully guarded. Its purpose is useful
ness and service.
The struggles of the old clock re-
mind me of my own inward struggle
i'm life to conquer the propensities and
human desires that | know are wrong,
sometimes succeeding. sometimes run
ming down. sometimes working
smoothly at another time discouraged
with the failure that is mine. Life is
a constant struggle, not only in the
world about us, but within ourselves
Man is his own worst enemy. 1t is
the struggle in rising from human
failure that gives stamina to meet
this life afresh.
in your efforts to combat the baser ele-
ments that we may discern within us,
and TO supplant them with the higher
and nobler forces in life, have at times
felt the same encouragement that the
old clock on the steeple must have felt
in its latter day struggles?
May the new clock, which tonight
we dedicate, serve as an inspiration for
new effort. May it reign over a COM
munity whose citizens, in every walk
of life, live in harmony and content
ment with a world at peace.
When the sun is setting beyond the
sacred spire on yonder western hill,
shedding it's radiance on the gilded
hands which face the west, during the
dark night hours, in the freshness of
morning and the day. as our new