Morgan County Democrat. (McConnelsville, Ohio) 1886-1943, 1930-06-05

Louis b. Preston, pastor of St.
James Catholic church of McCon-
nelsville. Father Preston spoke on
the ideals and principles for which
the American flag stands. The
speaker said:
1--WE are gathered here today in
union with our fellow countrymen
throughout the nation, to give ex-
preston to the feelings of gratitude
which well up in our hearts today.
for the great sacrifice these soldier
dead have made for us. We can
never fully repay them for what they
did for us, but we can repay them
partly by being good American cit
liens, and by bringing into our daily
lives the ideals and principles for
which they died, and practicing
them in our dealings with one an
other. Profession of American
ideals and principles without prac-
ticing them always has been and al
ways will be the mask of the sham
American and hypocrlte,t and today
you are carrying the stars and
stripes in honor of these soldier
dead, and unless you practice what
you profess in your daily lives, then
you are traitors to that flag and
your patriotism is a sham and a
mockery.
Fourth of July orations, waving
American flags, and following
foo nd lc,
and parades never won war. These
things are all we'll and good in their
place; but unless you bring into
practice in your daily lives the
American principles of liberty and
independence, and when / say lib
erty, / mean liberty in every mean
ing of the word liberty. especially,
religious liberty, then all your
Fourth of July orations, then all
your waving of the American flag,
then all your throwing of hats in the
air, and all your bands and parades
are nothing more than sounding
brass and tinkling cymbal. The
man or woman who would discrimi-
nate against his or her neighbor be-
cause of religious belief, and hinder
them in their free exercise of the
civil American right to earn a liveli-
hood whether it be as teachers in
our public schools, in our factories
or plants. or seeking political Of
fee under our government, this man
or woman is a curse to our republic,
they are weakening our nationa!
integrity, they are dividing our
country into hostile factions of cor
roding hate, and no nation divided
against itself shall stand; and they
are traitors to that flag they carry
today, because by their un-American
and uncharitable acts they plunge
the cold dagger of base ingratitude
through the heart of the principles
and ideals for which these American
soldiers paid the supreme sacrifice
upon the altar of liberty, that we as
a nation might endure.
/ pray God today that the light OF
His Divine charity and love may
penetrate our hearts and help us to
and kindness with each other, and
keep us a united people, for it was
unity that protected us as nation in
the past when dangers and perils
threatened our national security; il
was unity that made us the greatest
nation on the face7of the earth; il
was unity that gave us the finest
flag ever unfurled to Gods sunlight;
and it is only that same unity that
can keep our flag victoriously waving
! from our shores and the torch OF
freedom burning in the hands of the
statue of Liberty, proclaiming to the
world that America is still the land
of the Free and the home of the
Brave"