Western news and the Libby times. [volume] (Libby, Mont.) 1920-1933, 1931-06-04
Decoration Day
Fittingly Observed
By Libby People
Goodly Sized Audience Gathers to Pa,
Respects to Memory of Soldier
Dead.

An audience that comfortably filled
the Kootenai theatre gathered Satur-
day morning in. annual Memorial Day
exercises, to pay respect to the MEM
ory Of those soldiers who have laid
down their lives in the defense OF their
country and to pause and give thought
to some of the serious problems con-
fronting the nation today.
Mr.. Elmer Switzer, mayor Of the city,
presided. The program opened with a
stirring singing of america" by the
audience, followed with the invocation
by the Rev. r. F. Wick, who prayed
that divine power might always guide
this nation A male quartet rendered
two patriotic numbers.
The chairman then introduced the
speaker of the day, the Rev. Fir.
Meagher Of Gonzaga university Of Spo-
kane. FIR. Meagher paid respect to the
memory of the veterans who have
passed away with these words, We
have come together to pay the tribute
Of our respect, veneration and praise
to the same common ideal and to make
an expression of gratitude and esteem
for those who have yielded up the
sacrifice of self that those ideals might
survive We bow our heads in respect
full memory to those who have lived,
and labored and died that we might
reap where they have sown.'
| The speaker then launched into a
brief discussion of problem that we
have to face today. He quoted from
the Declaration of Independence where
it is stated, Eve hold these truth to be
self evident. That all men are created
equal that they are endowed by their
| Creator with certain inalienable rights
| that among those rights are life, liberty
and the pursuit Of happiness.
FIR. Meagher maintained that mar
has certain rights because he is man
that these cannot be taken away from
him by the state or any other power
because they are a part of his nature
and are God given. He then quotee
| from a prominent Western educator
who said that man has no inalienabl'
| rights. that such a conception is ;
| wornout idea of the eighteenth cen
tury, and that such rights as mankind
possess are given to him by the state
The speaker attacked that idea Wig
orously. He quoted Lincoln's Gettys-
burg address to maintain his conten'
ton that all men are created equal ant
said the same thought was held by VII.
son when he gave utterance to tn
statement that America entered tn
World war to make the world safe TO
democracy. FIR. Meagher maintained
i that this conception Of the equality Q
mankind and his possession OF Ger
tain inalienable rights had been foun
dation stones in the development 0
our great nation and of our liberties
He urged that firm stand be takel
in defense of this thought-that man
kind has certain inalienable rights an
4 liberties. :,
!, Mrs. j. X. Dwinelle sang beautiful
"Taps," by Pasternach, accompanied 3
. Miss Inez Ratekin. Rev. r. T. Vic
t delivered the invocation, after whic
the line Of march formed and proceede
5 to the cemetery.
J There the Rev. r. w. Orr delivere
i an invocation, and the usual program
$ and decorating of the graves of the de
e parted veterans was carried out. III
program then closed with the playin
7 OF the "Star Spangled Banner b
$ the Libby Boys band.