MEMORIAL DAY
~~ SERiiON
In the industrial and commercial |
spheres there is an equally serious
lack of devotion to the common good.
and that lack is about equally distri-
buted thruout all classes of the popul-
ation. We hear it said constantly that |
some of our greatest financiers are
nothing more than adroit pirates and |
to go in their stead, it is usually the
tion depends upca the volunteer sys-
tem, in the event of a great emergen
cy it is generally the best and mos:
unselfish men who volunteer. If con
scription is used and the privilege i:
given to those drafted to pay other:
.most courageous and conscientious
who actually reach the front.
“The reason the South has been sc
impoverished since the Civil War is
not primarily because of the immense
i amount of property destroyed, but
because so large a proportion of the
most iconscientious and publiesspir-
ited men of the South were killed. The
highwaymen. Certainly they are no | killing off these men was one of the
better. But, there are many petty bus- {greatest disasters that ever over
iness men who would duplicate the took the United States. Comrades!
outrages of these unscrupulous finan-
cfers if they ewre able. On a small
scale they are equally dishonest. And pmistaken but they were the best men
there are thousands of tradesmen and
laborers who would be dishonest bus-
iness men or unscrupulous capital-
ists if they had the capital and abil
ity to rise into those classes. Much as
I favor labor unioms,and I favor
them greatly,I cannot avoid noting
that strongly organized classes of
workers are as unmindful of the un-
organized Zand helpless classes of
workers as the worst employers often
are.
This Memorial season, when our
minds naturally turn to the great
issues of our national life, is not the
time for the hurling of slander, but
it is the time for all of us gravely to
remember, or to learn, that our na-
tion is sick—sick with the disease of
disregard of the common good.
I will yield to no man as a lover of
America or as a believer in our huge
Republic. But I should tremble with
genuine fear to see our nation drawn
into war with any first-class power. |
do not think the United States today
could face any foe on earth with a
united front. Our sense of American-
the men who faced you on the firing:
line were not renegades. They were
of that sunny Southland. Because
they fought so tenaciously, the South
of our nation has been lagging ever
since.
Nor did the North fare muca bhet-
ter. There is scarcely a community in
the North where cowardly andl un-
scrupulous men, who had neither the
courage nor the public spirit to
fight, did not spring into prominence
while the boys in blue were away
fighting for the Union and the free
dom of the slaves. There are hun-
dreds of wealthy and influential
families all over the North who are
children of the family crooks who
stayed at home durng the Civil War
and established themselves in busi-
ness while ‘their competitors were
fighting, or bought up at reduced pri-
ces, and in many instances secured
by paying the taxes, the homes and
land of those who were willing to
bear the brunt of those four awful
years of conflict.
Of course not ail who stayed at
home took suck advantages. Some
ism is not sufficiently developed. We
are not a united nation conscious of a
great national life and a glorious des-
tiny. Tob many of our classes, both
racial and economic, are concerned
only with what they can get out of
America and not with what they can
give to America. Our sense of devo-
k¢ion to the common good is only in an
embryo state.
William Jennings Bryan says, “If
a foreign foe should menace our na-
tion a million men would spring to
arms over night.“This is good rhetor-
iz, but it is not true. A million men
nld do nothing of the sort. Unless
‘ications are wrong, if our| na-
_>re menaced by a foreign foe,
“$n men would indeed spring in-
n over night, but they would
ptt
lent contracts that theyanight grow
tem “thé spoils thereof. anda few
onths “would show that we have
lions: ‘upan’ millions of “slackers”
Aa'this country of the same kind that
wive disgraced Great Britain in the
‘eyes of the world.
Now, do not get excited, nor start to
pummel me just yet! I am simply
rawing deductions from certain facts
with which the American people
ought to be acquainted before Memor-
ial Day comes around.
According to that careful scholar,
“Girard,” of the Philadelphia Public
Ledger, during the Revolutionary War
when the American colonies wrested
their independence from Great Britain
several times more Ainerican men re-
mained at home than enlisted for the
war. Our states were then too feeble
to compel enlistments, and tho the
Continental Congress planned an ar-
my of 80,000 Continental soldiers, the
greatest number of such that could
be gotten into the field at any one
time was 34,000, less than one half
the number planned . During the en-
tire eight years of the Revolution
there were never more than 68,000
Americans, including the riff-rart
State milita, under arms at any one
time. Yet, the first census of the Uni-
ted States, taken in 1790, shows that
there was then a population of about
four millions in the country. ,
When Grant began his great cam-
paign against Lee there
1,000,000 men under his command.
Before that time the appeal for vol-
unteers had been supplemented by
conscription. Yet there were 4,000,-
000 men in the North who were eli-
gible for military service that h@d
not volunteered. This means that in
the North only one man in five capa-
ble of bearing arms was willing to
go to the front during the Civil war.
There are 20,000,000 adult males
of fighting age in the United States
to-day. Our hation could put 4,250,000
men in the field as easily as Lin-
coln could place 1,000,000 under
Grant. Would 4,250,000 men vol-
teer if our nation were plunged into
war? Not much, they would! unless
they are more patriotic than their
fathers were—and I do not think
they are. If our nation were involved
in war and our men should volun-
teer as freely as their great-grand-
fathers did during the Revolution, we
could muster just 1,750,000 of our
20,000,000 without conscription! Now,
from whence would come “a million
y over night?” Pummel me, if you
but facts are facts.
ideration: when a na
{can politics
: s WH
into « action to secure govern-
were
stayed because they were not physi-
cally able to fight. Others stayed be-
cause they had duties they dared not
| leave. Many who stayed were loyal
| to the nation and were friends of
the soldiers and their needy families.
Nevertheless competent investiga-
tion -has established the fact that a
Narge proportion of the men who have
‘become the arch-grafters in Ameri-
and the unscrupulous
financiers and heartless captains of
industry in American economic life,
‘are the crooks or the sons of crooks
'swho seized persinal advantages from
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the common good during the Civil
War. One of the reasons the United
| States has had such terrific social
| problems on its hands sihce’ithe Civ-
nation secured its soldiers for
war. 4 oF & fan ’ &
I dd not say that the systen: of an-
iversall military service is goed. It
has its defects, no doubt. Buc, T want
you to see that the volunteer system,
aided by conscription in emergencies
has its defects also.
Out of the European war has come
one great lesson for all of the natiuns
of the earth to learn. It is this: The
old system of capitalistic individual
ism has collapsed. In the language of
the street, “It has gone dead broke!"
It has been the policy of the pow-
erful classes in Great Britain to
seize all they could from the common
good. That mighty empire has been
staggering on its feet ever since the
war began.Strikes, lockouts, slackers,
rebellions! The British navy has
done well. The actual achievements
of the British troops have all been
negative where they have not bren
| positively disastrous. Col. Winsion
Churchill announced to parliament
| the other day. “There are 200,000
officers’ valets and 60,000 grooms in
the British army that are doing nc
fighting.” That means that there are
' more than one-fourth as many men
lin the British army than there were
| under Grant in the Civil War who are
doing nothing but truckling to the e-
| lite. Great Britain could not. stand
| single-handed against Germany for
i three months. Why? CAPITALISTIC
| INDIVIDUALISM BREEDS NO PA-
| TRIOTISM!
The system of Germany is a mon-
archical socialism. Its internal poli-
cies are not based upon the principal
of grab. It has regard for the com-
mon good within its own borders.
| This system has bred patriotism.
| What is the conelusion? The inter-
‘nal political and economic system of
‘a nation that would breed patriotism
| must conserve the common good. The
| spirit of that nation must be a spirit
of devotion to the common welfare.
Such a system, democratic in form,
would be near perfection. It would
,breed patriotism, but, being demo- |
cratic in form, would be a menace to
other nations as that of Germany is.
The system of the United States to
day is capitalistic individualism of
an extreme type. The policy of our
economic life is the policy of zrab.
We are not a united nation. The spir-
it of Americanism is not aroused. It
seems that it cannot be aroused. We
have little patriotism. Within the
past few weeks, the Skate militia of
Texas, New Mexico and Arizona
have refused to respond to the call
for service on the Mexican border.
They are not going to shed their
to protect the oil wells and
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mines of a few American million-
aires, who care nothing for the U-
nited States or its people as a whole,
they say. Who can blame them? Our
country is disorganized. The sense of
devotion for the common good that
would, permit organization is lack-
ing Yet, our legislators are busy
harvesting pork and our voters are
supinely sending that type of offi-
cers into power with each recurring
election.
What is to be done? Three things
Admit we are all tarred with the
same stick. Here in Somerset County
justlast week the decent voters
tinkered around in thei: gardens and
allowed the liquor men, and the
president of the Meyersdale Chau-
tauqua Association, to work like
beavers and nominate their candi-
ficers of the Chautauqua will be ask-
ing the churches and the Sunday.
schools to support the .Chautauqua
because it is a semi-religigus insti-
tution. Yet, the public opinion of our
‘town and of our churches upholds
than a bunch of slaves!
2. Pray that Almighty God will
keep our nation out of war at least
until unity and patriotism have been
bred within our national
Single-handed we could not stand a-
gainst Germany six weeks. Yet, most
of those who are objecting to pre-
paredness, are objecting to it not,
primarily because they do not be-
lieve in it , but because they are sc
selfish they do not wish to help to
| pay the price.
| 3. Within every community in our
nation we must begin instantly and
carry on patiently a more conscien-
tious campaign than we ever have
| carried on for the development of de-
votion to the common good. There
lis no other way out. Our selfishness
| must be curbed! The policy of grab
| must cease! Public opinion must
smite and ballot must slay every
personal advan-
{man who snatches
{tage out of the common good!
| With these things upon my heart,
|T should have been a traitor had I
delivered a line of spread-eagle bom-
bast this evening.
| “But” somecne
may say, “oy
t Memorial
{thought this was to be a
dates for the Assembly. Soon the of-.
borders.
service for the old soldiers.” It is my
friends; it is a memorial service of
the highest type. The veterans who
sit before me to-night, and their de-
| parted comrades whose memory we
revere, in ’61 to '65 displayed the
| spirit ‘all of us need to-day. No mat-
.ter how many mistakes they have
made since, no matter haw much of
| the poison of selfishness may have
come into their souls, at that time
!they did place their lives upon the
altar for the common good. They did
i offer themselves a sacrifice for many.
‘ They were not the slackers of their
day.
I am proud, I've always been proud,
IT am more proud to-night than I have
ever been before, that I am the son
‘of a veteran, a volunteer of the Elev-
enth Pennsylvania Cavalry.
' Tam going to watch that thin blue
line march to the cemetery this year,
-upon its mission of love, with more
reverence than I ever have before.
I am going to remember the veterans
who have been laid beneath the sod
| with more admiration and respect and
such procedure. We are little better | 10Ve than ever before. I am going to
pray with more fervor than ever be-
fore that the spirit of devotion for the
common good, at the cost of personal
| sacrifice, that was shot into
souls may be shot into my soul and
into the souls of my fellow-country-
{ men in this day. For I know that the
| spirit which they manifestd in their |
appeal of
[days of vigor, when the
| self-inteest was strong, is the spirit
that alone is lacking to make our
Republic the best and noblest nation |
upon which God’s sun ever shone.
Listen to my text again: “Whoso-
ever would become great gmong you
shall be your minister; and whoso-
ever would be first among you shall
be your servant: even as the Son of
man came not to be ministered unto.
but to minister, and to give his life a
ransom for many.”
Fourteen counties report the con-
dition of wheat equal to or above the
average for this time of the year an
the general average is 96 per cent.
againgt 90 per cent. a year ago at
this time.
The Ringling Circus one of the larg- |
est on the road, will show in Johmns- |
town on Monday, June 12th,
their |
UNION VALLEY.
May 24—All are expecting a large
‘crop according to the blossoms.
Henry Shockey and family were
callers at the home of P. W. White on
Sunday.
Conrad: Keefer and family spent
Sunday with Simon Keefer’'s family.
Born to Mr. and Mrs. P. W. White,
a daughter.
H. F. Habel congratulated the fire
company on the work done at the fire
orn ‘his tenant house and said “Boys
I have often watched the Meyersdale
fire laddies—but you Valley = boys
beat all I ever saw.” Thanks for your
congratulations, Harry.
Miss Marion Brown of Meyersdale
spent from Saturday evening to Mon-
day morning with her sister, Mrs. !
H. F. Habel
George Felker, who has been work-
ing for H. F. Habel, spent Saturday
and Sunday in Meyersdale. :
Jaeob Sturtz’ house caught fire on
, Saturday about 9 a. m. doing some
| small damage to house and house-,
hold goods. |
Andrew Horchner, Sr. and Jr. and
| Wm. Crosby were Sunday visitors |
'at H. F. Habel’s coming in the for!
|
| mer’s eight-cylinder car. Andy says)
| “The greater the power, the faster
1
|
he can go.”
| Mrs. W. H. Habel spent
| with her son and family.
Rather late hours Elmer Ohler and
| Adam Lottig are keeping down the
| Valley. Boys, don’t store your sleigh
ibells; you may need them before the
{snow comes again.
Our side roads should be put in bet-
ter condition now since the state
has taken the plank road over.
Simon Brown has moved his traec-
tion engine from his saw mill to work |
it on the road for the state.
Mr. and Mrs. J. D. Habel spent a
|few days in Somerset during Mr. Ha-
! bel’s vacation.
| ‘Wm. Canon sold two fine colts to
| Section Foreman H. B. Bauman.
Sunday
| GOLDEN LOAF FLOUR $6.75 per
bbl. and every sack guaranteed
AT HABEL & PHILLIPS.
| —————————————
CARLOAD OF CHIC AND SCRATCH |
| FEED—
AT HABEL & PHILLIPS.
Get our prices on job work.
ROCKWOOD
The G. A. R. Post announced the
following speakers for Memorial Dal:
Rev. W. A. McClellan speaker at the
I. 0. O. F. cemetery in the morning,
and Prof. F. R. Coder to make an ad-
Simon Parker of Unamis is spend
ing several days here visiting rela-
tives and friends.
The barn of Charles Shaffer in Mil.
ford township was struck by light
ning Thursday evening during a
heavy rain and thunder storm and
burned to the ground, destroying aH
the contents. The loss is estimated at
$2,000 with only $300 insurance.
Rev. A. L. Broing of Altoona will
occupy the pulpit of the Uniter Breths
ren Church on Sunday evening.
Miss Elizabeth Dull, a graduate
from the Memorial Hospital; Johns-
town arrived in Rockwood ‘where ghe
will recuperate from a recent attack
of diphtheria.
Mr. ard Mrs. James Peles of Rocks
wood accompanied by their sons
James and Fred, have started from
Rockwood in a Reo touring car for
Newport News, Virginia, where a
daughter lives. :
——
MANCE AND VICINITY.
Farmers are about done with thelr
spring planting,
S. W. Keefer was kept busy plant-
ing for his neighbors with hisnew
H. F. Habel, P. W. White and S.
Keefer were Meyersdale visitors Sat-
urday.
The Memorial services held at Mt.
Lebanon on Sunday were largely at-
tended.
H A. Keefer of Akron, Ohio, is
visiting his parents for a few days.
Boys get ready for a few weddings
in the near future.
P. W. White wears his hat on one
side. It’s a girl and Pearl says he will
soon have lots of farmers.
Mrs. Jack Keefer who has been vis-
her son, Louis, near Berlin, has re-
turned home.
George Felker is employed with H.
F Habel at present building fences
and cleaning up the farm.
B. F. Keefer last week in Meyers-
dale purchased two fine Jersey cows.
dress at the New Centerville cemete- >
ry in the afternoon. ¥
Get our prices on job work.
¥
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