Evening Republican, Volume 21, Number 174, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 August 1917 — REMARKABLE DEMONSTRATION HELD FOR BOYS IN BROWN [ARTICLE]

REMARKABLE DEMONSTRATION HELD FOR BOYS IN BROWN

Thousands Attended Lawn Fete Held On Court House Lawn Wednesday Evening For Benefit of Co. M Fund.

Col. Healey In Stirring Address. Band Concert, Drill, Speeches end Lawn Social Lured Gigantic Crowd to City—9oo Carn Parked on the Main Streets—Demonstration Was Without a Parallel in City’s History—Big Sum Raised For Co. M and “Sox For Soldiers” Funds— Ladies Under Direction of Mrs. .. Fate, Assisted By the Businessmen, Responsible For the Most Successful Event of the Kind Ever Held In the County.

August 8, 1917, will ever be remembered as an historical date in the annals of Jasper county. No one will ever know how many contributed by their presence in making this patriotic demonstration”one of the most important events ever held within the confines of this county. Many place the number at 10,000 and the lowest estimate was 5,000. George McLain reports that there were 871 automobiles parked on the main streets of the city. Company M was not only honored by the magnificent crowd, but by the splendid spirit of patriotism that prevailed. Each vied with the other in trying to give forth the deeper feeling of the inmost emotions that were in the hearts of all. There was an air of solemn devotion that was very tense. .Admiration for the “Soldier Boys” and the discussion of the present world crisis was on almost every lip. There was an expression of brotherhood and fellowship that was not marred by a single inharmonious word or an unbecoming act.

The suggestion of attempting to stage such an event was given to Mrs. Laura B. Fate by Mrs. Ora T. Ross, who is the lady member of the County Council of Defense and chairman of the committee on “Women’s Activities.” Mrs. Ross has had a tremendous influence in the activities Of the ladies in the county and she has done a most splendid work. She was most fortunate in placing in the staging of the memorable event in the hands, of Mrs. Fate. For the last ten or fifteen days Mrs. Fate has given almost her en 7 tire time and attention. She had a vision of the possibility of the event and by her enthusiasm inspired many others to put forth the great effort which resulted so gloriously. Great credit is due Mrs. Fate and her splendid corps of women, every one of whom deserves special personal mention were it not for extending this article to too great length. There seems to have been a transfusion of this tremendous enthusiasm from the women to the men and when Harry Parker got busy some was sure done. He with a bunch of young ladies give impulse to the whole movement and by his souvenirs added over $70.00 to the fund for Company M and “Sox for Soldiers.” A hundred and thirty-five of the finest cakes were sent in by the women of Remington, Wheatfield, Barkley and'other parts of the county. The women of Rensselaer donated lemons and sugar in large quantities. Mr. Gaffield, the depot restaurant man, donated five gallons of ice cream. The sales of cakes, ice cream and lemonade amounted to over three hundred dollars. Donations , of all kinds were cheerfully and freely given. The Wolcott and Rensselaer bands gave a most excellent concert of patriotic music. This music seemed to touch heart strings more effectively than ever before. _ After the band concert Hon. Edward P. Honan called the vast assemblage to order. Col. Honan always presides with dignity and wonderful adaptability and his handling of the program Wednesday evening contributed very effectively to the interest and pleasure of the occasion. In eloquent ; words’of just praise he introduced to the audience Lt. Col. George H. Healey. « w-w v 1 . _ —J J inn

Col. Healey made an address which is herewith published and should be read by all. It is the expression of a noble soul On fire with patriotism for his country. He said: There are few to question now the reason why the United States was drawn into the war. No matter how we as individuals hoping that the United States could hold aloof from the conflict may have/felt, no matter where our sympathies were for two years and a half, no matter how neutral and war despising we may have been, no matter , how or where we may have placed the responsibilities for the foreign war, no matter though we held one or the other of the belligerents to be right, no _ matter though we may have criticised the acts of the administration that brought, us into the war, no matter though we have relatives in the opposing armies, no matter though we fear the pangs of the war at odr very doorstep, all the reasons and $U the feelings are n6w but history and the fact is that We are now full partners

with the entente allies and have but one duty and that is the winning of the war. If your house was on fire you would not waste time to determine the manner in which it started, but you would” first try to put out the fire and then correct the new structure against the Weakness that caused the destruction of the former. A united nation is the all-important agency. There is a task for every person. The first great duty is to get yourselves as individuals in the proper frame of mind and heart for the task. You must be aware of a grave national danger, you must realize the tremendous disadvantages confronting the sending of troops and supplies to a foreign land, you must realize that war-torn Europe is depending on us to largely feed and equip the world, you must realize that the withdrawal of hundreds of thousands of the able-bodied and skilled producers of the country and the unusual demands for war materials has caused an evolution in the manufacturing, agricultural and commercial affairs of the United States; you must know these things and knowing them must act with calm decision and determination. Our population is an admixture of the sturdiest stock of the world, capable Of deepest thought and profoundest action, coupled with endurance and skill and brawn, but inclined to carelessness and trustfulness that must now give way to system and hard work. There are tasks for all. Production is the great demand. Foodstuffs, mechanical tools, clothing, medicines and everything entering into the prosecution of the war must be produced to meet the changed demands, and hands unaccustomed to toil must embark in new occupations and must do it with a cheerfulness and vim that will rival the work of these soldier boys in the danger zones of Europe. Amohg this splendid company of approximately 150 young men are farmers, mechanics, clerks, tradesmen, laborers, railroaders, tailors, men in almost every walk of life, and producers every one. The country is to lose their labor and you, who can not go, must do their work. They are going to a foreign land to fight your battles,-to harvest the scars of conflict, and you are asked to provide for them by changing your methods of life where hazards are few and discomforts incomparable with the hardships of war. Many of you are already doing it and others must not defer their action. Magazines and papers are filled with suggestions. The housewife can do much by greater food conservation, the women and girls by making articles of wearing apparel, many women by taking up the lighter labors of men, many men by assuming new duties, all by longer hours, by more thoughtful and conscientious work and with a new will. Our stay-at-home patriotism must be energetic, it must be a phaze of loyalty that suits action, well considered and serious, to the pride that has prompted us to glory in the freedom of the United States. It must be a phaze of patriotism that will make us delight in many sacrifices, to work and glory in tired bodies. It is not. an occasion for tears, it is not a time for worry, but a time for clearthinking and constructive labor. I have always looked upon those colonists who withheld their support from the just cause of American freedom with a loathing thought and now those who fail to grasp the full meaning of America’s position and fail to give to the cause in -which w« areengaged full-hearted support are contributing to the cause of the enemy and perhaps unwittingly may be responsible for the lives of some of these boys when serving in a foreign land. The time of final parting fast approaches. These boys whom you hold dear are to perform the highest duty of citizenship. No honor was ever conferred on an individual that entitled him to greater praise and respect than is each of these young men entitled to by the act of offering his life for your protection and for the cause of free government. Some have said that, they would hate to encourage a young man to enlist because he might get killed in battle- I would sooner encourage him to join the army and sacrifice his life than to have this nation become a part of the German monarchy. Some have said that they hate to have their boys go abroad to fight. I would sooner have them go there than to have this country wrecked with the horrors of invasion. Some have said that we should have kept out of the war. I should rather we were a part of it than to think that in the future it would be written in history that the United States, made free from the yoke of oppression in 1776 and saved from dismemberment in 1861 to 65, had uncontested submitted to a worse tyranny than the one from which we gained our release a century and a half ago. Life is a broad field of possibilities. We can shirk and slack and make it a failure and a disgrace or we can work and plan and leave a heritage of greater opportunities to coming generations. Can we fail to

only as a democracy? No! No! We see, we act, we enlist to produce, to sacrifice, to labor, to fight, to forego sentiment and to show that the talents given us by a gracious God have not been hidden in fright and in shame. Here before you is the first organized unit to leave your city and county and adjoining counties. Fifty of these young men proved their worth on the Mexican border and all are now to do all that and more and to glory in the privilege of its doing. We do not know what the future holds in store for them. But this we do know, that if they do their duty well as good soldiers, they will have contributed to the cause of humanity and have endeared themselves to you who will pray for them while they are absent. And those who survive will return to a high place in citizenship and a consciousness of duty well done, a heritage of satisfaction that is worth the price paid.

Boys,. I had hoped to be with you, to counsel with you often and to help smooth down the rough spots that your hardships will encounter, but the fortunes of war have decreed differently and I am to be in another regiment, but I shall meet you often and shall be inspired by your success.. Start in at the very outset to be the best soldiers in the American army. It is in you to be. Train, train, train. Work, work, work. Any moment you may learn something that wjll make it possible for you to save a life on the battlefield, but so live that you can meet death if called upon with a consciousness of duty well done. Remember the dear ones back home are always concerned for your conduct as well as your safety and write to the dear mothers, wives, sisters and sweethearts and let their love be an added inspiration to do your service well. May God watch over your training, your service, your lives, at all times with tenderest care and may we in future years gather together in reunion and rejoicing. Col. Honan then introduced Dr. Gobin;; ex-president of DeP-auwUni-versiyt. The Doctor was a veteran in the 5 Civil War and has for years been one of Indiana’s greatest men. He is a most devout Christian gentleman but a firm believer in the cause of his counter and fully convinced of the necessity of our participation in this great world movement to crush autocracy and to forever enthrone universal democracy. He was delighted with the magnificent audience that faced him and that gave him the very closest attention during his address. He compliment Col. Healey for his most splendid address. He was here primarily in the interests of the United States Boys’ Working Reserve which is a movement under the direction of the National, State and County Councils of of” Defense. Dr. Gobin introduced Harvey W. Wood, Jr., who is in charge of this work in Jasper county and urged all to co-operate with Mr. Wood in this essential work. Dr. J. Budman Fleming was then introduced and made a splendid short address and asked for assistance from all for the work he is directing, Public Morals. No account of this great evening and its momentous events can be written. It has left an indelible impression which time can never erase. It was a great soul uplift and bids us all to go forth as true American patriots.