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Show " X our near approach to the I anniversary of Washington's Washing-ton's birthday It behooves us all to be very grateful to God and tho revolution- fnry fathers for the nation which thoy gavo to us. Away with tho man who does not lovo his country. It has Its faults. It Is no hotter than tho host man who lives In It, and tho best man who lives In It Is separated by a long distance dis-tance from tho angels of heavon. The writings nnd orations that would put us beyond criticism explode against somo very hard facts and let out upon tho nlr a great deal of silliness. Our politics aro not so absolutely pure that a seraph's wing could graze thorn without contamination. Our Ideals of greatness nnd glory aro closer to tho ground than they ought to bo. Our roverenco for tho sacrcdncsa of Inw that should bo as firmly fixed, In our national conscience as Pike's Peak Is firmly fixed In tho soil of Colorado, In nnt hnvnnil tho rnvll nnd rnmnlnlnt of thoso who study tho foundations dt our Institutions. Hut of ono thing wo aro persuaded, and that Is that the virtues ot our country ovor-balanco Its faults. Thero aro more angels tlfan devils among us. Tho devils are making tho most noise, hut tho nngels nro doing tho most work. Tho man who believes that righteousness Is losing Its tgrlp upon this nation is a woefully mistaken mis-taken man. I heard a speakor tho othor day who proclaimed that wo aro falling from had to worso and from worse to worst. Wo do not bollovo him. Wo bollovo that wo aro rising from good to hotter, and from bottor to'-best. Ono of tho chief roots of our patriotism patriot-ism Is gratltudo, tho realization of an lmmonso dobt to thoso who battled about tho cradlo of our national ox-Istonco ox-Istonco and won our freedom and In-dopendenco In-dopendenco at tho points ot their swords. Hero wo aro becauso tho mon of '7C put us hero. I lore wo stay because tho spirit ot '70 has kopt us here. Stormy Atlantic, mild Pacific, sleeping sleep-ing lakes, waving forosts, treo-crowd-ed mountains, gold mlno and silver mlno, storms out of whoso tempest-drlvon tempest-drlvon hearts havo fluttered tho white-feathered white-feathered birds of peaco, fiery baptisms bap-tisms through whoso (lames havo crept forth tho evangels, gavo evor-lasting evor-lasting covonant. When wo think of these things, Ivhcn wo stand upon tho mount of vision, and tho splendor of our country breaks upon our eyes, when tho song of tho roapors comes up to us, whon we henr tho hum ot Industry thrilling along tho ground, whon wo seo tho gleaming rivers curving and winding like sllvor thrends through vast gardens, what account of ourselves shull wo glvo to oursolvos If wo tako not tho cup of pi also and thanksgiving fix our hands and pour It out to tho .heroes whoso patience, faith and courage ushered la tho dawn of our splendid prosperity? prosper-ity? Thoy woro fighting for tho futuro, for the country that was coming. So aro wo fighting for tho futuro for tho country that is coming. As wo Jook into tho faces ot our llttlo children wo cannot fcol that for us tho battlo Is i ondocj. Wo havo won a country for oursolvos. Hut wo must win a country I for them. dad lovo of country and lovo of children run togcthor with tho ambl- Hon to win a better country for them. Homo and patriotism are linked together. to-gether. The children will help to make the nation. Hut tho nation will help to mako thoso children. That llttlo dimpled cheek will not allow you to tako offjour uniform for a single day. You must build his home. You must fight for his Inheritance. You must put your life Into the moving and marching forces of righteousness that aro trying to win victories for him. Tho next generation will live In tho country which this generation Is making mak-ing for It. And each one of us Is help Ing to make It. All of lis aro nation-builders. nation-builders. Kvory time we cast a ballot bal-lot for an unclean office-seeker we aro committing nn outrage upon tho future. fu-ture. Patriotism enn never be selfish. It enp never be bound up and -roped round In its own pleasures and comforts. com-forts. It can never stand still, looking backwards. It can never content Itself with making a noise. In Washington's farewell wo sco the prayers of ;i great soul embracing a nation's posterity. Tho pen that wrote the emancipation proclamation was tracing on the pnp6r a heart's de'slro Tor a long procession ot centuries. And out of this lovo of country uhd this gunrdlanshlp of our children will cotno tho patriotism of service Tho Itoman soldier cried out "It Is beautiful to die for one's country," Our country does not want anybody to die for It now, but it does want nil tho multitudes of Its peoplo to live for It, to do their big host or their llttlo host to servo Its highest and noblest Intents, In-tents, and pass It along to tho futuro demised, purified, sweet to" tho heart and sound to the core. |