Onward Poem by Samuel Alfred Beadle

Let us weld the bond of union,
Make the standard stronger still,
Till the fellowship of brothers,
All our dreams of hope fulfill;
Let us purge ourselves of error,
Spurn the villain from our midst,
Bring the shrine of honor nearer
Christian consciousness of heart.


Let us build a shrine to virtue,
Where the graces may sojourn;
Sacred to their cause forever,
There let honor's incense burn;
On that altar let religion,
Such as Christ has given us,
Be the sole inspiring mission
Of a nobler brotherhood.


Let us strive, and striving, conquer,
First of all our erring selves;
Then we'll hope, and hoping, labor,
As one in the quarry delves,
Working on our racial heart,
Till it beams, in form sublime,
Like a precious stone, which art
Aided nature to adorn.


Onward, upward, high and higher,
Seeking each and all the light;
Press, ye legions, on and up to
Freedom's dazzling goal of light.
Grant us peace, O gracious Master,
Since our cause is one divine,
Never let thou fell disaster
Mark our star of Fate's decline!