Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1889-05-01

Hamilton. jefferson and Adams. Madison and
Jay, each reprs santed some Of the elements
which formed the Union. Washington en-
bodied them all
Bot ont from the page OF history the names
Of all the great actors Of his time in the drama
Of nations and preserve the name Of Wash
iDgton, and the century would be reaowned.
Brginning the second Century.
We stand today upon the dividing line be-
| tween the first and second century Of constr
overhead and no commissions under our feet
We reverentiy return thanks to Almighty
God for the past, and with confident and
hopeful prom Sc march upon sure ground
| towards the future The simple facts Of
| these hundred years paraiyxe the imagina-
1 tion, and we contemplate the vast accumu-
latiOns Of the century with awe and pride.
/ Our population has grown from four to sixty
| five millions Its center moving westward
i've hundred miles since 1859, is eloquent with
the founding Of cities and the birth Of states.
New settlements. clearing the forests and
subduing the prairies, and adding four mil
lions to the few thousands Of farms which
were the support OF Washington's republic,
create one Of the great granaries of the
world and open exhaustless reservoirs OF ma
| tional wealth
The infant industries, which the first act Of
our first administration sought to encourage,
now give remunerative employment to more
people than inhabited the republic at the
beginning Of Washington's presidency. The
i grand total Of their annual output of seven
/ thousand millions of dollars in value places
the United States first among the manufac-
| turing countries of the earth. One half the
| total mileage Of al the railroads, one quarter
| of all the telegraph lines Of the world within
our borders, testify TO the volume, variety
and value Of an internal commerce which
makes these states, il need be, independent
and selfsupporting. These hundred years Of
development under fayoring political condi-
| tions have brought the sum of our national
| wealth to figure which has passed. the re-
suits OF a thousand years for the Mother
land, herself, otherwise the richest Of modern
empires
| During this generation, a civil war of UNI
equaled magnitude caused the expenditure
and loss Of eight thousand millions of dollars,
| and killed six hundred thousand and perma-
nently disabled over million young men, and
| yet the impetuous progress of the north and
the marvellous Industrial development OF the
i new and free south have obliterated the evil
dences of destruction, and made the war
/ memory, and have stimulated production I'M
til our annual surplus nearly equals that Of
England, France and Germany combined.
This realism OF material prosperity, sur
passing the widest creations Of the roman
GERS who have astonished and delighted man
kind, would be full of danger for the present
and menace for the future, IL the virtue, in
telligence and independence Of the people
were not equal to the wise regulation of its
uses and the stern prevention of its abuses.
But following the growth and power of the
| great factors, whose aggregation Of capital
made possible the tremendous pace of the
| settlement of our national domain, the build
ing Of our great cities and the opening Of the
| lines Of communication which have unified
i our country and created our resources, have
come national and state legislation and SUI
pervision. Twenty millions, q vast majority
Of our people OF intelligent age, acknowl-
edging the authority Of their several church.
es, $4,000, 600 of children in the common
| schools, 345 universities and colleges for the
higher education Of men and 200 for women,
$50 institutions Of learning for science, law,
| medicine and theology, are the despair of the
scoffer and the demagogue, and the firm sup
port OF civilization and liberty.
Steam and electricity have changed tie
/ commerce not only, they have revolutionized
also the governments Of the world. They
have given to the press its power, and
| brought all races and nationalities into touch
and sympathy They have tested and are
| trying the strength cf ali systems to stand
the strain and conform to the conditions
which follow the terminating influences OF
American democracy. At the time of the
Inauguration of Washington, seven royal
families ruled as many kingdoms in Italy,
but six OF them have seen their thrones over
turned and their countries disappear from
the map Of Europe.
But today, the American people, after all
the dazzling developments OF the century,
are still happily living under the government
of Washington. The constitution during all
that period has been amended only upon the
lines laid down In the original instrument
| and In conformity with the recorded opinions
Of the fathers The first great addition was
| the incorporation of a bill of rights, and the
last the Embedding into the constitution Of
the immortal principle of the Declaration of
Independence -of the equality Of all men be-
fore the law No crisis has been too perilous
for its powers, no evolution too rapid for its
adaptation, and no expansion beyond its easy
| grasp and administration It has assilnilafed
diverse nationalities with warning traditions,
| customs, conditions and languages, imbued
them with its spirit, and won their passionate
loyalty and love-
The flower OF the youth Of the nations OF
continental Europe are conscripted from pro-
| ductive industries and drilling in camps
Vast armies stand IN hattie array along the
frontiers, and q kaiserss whim or q minister's
mistake may precipstate the most destructive
war Of modern times. Both monarchiaI and
republican governments are seeking safety
ton and and criticism The volcanic forces
OF democratic aspiration and sOcialistic re-
volt are rapidly increasing and threaten
psace and secul1l We turn from these