The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1895-02-22
THE BEST IN THE NORTHWEST
FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 90, 1895.
In Memory of Washington.

In all the states of the union ex-
cept Arkansas, Iowa and Mississippi
the anniversary of the birth of George
Washington is observed as a legal hol-
iday. Each year the observance of
this day has become more general As
the years have passed state after state
has legalized the holiday, and each
year more and more has it become
customary TO suspend business and
observe the holiday in a quiet, not
usually formal way.
Washington's birthday is not day
for boisterous rejoicing and fireworks
like the Fourth of July. Nor on the
other hand is it a day for gloom or
mourning. The flag flies from the top
of the staff. 1t is rather a day proper
for patriotic thought good day in
which to study the precepts of Wash
ington and the principles on which the
greatest nation of all time was founded.
This particular Washington's birth
day may be considered an apt time for
citizens of this country of diverse an
cestry, of different religion or creed, of
various sentiments and ideas, to medi-
tate and come to some conclusion as
to whether their duty TO America,
their duty to the father of this coun-
try, does not require of them that they
stop thinking how some fellow citizen
worships God or with what particular
accent he speaks or his father spoke.
and consider first of all whether
they themselves are strictly adhering
10 the principles of the constitution
and the precepts of the founders of
the republic, and secondly whether
their fellow citizens are doing the
same. Nothing on earth not religion
not birth-nothing whatsoever
should be allowed to divide two citi-
Zens of this republic who understand
what this republic means and are
faithfully trying to follow the teach
ings of those who made of this land a
nation. If the time ever comes when
creed and birth and race prejudice
can divide the people of this republic
that day will be a more grave one to
the United States of America than was
the day when the stars and stripes
were fired on at Fort Sumter.
At the close OF the American revolu- |
tion George Washington addressed let |
ter to the governors of the states. He |
set forth In this letter the four things |
which he considered TO be essential TO |
the existence of the United States |
lie mentioned these four things as |
"the pillars upon which the glorious |
fabric of our independence and ma
iional character must rest" As the
fourth of these pillars he gave, "The
prevalence of that pacific and friendly
among the people of the
United States which will induce them
TO forget their local prejudices and
policies, to make those mutual con-
cessions which are requisite to the
general prosperity, and, in some in
stances, TO sacrifice their individual
advantages to the interest of the COM
That spirit of tolerance and Justice
% all which Washington everywhere
advocated is needed to-day. Its need
has been particularly noticeable dur
ng the past year or two while bigotry
md prejudice have apparently been
gaining ground.
On this particular Washington's
citizens of this republic.
.oreign and native born, Catholics.
'rotestants and Jews, men of En-
dish, Irish, Swede, French and Italian
Iescent, cannot spend the day with
more profit to themselves. to their fel-
ow citizens, and to America, than
n the careful perusal of the Constitu-
ion of the United States and Wash
ngton's Farewell Address.