Evening star., 1896-07-04
AGE CANNOT WITHER
Oldest Inhabitants Association Cele-
brate the Day.
PATRIOTISM VIGOROUS As IN YOUTH
President Marbury Delivers an In.
terestinq and Eloquent Address.
ELECTION OF OFFICERS

Conformably with custom and tradition,
the members OF THE Oldest Inhabitants
Association celebrated the day in their
usual patriotic and whole-souled fashion.
| Administrations may come and 60 but the
patriotism Of these public-spirted patri-
| archs never dies. Age cannot wither nor
| custom stale their perennial love of coun-
| try and its institutions. Their backs are
| bent and their locks whitened. but their
! hearts "re as young and as true on all
questions affecting their country's welfare
as the hearts OF the most ardent and pa
triot.c representative OF ''ycung America"
The Business Meeting.
Before entering upon the public exercises
OF the day. the association held a meeting
for the transaction of it's ordinary business
affairs. Mr.. John Marbury. the president,
occupied the chair. and Mr. J. Madison
Cults acted secretary.
Among the members in attendance were:
j. Marbury, jr.. president; DIR. j. I. How
| ard. corresponding secretary; J. Madison
Cults recording secretary; Robert Ball.
treasurer; J. A. Wineberger. marshal; VIM.
Beron, B. c. Wright. F. L. Moore. Jas.
Boiseau. II. NJ. Dillingcr. Rudolph Eich-
horn. Joseph Prather. S. w. X Handy, ID.
Gerau. Il. L. Martin. p. A. Byrne, " D.
Larner. w. c. johnson, Philip May.
President Marbury opened the proceed
ings by welcoming his associates TO the
one hundred and twentieth anniversary OF
the nations birth and pledged them to do
their part toward a proper observance OF
the proud occasion. 1t was a matter OF
pride and pleasure to him. he said. to see
| that the citizens generally, including the
boys and girls. were celebrating the day in
the proper spirit of loyalty
Nr i1ka ard p<Hre S1<t,t ~ ~.
District for thirty-five years. was elected a
member of the association. also
Mr.. A Mcconnell. n native OF Pennsylva-
ma, who has resided here for over thirty-five
years.
| Interesting "Reminiscences.
Mr.. +. L. Moore presented a personal let
ter from a friend, recalling the fact that
| actly forty-nine years ago Judge w. 8.
| Cox addressed Sunday school celebration
in Georgetown. and that Mr.. VIM. Mar
bury read the Declaration OF Independence
on the same occasion. Mr.. Moore said he
was present at that celebration and con-
s!dered it one of the proudest events OF his
life.
Mr.. William Boron also called attention
| to tie fact that today was The twentieth
anniversary OF the day which the
| American flag had been placed on the
public school buildings OF the District Of
Columbia. on the Fourth OF July 1876, he
| placed the American flag on the walIach
school with his own hand and IL had re-
n.aine1 there ever since. Mr.. Beron spoke
of the gra nd patriotic lesson taught by the
display OF the flag IN this way and said IL
| was OF great advantage in having the pu-
pills understand the grand principles incul-
Gated by TIE immortal Washington.
Mr.. j. Madison Cults read, as peculiarly
appropriate TO the occasion. a paper writ
ten by Stephen A. Douglass in 1861 in favor
Of a continental union alliance He was
thanked for the pamphlet and il was placed
IL fba -,p, % 81
Election of Officers.
The principal business OF the meeting
was then entered upon. II was the annual
election OF officers, and resulted In the
| unanimous reelection Of the present OIL
| Gers, follows: President j. Marbury;
corresponding secretary. DIR. J. T. Howard.
| recording secretary, J. Madison Cults;
treasurer, Robert Bail: marshal J. A
Wineberger The thirteen vice presidents
being one for each OF the original states
Were reelected in each instance with the
sit gle exception OF the election of Henry
NJ. Dellinger in place of John T. Hensley
deceased President Marbury and Secre-
tary Cults asked that their Offices be filled
| by rev men, but the members insisted
upon their reelection and they had 10 sub
nit.
The Celebration OF the Day.
Without any delay or ceremony the busi-
into an open public meeting, which was
| marked by interesting exercises in quiet.
but earnest, celebration OF the day Owing
to the heat, the attendance was smaller
than usual. but the assemblage made up
IN enthusiasm what II lacked in numbers.
The proceedings opened with the reading
OF the Declaration OF Independence, by DIR.
j. T. Howard, corresponding secretary OF
the association and ii is no reelection upon
anybody else to say that that immortal
paper has never been read with more feel
ing and expression All the members then
Joined In singing America" under the
leadership OF DR.. Ball. and seemed to give
the inspiring words Of that grand old hymn
| a new and better meaning.
The event Of the occasion, however waa
unquestionably the brief oration of Mr.
John Marbury. the venerable and ever
genial president OF the association, who
had been uracimously selected for that
duty by the committee which had charge
of the program Mr.. Marbury spoke with
| out notes and apparently extempore. The
burden of his address was the greatness
and grandeur of the United States Of to-
day as compared with its weak and strug-
Cling condition in the trying days OF 177d
when, through the heroic efforts and sac
rfices OF our forefathers, 1T sprang into
life and peing. He gave a brief account
of the condition of the country in its early
days, and commented proudly and elo-
quently on it's marvellous progress and ad-
vancement with every year of it's exist
ence.
Growth Of the Union.
The Union has grown. he said, from thir-
teen states to forty-fve states, and the
population has Increased from three mil
lion to seventy million OF free and inde-
pendent citizens, blessed with peace and
prosperity. and constantly becoSr..ng great
er and more prosperouS His auditors
| were old and gra~-neaded. he said, brt
they loved thE>ir country and its flag and
| taught their children and their grand
In.iuren to do the same, and he hoped
1 the day would never come that the people
who owed go much to their forefathers.
| who had founded this great country. would
| forget to celebrate the glorious Fourth
| of July" Let the boys and girls shoot
| of their f1recrackers and make all the
| noise they wanted to on that one day In
| every 1856, he said In grateful memory Of
| the days which tried the souls OF their
noble forefathers. There should be no
| restriction to their patriotism on that
glorious anniversary. and he said he was
glad to see that the District Commission
| ers had acted in a liberal and patriotic
spirit in the matter OF the local celebra-
| tion. Some people mention the frequent
cases OF divorce, suicide and murder as
an indica lion that the country is going
backward instead Of forward. hut he for
Il