The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1899-02-24
Present Day Thoughts.
BY "NEMo.n


that 1899 being a century lie,
moved from the death of Wash.
iugton should be used in some
special way to commemorate him
and his work has already begun
to grow. The president of every
college in The country has been
asked To think over the matter
and beside the editor Of each ed
vocational and patriotic paper has
been urged to favor a plan that in
its details must be worked out af,
ter all by the plain people.
find that all or nearly all the
Masonic Grand Lodges have
planI ed for pilgrimageS 10 the
tomb of Past Master Washing.
ington. But though the Ma>OnS
number S20.0O0 they represent
only a fraction of the people. aud
a still smaller fraction would be
able 10 take a journey in order 10
partake in commemorative eXer-
ci>e>. Even should all the great
religions. civic. secret or patriotic
bodies send large delegations 10
a Mt. Vernon gathering. it comes
after all 10 thiS-that the mass
of the people could not partici.
pate and must perforce fall back
upon local provisions or do moth.
ing al all.
What seems therefore a first
practical Stepi Surely thi>-in
every State where a Legislature
is in session there should flow
in upon the members of that Leg
iSlature a deluge of letters urging
them before they adjourn to make
fitting State provision for a pub
lie commemoration of Washing.
tons life. Whether the public rec
oguition takes the form of deere
that all labor shall cease next
December 14th. is a question that
may we'll he considered seriously.
Probably no method could com.
pare with this for bringing home
in real sense to the real people
the actual value and import Of
WaShington'S career.
In Alabama. Georgia. Iowa.
Kentucky. Louisiana, Maryland.
Mississippi, Ohio, Vermont and
Virginia a different method will
have to be followed: for in none
of these except Georgia will there
be a meeting of the Legislature
in time to take action upon the
subject. The mode of securing
the cessation Of labor for the day
i'll these States will be Influenced
by the powers of decree that rest
with each Governor Ifthe Gov
ernOr of such States has the
power TO declare the day sacred
to the cOmmemOratiOn of Wash
ington, even a moderate pressure
of the matter upon his attention
would bring the result; more eS
pecially if States around him
were taking favorable action.
AS it is not possible for me to
use the space set apart by your
complacent editor for my column,
III too frequent reference to one
subject, | will cover the Wash.
ingtOn matter still further in the
present column. and then leave
the leaven to work. While the
cessation of work means much to
us who toll hard brain wise it is.
like a Sunday spent in slumber,
not enough in itself to do honor
to the one whose life has caused
the day to be hOnOred. Grant.
ing then the possibility of De.
cember IA as holiday, let us call
it holy day, there must needs be
the getting together now in early
spring of those who intend the
day shall be we'll hOnOred in order
that details and plans properly
distributed among live committees
may be deliberately worked out.
The care and the painstaking
will not be wasted, for the cele.
bratiOn will be historical among
the nations Of the earth. Labor
too and the giving up of time need
not be begrudged, for the occa.
sion will not offer for another
hundred years, when other hands
than these shall be carrying on
the work Of the world and still
holding firm, let us hope, the
standard of personal probity and
national liberty for which Wash
ington cOntended.
Naturally into such prelimi-
nary work will grayitate the pro.
fessional people, teachers, lawyers
and physicians. But sufficient
breadth will not be impaired to
the work unless the women and
the laboring people are in it too.
Perhaps the women will be in it
anyway. Look out however for
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