Arizona republican., 1901-02-22
me to present to you-our first pro- tege."
 THE WINNING ESSAY


 The composition which won the ! r-odal for Miss Weems is given in full, | below:
 incidents in the life of great man will ever bear repetition, especially when that man is such an one as George Washington was. There is no name so dear to the American people as that of George Washington. It was he wEO with a clear ,ye and a steady hand guided the affairs of a young nation through the periious period of it's history, when on every side there were dangers which threatened to crush t.
 When the time cam in which the people of America were forced 10 take up arms in defense of their liberties, and free lhemS Ives from the yoke of oppression that had been put upon them by their mother country, it was Washington who stepped bravely for ward and undertook the prodgious task of training and commanding the armies of men. who knew not the hrSt principl of warfare. It was of the greatest importance that they should be trained that they might cope Wlth superior forces of perfectly tralned men. Through the dark days of the volutionary war, when it seemed 10 others that the cause for which they struggled was doomed, it was Wash ington who strengthened the peoples faith and rellindled the little spark of hop that al times was almost eX- tinguishcd.
 C ,l ,, CriN-.. up New York and, with his little rem nant of an army. to make the long retreat a ross the Jerseys, many brave souls W re in despair They had hoped when it seemed that there was no cause for hoTt Matters looked dark indeed What could fugitive, half fyd. in trained army do against such formidable forccs as England could command?
 "Rut. when Washington turned and mad. the bold stroke which resulted ln tine victory of Trenton, and by a won (. rlui piece of maneouNaring escaped the enemy. the peoples joy knew no bounds. Hope was rckind!cd and con nducc in the brave commander was greatly strrngthencd.
 "It is unnecessary to say more of his invaluable service during the war, of his carefully laid plans and the brilliant execution of those plans, which made the whole ciyii.z world book on in admiration and amaZcm nt.
 At tine close of the war he was tn best known and most beloved man in America. The war was ended, irdr- pend nee was gained. but when arms Were laid down grave dangers threat oncd the prosperity of the young na- tion.
 With the removal If danger from outside foes the spirit Of union was lessen d. and as each state acted alone, petty misunderstanding arose.
 "Congr,Ss served as aH excuse for a IaW-making body. IL had no power to Iu; into execution any plan by which money could b. raised. to discharge tho War debt, that hung lik shadow over the na:ion. Such state of affairs Was serious in the extreme.
 "Thc wiscst men in the states agreed that unless som thing was done to unit. the colonies. the struggle for liberty would avail nothing.
 "Whcu the plan of the constitution was agreed to, and the constitution written and adopted, the next thing was to choose tho man who should be pr. .idcnt of tho United States.
 "Is it strang. that the thoughts of aN the people should turn at once tp Wa. hington. the man WE1 had given them ample proof of his sterling in- tegIity and his ability to discharge any duty they should entrust to him?
 I'll. Was unanimously el cicd Co the office, and at the call of his country. left his quiet pantatiun home and went forth to take up the task set before him.
 "On his journey to the capital, he Vas enthusiastically rcceiv d by the people in every city anu own. They felt that all difficulties would be set tied satisfactorily when Washington took the ro.ns of the government in his hands.
 He did not ,ake up the work of the presidency as our presidents do today. Iie had to begin at the very beginning, and in the face of grave difficulties.
 "Amorican credit was dead; an inn mtusr war debt lay heavily on the governments; European powers were com ,r'acently watching for the United States to fall to pieces that they might eeiz. the spells. In short. tn govern mrnt rested on very uncertain and insecure basis.
 With q cabinet of the ablest men the country afforded Washington set to work to fix the United states on a firm foundation. and admirably did he succeed. He was the man who dil more than anyone else to establish the grandrst and best nation on the face of the globe; a nation loV Il and reNer- enccd by every one of her loyal sons and daughters; d nation honOred ana respected by all other nations of the earth: a nation where Oppress' peo- ple of every land find refuge; nation whose people have never submitted to tyrants oppression: q nation tat has never forced any people to sub init to i'll treatment at her hands; a nation whose very name means lib crty.'
 "Our national capital stands as a monument to the memory of our Wash ington. BuU h. has a more lasting monument than that. As long as therp exists the United States, worthy of the name, Washington memory will h.. lf,It is nllnt,l tlp