Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1902-12-23
THE PILGRIM FATHERS
Anniversary Celebrated by
Congregational Club.
RECEPTION RENDERED
BANQUET LATER ATTENDED By A
LARGE COMPANY.
Addresses by Justice Brown, Commits
sioner West, Prof. Eweu and
Others-The Guests Present.
RECEPTION RENDERED


night at the First Congregational Church
around the banquet board. The forefathers
banquet of the Congregational Club has be-
come one of the institutions Of the social
season Of Washington For score or
more of years the sturdy descendants OF
sturdier ancestors have gathered about the
tables December % to eat genuine New
England food in honor of the hardy men
and women who landed on Plymouth Rock
December %, 1920. Guests of national re-
nown partake of the banquet and give their
need Of praise to the glories of old New
England.
representative gathering is attracted to
these dinners than that which graced the
board last night. The guests numbered two
justices OF the United States Supreme
poet and law giver and Commissioner Of
the District Of Columbia. Addresses Of more
than passing interest to Washingtonians
were made by the speakers and the dinner
was all that could be desired The viands
were served by the members Of the ladies
societies Of the church. CARRIED as were
their Puritan ancestresses, in plain black,
with white neckerchiefs and caps
There were about 200 diners In all, group
ed about a dozen or more tables The guests
OF honor were seated at table raised above
the moor on the northern side OF the large
assembly hall on the second fioo1 of the
church building.
Reception Precedes Feast.
A reception was held in the parIors of the
church Just before dinner was served, and
prior to the reception a business meeting
OF the club was held. Reports Of commit
tees were received during the course of the
meeting and several new members were
elected. Among those chosen was Commits
s!oner Henry L. West. Immediately after
the last guests had arrived the march was
taken up to the banquet hall on the second
floor. The dinner was begun In short order
and dispatched quickly.
Rev John L. Ewel. president Of Howard
University. and president of the club. acted
as POSTMASTER. Mr.. Ewell called the as
semblage to order when the clatter Of the
knives and forks had ceased, and in a short
address announced the purpose of the din
ner. After selection by the Garrish Quar-
tet, consisting OF Messrs. D. G. Miller, H. O.
Simmons. John F. Blackmar and J. Walter
Humphreys. President Ewell spoke of the
topic Of the evening Our Pilgrim Fathers
and Our Country" He said that though the
Pilgrims were driven from land to land
until they seemed to be almost without a
country, they nevertheless retained a warm
and fervent affection for their mother coun-
try. In their writings however, will be
found exemplified those principles which
have become the foundation stones of the
great republic.
services OF tho Pilgrims.
'Once more the great faith monument Of
Plymouth has upon its base an inscription.
stating that 1t was erected to commemorate
the tnestimable services Of the Pilgrims to
civil liberty" said Mr. Ewell. Those serv-
ices were inestimable. but that inscription
should be taken in connection with the
pointing finger Of the statue
which surmounts the monument. That
1r1p rpy Ind hot f1a INV
and bequeathed us by our Pilgrim slres is
the antipode of license, and Is liberty Sc
cured not so much by law as by faith, and
that same finger. more significant than that
of the Baxter statue at Kidderminster or
that Of Savonarola at Worms. forevermore
reminds us that we can only retain our
heritage OF. civil liberty as we maintain
living sense of dependence upon the God of
our fathers.
"And so. my friends, think we do we'll to
link together our Pilbrim fathers and our
country, for by their patriotism toward
their cruel fatherland: by their dread Of
selfish 'retiredness Of minde; by building
their political structure on the consent
of the governed, and by making liberty Sc
cure through faith in God, they proved
themselves no less statesmen than church
men, and builded state no less than church
on a new plan BETTING this western world"
Commissioner Vests Speech.
Mr. Ewell then introduced Commissioner
Henry L. West as a new member of the
club, and one who had frequently honored
It with his presence. Commissioner West
said. in part:
"You are identified with and certainly in
terested In the capital Of the United States,
an interest which share with you In very
large degree. 1t Is our capital. and I en-
phasize the word our because believe in
nationalism rather than sectionalism in
r. ~~xSI HL-n H. 49,
and restricted point of view. We may not
have to be told, as was Moses upon Mt.
Horeb, that the place wherein we stand is
holy ground. but certainly 1t seems to ME
unique and alone: different from any other
locality.
First Of all, 1t is invested with peculiar
historic memories which cannot be shared
by any other city. Within the White House
every President, except George Washington.
has lived and acted, guiding the nation
through peril and through peace; for more
than century the nations laws have been
enacted within the legislative halls of the
ever-beautiful building under the great
white dome; and in Pennsylvania avenue
we have the most historic thoroughfare
in the United States. Along this broad
avenue armies have marched under VIC
torious banners; and 1t has echoed the SOL
emn music Of the dirge when last honors
were paid to the noble dead. We are be-
ginning to have historic things and places
In this country, and In the possession of
them Washington stands supreme.
"But 1t Is for something more than its re-
to the past that this capital of
ours Is entitled to and receives our tribute
Of affectionate regard. 1t Is the heart Of
the system of government which makes
our country at once the wonder and admira-
ton Of the world. Hourly, daily, monthly,
annually, continually, there is In Washing
ton the steady pulsation which supplies the
arteries of the body polite with fresh
life. It is, therefore, imperative upon us
who are citizens Of Washington, whether
temporary Or permanent, to see that the
influence exerted by the national capital Is
an influence for good. There is upon us a
larger measure Of responsibility than rests
upon the residents of any state capital.
And we are part OF Washington. We are
the Individual factors which make up the
complete municipal organization.
An Anomalous Condition.
''It IL true that there exists in the Dis
trict Of Columbia an anomalous condition
Of affairs; that in the capital of a republic
which boasts Of popular representation as
its foundation there is a complete denial of
any expression Of the popular will. It is
also a rather curious fact that this very
absence OF suffrage has been apparently
Our police force is unawed
and uninfiuenced by the ward boss, and our
taxes are maintained at reasonable figures
This situation. however, Is not entirely free
from a certain danger. Civic as well as
uational nride atroDhieS when afimulapt ie