Evening star., 1902-01-16
.PERILS OF PLENTY
A Contrast of Present and Revolu-
tionary Dangers.
JUSTICE BREWER ADDRESS ToS. 1. R.
Patriotic Society Holds Notable
Special Meeting.
A BRILLIANT ASSEMBLY
JUSTICE BREWERS TOS. 4. R.
BRILLIANT ASSEMBLY

''Ad astra per aspera." Through diff
culties to the stars This sentiment, voiced
by Justice David H. Brewer Of the Su-
preme Court and applauded to the echo by
al audience which filled Rauscher.s to the
doors, was the keynote of last nights
SPECIAL meeting Of the Sons of the Amert-
can Revolution. The regular monthly meet
ing of the local society, which would have
occurred last night, was expanded into
public session. at which the wives and
daughters of the members were given the
seat of honor. Every feature OF the meet
ing was prepared with particular care and
the result was a demonstration Of patri-
otic enthusiasm which will long be remem-
bered by everyone who heard Justice
Brewers address.
President Noble D. Larner, who sat be-
fore a table in the bay window Of the hall,
and who wore the decoration of his Office,
convened the sons and presented Justice
Brewer The latter's address proved to be
judicious admixture of wit, patriotic con-
f1dence and admonition. 1t was delivered
most impressively and was heard with un-
divided attention.
The speaker led to the more serious
thoughts Of his address by series Of face
tious references to Kansas, it's graSshop
perS, it's municipal suffrage for women, and
Mrs. Nation. The state had been Graded
in persecution and conflict" Kansas and
Texas were the only states since the orig
inal thirteen which had fought themselves
into liberty and statehood. Kansas had
become the best known of the states. The
aspera Of her cradle had become the astra
of her maturity. Thirteen colonies had re-
belled from Great Britain. fought the bat
tie of the revolution and achieved victory.
Those colonies from the beginning of their
lives until the close of the eighteenth CEN
tury knew the meaning of the word aspera.
1t had not come to them out of a dead Ian
guage. but out of a living experience.
Heredity and Environment.
"These colonies" he continued, passing
through aspera in the beginning have now
come to astra, the great glory of the great
nation in the face Of the world. Would
they have risen to their present heights If
they had not passed through the terrible
struggles of earlier days? Had the stall
wart men and women who landed upon
American soil established their homes in
South or Central America where luxuriant
vegetation gives men all things to live
with and nothing to live for, think you
they would have wrought with the destiny
they have? Would they not have been
swamped by their environments? So, when
we boast of our revolutionary ancestors,
may We not wisely at times take note of
the fact that their environment developed
their strength? They had to be heroes in or
der to make living Yet it is not alto
gether a matter of environment. Heredity
counts. Had Central Africa opened it's
doors and poured it's millions on the shores
of the North American continent in lieu of
the races that did take possession, think
you that they or their descendants would
ever have made American history that
which 1t has been? You cannot make a
silk purse out of a sow's ear. You cannot
remake a fool or a coward. There Is no
soap or water sufficient to clean a picayune
soul Of farthings.
sR1OO6 Uil oil pof
transform a weak soul into a hero no mat
ter how magnificent the physical environ
ment or how severe the ordeal of life But
you can add enthusiasm to strength Jevo-
tion to courage. Fill the slow moving yet
strong blood Of a Dutchman with the ozone
and oxygen of American air and struggle
and you put strenuous life into the White
House.
Have the heroic days ended? Has the
nation passed through all the aspera Of
life? Great wealth abounds. The snor-
nous resources Of our country are being de-
veloped. Our exports count up to hundreds
of millions Work Is abundant Wages
are rising
The Moral Struggle of Today.
1.-The great law Of life is that when ma
terial struggles have been successfully sur
mounted the moral struggles commence.
The history Of the world shows US that
here is where all nations have fallen. Rome
Is the most magnificent Illustration of an
cient history. The Roman legion conquered
intrepidly. The world was irresistibly SUBJ
dued. But when that struggle had ceased
and wealth flowed in and abounded the
moral struggle commenced, the nation sue
cumbed and the glory Of the Caesars van
ished from the banks Of the Tiber.
will history repeat itself? Has the he |
roic age passed away from this republic?
Winning In the struggle for subsistence and
filling history with heroes. shall we fail in
the struggle for truth, justice and right
eousness and be destroyed by a luxury too
great for our moral stamina? This is the
real question Of the hour.
AS we gather in these patriotic societies
to honor the memories of our revolutionary
fathers and rejoice in the Inheritance they
have handed down to us let us ever remem-
Der that the truth changes not, and that
now, as In their days. only per aspera can
We hope to reach ad astra. Only as we win
In the new struggle that opens before us
can we hope that the stars and stripes will
remain the enduring banner Of an eyer-ad-
vancing nation.
Before every son and daughter of the
revolution. before every earnest soul in this
republic let the vision come of the ideal
hero and patriot. Let that ideal be ever
more the object of his pursuit, and at last
may he be found bending before the elori-
fed presence Of that realized IDEAL"
The Society's Growth.
When Justice Brewer concluded, the So
ciety and it's guests gave him an ovation
The handclapping continued for several
minutes. Then General O. B. Wilcox arose
from the body of the hall and moved the
thanks of the organization be extended to
the speaker from the hearts Of it's MEM
bers," in acknowledgment of which pur-
pose everyone in the room rose also and
stood until Justice Brewer had replied
briefly.
A brief business session Of the society
in which it was announced that
during the past week the membership of
the chapter had grown to 474, and that
further applications were still under con-
1t was stated also that the ma
tional society was preparing a volume
which would comprise the names Of all
members Of the society and give their de-
scent. A committee was selected with Mr.
James T. Dubois at its head, to aid in tax
ing before Congress project of the ma
tional memorial committee to erect in the
capital a monument to the heroes of the
revolution. With this action as gen.
erous luncheon the meeting came to an
end.
Among those who attended were:
The Guests Present.
Among those present were: Messrs. A. ID.
nd