The Montgomery advertiser., 1903-11-07

queathed to us, along with the blessings of Liberty. a priceless heritage. This is q sacred, holy trust. Then, Daughters. be true to that trust and guard 1t well. We are band or sisters over 4oooo strong. and believing in the ancient tradition that blood VIII tell" we are pardonabiy proud that we have been called "the uncrowned queens of the United States
 Among our thousands of members we have representatives of the biuest blood in the land; yet our society welcomes to its bosom with equal warmth the low Hest descendant of the poorest private who clubbed his musket upon Bunker Hill, or in his ragged regimentals aided at Yorktown to turn the world upside down." Yet 1t has been asserted that the D. A. R.'s claims to be an aristocrauc society That is true. in the sense that aristo means noble. the highest. the best. But how apparent is the absurdity Of such a claim when you remember that the War of the Revolution was the most Democratic movement in the annals of history. The great Liberty waves 1t set in motion agitated the whole world, and swept away thrones. prtncipalities ana powers. Possibly then this society will be called Democratic, for the woman whose ancestor left his bleeding foot. prints in the snow, or fought ragged and hungry at the Cowpens, or was a half clad standard bearer or a barefoot drum mer boy-that woman Is just as much entitled to be a D. A. R. as the woman whose ancestor was an officer on the stan of Washington. or a signer of the Dec laratlon of Independence, or one who owned q thousand acres on the Hudson or vast plantations on the Savannah. ''
 The motto of this society is Home and Country. and knowing our rights. through inheritance, to this land of the free and the home of the brave. we voice the sent iment of the immortal Webster who ex- claimed. "Our country, our whole country and nothing but our country" This so- ciety has but one standard, a good re- cord: but one password. a good character; and if a woman has met these two re- quirements and Is acceptable to the Chap ter. then you will see the woman with the velvet gown make way for the wo- man with the homespun frock We may be called aristocratic, we may be called democratic, but we know what we are a patriotic society. Now do not misun- derstand me. l do not object to exclusive ness in any other society-only in this. One of the obects of this society Is to foster true patriotism and love of country. Then. as patriotism and all that Is sig nified thereby, is the keynote of this so- ciety and one of the principles for which the N. s. D. A. R. stands. then let us be patriotic. Have patriotism, pure and simple. rather than a desire for vain glory-so fin these days when the new woman." with her schemes and ideas for, the advancement and glorifcatlon of her sex, Is so much to the front, let the D. A. R.'s stand firmly and seemly as the "old woman," to whom Home and Coun- try come first. It was but the gleam of solitary lantern that lit the beacon fire of American Liberty. so the shot that was heard round the world kindled the fire of patriotism. Let us keep 1t burn ing brightly on. on and forever. so that 1t will never die out as long as there is D. A. R. on American soil. If have trespassed upon time, pardon me-my only plea for this Aggression is, "that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Madam Regent of the Peter Forney Chapter sends you greetings from warm. loving and loyal hearts and will ever cherish fond remembrances' of our associations and friendship. Long. long. may you live to participate in these re- unions and witness the golden harvest and full fruitage of the seed sown under your guidance and your brave, we'll di- rected efforts. Dear Daughters we trust (Hon%iouad or pn4n mn.