The Morris County chronicle. [volume] (Morristown, N.J.) 1877-1915, 1905-02-28
WASHINGTON'S
BIRTHDAY.
The Annual Observance at the
Headquarters on
Wednesday.
ADDRESS BY REV. ]. M. LUDLOW

The Washington Association oDSer-
we'd Washington Birthday by the
usual gathering at Headquarters on
Wednesday. President Roberts with
the other officers and committee vel
coined the members and guests as they
entered the Lafayette rooms, while
Voss orchestra played during the all
ternoon. At one O'Clock fine colla-
tion was served by Day, and an hour
was spent in social converse.
Then came the more formal exer-
cises in thea dience room. The plat
form was decorated with a fine boquet
of roses, purchased by number OF the
members for President Roberts.
Mr.. Roberts called the meeting to
order and announced that Vice-Presi-
dent DR.. Stephen Pierson would be
the presiding officer for the day. The
latter welcomed the members to their
own house and table in few remarks
stating among other things that Mr..
Roberts had announced at the last
annual meeting that is was time the
vice-presidents did something to earn
their salaries and had charged them
with presiding at the meeting as one
of the duties, which explained his
presence in the chair, Dr. PiersOn
also read the list of the members who
have died during the past year and
paid tribute to their memory.
The speaker of the day was the Rev.
James M. Ludlow, of East Orange,
who was introduced as the youngest
member of the association, having
been elected that very day. Mr.. Lud-
low congratulated the association on
its work and said that the old heroes
never go very far from the place where
their heroism was shown, suggesting
that there were many of them present.
and wondering what they thought Of
us and about what we think of them.
Exhibiting the usual picture of Wash
ington he declared that it was not a
truthful likeness but idealized, and
said that it is a mistake when we
rank the features of the old heroes
with the ideal. Washington was the
father of his country not because he
possessed all virtues, but because like
his children he was a mixture Of fail
ure and virtue, and is closer to us be-
cause of certain seeming defects which
were transformed into crowning vir-
tues. He was not q great genius,
which fact brings us within the range
of imitation and emulation, but was
possessed of something higher good
faculties which he transformed into
wonderful faculties by discipline. He
gazed SO long and steadily at subjects
that he saw farther than others. His
light was kindled by the hard friction
OF thought.
Washington was man who deliber-
ately sacrificed himself for the public
good 1t was not an emotional, inn
pulsive, natural sacrifice. He had to
overcome his nature. He understood
his own rights, he was proud of the
prerogatiyes of his caste, there was no
Republican simplicity about him, yet
he could sacrifice just as thoroughly
and quickly as the Rail Splitter. Wash
ington's was higher motive to sacri-
flee than the altruism which says we
are nothing. He who gives the latter
gives nothing at all to public service
while Washington could say " All this
| give" 4
The altruism that only thinks of the
other fellow is only half Of the Chris
tian law. If we don't love self we
have no standard with which to love
Others. The speaker said he would
rather see every house moated and
armed rather than every house an
aims house. Mount Vernon stands for
as much as the cluster of working
mems home about a modern manufac-
turing plant He exchanged it all for
a hut at Valley Forge.
He was a rebuke to those who make
too much Of their individuality. The
community Of individuals is more than
any individual. We have many men
who bulk large but bulge through
their whole lives. The land is cursed
with those who gather wealth at the ex-
pense of the commonwealth, through
frenzied finance and then pretend to
make it safe and sane with the same
thought as the gambler. Those who
demoralize trade do it in the same spirit
as the wreckers epticed the galleons to
the coast. They strain the law until the
people will not endure the strain and
cry out against law. They spend in
useless enjoyment. when their estates
should be so much fuel transforming
Americans into the likeness Of the
worthy occupant OF the chair at Wash,
ingtOn.
Such conditions are said to be the
outcome Of American civilization, but
SO are tumorS the outcome of the body
not the kpotted muscle which the in-
Stituti0n is designed to produce. The
people are beginning TO blush and be
ashamed. The time may come when
the blush may be deeper than the face,
cOlOring the living tissues Of the brain,
then woe TO those who make them
blush. God deepen the blush until
with fair open cOuntenances, men
may dare TO look inte their affairs.
It is common to-saF ohat the things