Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-12-08
Mr.. Macfarland's Address.

The first speaker of the evening was Com
missioner Macfarland, who was received
with applause Mr.. Macfarland RESPONDED
to the toast, 1.-The President Of the United
States Before coming down to the sub
ject OF his toast he referred to the annual
meetings of the association on the Fourth
of July that are held at the country home
OF MI. Crosby S. Noyes to celebrate indie
pendence day He was unable to be pres
ent at the last meeting of that kind, and
said that on that occasion for the first
time in his life he had been unsteady on
speech The surprise created by this re-
mark caused him at once to explain that
his unsteadiness on the 4th of last July
was at time when he was on the high
seas returning from trip abroad
IF the association had never done any,
thing else but to hold such celebrations as
those at Mr.. Noyes' home on the Fourth
of July" said Mr. Macfarland. ait would
deserve the lasting gratitude of the peo-
pie OF this community. / hope the custom
of holding celebrations there will be kept
up. and that Mr.. Noyes will be with us for
half a century to continue the custom he
established in celebrating independence
day at Alton farm.
II feel that this association has done as
much as any other in the national capital
to develop patriotism and to maintain the
national spirit here and to strengthen in
us all that respect for our government and
for our flag which is essential to a great
people.
ut is great honor to be called upon by
this association to respond to this toast,
The President of the United States The
servant of ALL therefore the greate.t of
ALL The servant Of the servants of God
is the proudest title Of the pope of Rome
The servant of the people pre-eminent be-
cause most useful, is the proudest title of
the President Yet, inevitably and neces-
sarily, he governs, he directs, he leads the
people whom he serves. and this is his
greatest service. Moreover, the people
choose him to be their leader and governor.
Nothing is palmer than the steady in
crease in the power of the executive. ex-
cept the steady increase in the desire of
the people to have it SO. We have an in
visible constitution as well as written
one. 1t is the development of the written
constitution by unwritten custom and
changing public opinion.
Power Of the President
"And it has made the President more
powerful than any prime minister, and
that means more powerful than any SOW
ereign. With the initiative and the veto as
to legislation, with the appointment of the
Supreme Court and of all executive officers,
with the actual command of the army and
navy, and the diplomatic service with
other powers which no other national exec
utiye has. the people are pressing upon
our national executive leadership in all
our affairs, social and economic, as well as
political.
Consider that, while only Congress can
declare war and ratify peace. the President
can make both war and peace. as an ex-
ample of his extraordinary powers. Now it
is the glory of our history that the mighty
and increasing power and authority of the
chief executive has been almost always
from George Washington to the present
day used with wisdom and patriot!cn.
Twenty-six Presidents every one except
George Washington serving in the White
House. every one emulating George WASH
ington's supreme interest In the national
capital. have as a whole reflected honor
upon their countr as has honored them.
mo individual needs to testify to the
lasting worth Of the service of the present
chief magistrate. The country has spoken
SO emphatically and unanimously that one
voice would be lost in the roar of .e gen.
eral approval Fortunate beyond any of
his predecessors in the support of his fell
low countrymen. he is acclaimed bN them,
as indeed he is by the nations of world.
who know him better than any other man
of our time as the foremost American,
great with the arduous greatness of things
done, and with the future greatness of the
man of vision and ideals"
Country and Flag.
Mr. B. H. Warner responded to the second
toast, "Our Country and Our Flag" Mr..
Warner was especially happy in his re-