Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1907-06-14
NOBILITY OF CHARACTER
AMERICAN ARISToCRACY NOT OF
OLD WORLD VARIETY. /,
Flag Day Address by DR.. VIM. A.
Jack of Sons of American
Revolution.

! his Flag dav address today at the Blake
school on North CAPITOL street Preceding
| the remarks ri DIR Jack there had been
patriotic exercises by the pupils Of the
| school.
Continuing tho speaker said. in part:
We had many forms of church life but
| have learned tolerance and to respect
Christian manhood. We have made indus
trial endeavor paramount and have be-
! come foremost among the nations for both
| products and possessions.
''All this has encouraged Il nappy TYNE NJ
manhood a vril" and strenuous llfn an
American'sm worthy of our noble heritage
I'VE will note briefly the Influences
| now a work changing American ideals and
| hence American life. Our vast domain has
| become with its fabulous treasures a
| temptation and snare tn us We can
| raise cattle on a thousand hills or We can
| raise them on a thousand prarirs as we
VIII Vast riches are coming To light in
! our mines in our oil wells and IN our i'm
| mensn acres of wheat. corn and cotton.
Riches Suddenly Acquired.
"Our resources have been seized while
we slept. and men have become rich be-
yond the day dreams OF former ages.
Some have become arbiters OF our fortunes
| because they have seized our wealth and
| control our destines by vast accumulation
| of capital.
What Is the result upon our American
manhood? A feyerish haste to get rich at
! any cost a struggle to secure luxury or
| a struggle after place and power in order
| to command Injuries.
| Our aristocracy. so called seems to be
based on a very different foundation than
| Formerly. Great wealth is too often as
| stunned TO be tantamount to nobility. and
| the etfete of the old world too often
| coups itself by alliance with our
| wealthy classes. II these ideals SO I'M
American were TO be influential only
among the mnlti- millionaires they would
soon spend themselves. hut Is II not true
| that all classes Of American men and wom-
en- are FESTIVE and look upon money as the
| ideal for all endeavor? This is said to be
| our ideal by visitors from abroad
| Our public school system begins to feel
this tremendous struggle after wealth.
! Very little establishment or ornament is
| allowed in the system of public schools.
| Everything must fit a man for service and
at the very highest efficiency for that
service.
Even those studies which make for
| character and give To life its best forms
and accomplishments are severely con-
| demned, not openly. of course. but by i'm
plication. We. study and teach, not for
| character but for service.
Changes in Attitude.
Our industrial attitude is changing We
| apply terms to employment now that were
| never known among us before: terms OF
menial honorable lucrative. etc. We arc
|
| old worlds ideas. lodged bodily In our In
dustrial conditions.
! our immense immigration has thrown
| us into great difficulties What change
has come over the it4Fsr question from
| this source with un-Amercan ideas OF
la Dor and -se rSiee. We have fought out
| this peculiar problem once and it is al aland
TO give us greater trouble. The immense
host Of immigrants has come and is easily
made subservient to dema gogues. who lead
them into hostility to everything estab-
lished even though It be advantageous to
themselves. They have always opposed the
existing order in their own country. and
| they are ready to oppose II here, no matter
| what is involved
The unifration of uninteliigent foreign
| erS is going apace. and If II continues
Will eventually wipe out boosted SUI
premacy in the industrial world.
skill and genius and high ideals is sought
today to be put on the same plane with
mediocrity shftessness and Sinking I'm
| employees. Can American manhood stand
| these modifying Influences and not suffer
| deeadence from former standards? Pessi-
| mSm says, Decadence in American man
hood has begun. and there can be no renais-
| sance of the original type
Types Of Immigrants.
After describing. the several types Of Inn
| migrants that are coming to these shores
DR.. Jack continued:
| THE Hebrews who have come to in
days gone by are today the Americans Of
| Americans. There can be no question that
the financiers, princely merchants and men
| of vast affairs are largely Intelligent, gen.
| erous-hearted Jews. Their religious toler
ance and broad minded philanthropy are too
| well known to need iteration. This is what
| the Hebrew has made himself under
| free institutions. Now. can we hope for the
same thing from the Russian Jew? Not.
perhaps from the immigrant. but most en-
phatically from his children. And today the
Baron Hirsch fund has already established
colonies and schools which are more than
successful in giving start in life to the
| oppressed Russian Jews. but better still In
taking their children and giving them. with
education. most loyal Americanism. The
| Jew has taken the scholarship in Germany,
and may also in America.
Many Nations in One.
I'VE are not to be overwhelmed. but out
! of many nations is to come one. The Irish
boy. the English. the Armenian. the Pole.
the Russian. the Scandinavian, the negro.
the Chinese and the Japanese-these. and
more, are here to stay and they will trans
| form and modify our former American
| ideals. We shall no longer have a New
| England aristocratic south TO which
to look for our ideals. They have left an
| enduring imprint upon our national life.
| THE coming generations in schools are
studying our matchless citizens. Wash
! ington representing the old south, Lincoln
| the old west. Webster and Choate the old
| looking for a sample of the best Ameri-
| canism, representing the middle states?
| Theodore Roosevelt. President of the
| United States. may justly be called the
| leading representative of the best life COM
| ing out of the middle states.
what shall be the result? Are we not
| justified in the highest optimism? To
| whom are we looking to do this work? To
| the public school teachers. Upon them we
| have put the burden and task of the ages.
| and they performing it magnihcent,y.
Agencies in National Upbuilding.
| Each of the great agencies III our ma
| tional upbulding has rights which have
| been recognized by the laws OF the land.
| and if we would attain to our highest de-
| veopment we must continue to regard and
respect them in the future. Neither can be
| struck down without inviting injury to
| both.
| Fair play is the dominant note OF the
/ hour-fair play for labor. fair play for cap
ita!. fair play for the millions who Const!-
| tute the greatest and most beneiicenl
|