Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1908-02-23
NATION OvERGROWN,
BREWER DECLARES
Quality Swallowed Up by
Quantity.
OPPRESSED BY MAGNITUDE
Fondness for the Material Obscuring
Country's Ideals.
NOTE OF WARNING SOUNDED
Justice at Cooper Union Voices In
dignation of Native Americans at
Immigrants Selfshness.

warning that our rapid growth of ma
tion greatness was leading us to an un-
wise discounting of the future and de
veloping a habit of extravaganza was
sounded tonight In speech delivered with
judicial impressiveness by Justice David
J. Brewer of the United States Supreme
Cou.t before an audience which filled
Cooper Union hall. The lecture was ar
ranged by the board OF education, and
Justice Brewer chose as his topic, :Quan-
tity and Quality as Displayed in the Life
of the Nation or. The United States: Its
Largest and Highest Life
The eminent jurist said:
Omitted States a Marvel"
1.-The United States of America is the
marvel of the giants, the giants of the
nations. Not three centuries have passed
since the first English colony was es-.
tablished within its limits. To-day 1t is
the peaceful home of eighty millions oi
free men dwelling between the two
oceans. Not merely in population, but In
resources, wealth, INTEL sence, cult Ire
and achievement it challenge, the admiral
nomenal development is unequd.ed
DO ! err when / say that siz- is one
of the obvious facts in our ma -el d hfe
Is it strange that at every county ar
We look for the largest steer, the Ats,
hog, the biggest potatoes the lOhges- al
Of corn? Is it any wonder that We ray
prizes for the family with the most ch.I-
Cren, point with pride to the mother with
twins and triplets. and then, FIR far
that We shall not grow fast enough, we.-
come each year to our shores a million
of migrants. On all sides is vision
of greatness. Magnitude oppresses us in
every direction. We stand like mytho-
logical Hercules. the giant of the nations.
and ii We do not have his clubs We have
the big stick of Theodore Roosevelt We
are d world power.
Size Not Everything.
But size is not the only test to be
considered in measuring a nation any
more than an individual Greece is not
much larger than a western ranch, bu.
she fills volume in the worlds history,
while all Africa takes but single page.
So this republic. with all its greatness
with all that we boast of it's magnitude.
its enormous national development, must
answer still further questions before its
final value to the world is determined
The real question is. which way is the
nation looking? What are it's ideals. its
aspirations? For the ideal of today is
the reality of tomorrow.
Is TINS republic more and more seek
ing only material development. luxurious
living, ostentation and parade or is it
looking to the higher things striving for
those which make for the better life of
the Individual and the nation? We can
not be blind to the fact that there is great
striving after the material that we do
love the luxuries of life, and to see them
Increase and multiply
Military and Naval Prowess.
I'VE are manifesting a fondness fo,
military and naval prowess. We are
building up large navy. We magnify
both army and navy. In our larger cities
IS abundance of parade and display We
are in the contest for magnificent homes
ior all that shows wealth. We are buyins
libraries by the cubic yard, pictures and
statues by tine dozen. We want the big
gest yachts. the most expensive and
sw1ftest trains. the finest and most lux
ur1ouS coaches
Justice Brewer pointed out what had
been done by the nation for the uplift-
ing of the negro and the change that
mas come In the treatment of the In
dian. OF the latter he said: To-day
the nation is striving to take them out
from their tribal life and bring them
into the full enjoyment of the rights of
individual citizens
Equality for ALL"
Il wish l could say much for the
nations treatment of the Cinnamon,
but the spirit of intolerance still pur-
sues them. 1t makes the blood boil in
the descendants of those who settled
these colonies and laid the foun nIations
of our national greatness on the eternal
principles of justice. liberty and equal
rights to hear Denis Kearney and
men like him, who have just been well
coined TO our shores and who have not
yet washed the brogue off their lips
stand on the street corners ami cry out
America for the Americans: the Chi
neSe must go Yet even for .hc Chi
nese ii ray of light is appearing. In
obedience to an aroused public senti-
ment the brutal and barbarous rules
for a while enforced for the purpose Of
excluding the Chinese have be en- largely
modified, and now we beginning to
remember that they. too. are numbered
in the brotherhood of man.
Il do not mean by this to say that il
is the duty of the nation to welcome
the duty of any man who has d large
home to open its doors to every one
who wishes TO come in. 1t is not merely
the right. but the duty. of every indi-
vidual and every nation to exclude
| those ii deems UNIT for "A place within
! the limits of home or nation. but il does
! owe the duty of treating every Oae who
| desires to come Gecently and noIitely.
| 1t certainly is not criminal for any one
! the world over to long to come within
/ the Sheltering protection of Old Glory
! and to become a citizen of this re-
/ public.