The Chanute times. [volume] (Chanute, Kan.) 1897-1913, 1911-02-24
THE ANNIvERSITY OF
GEORGE WASHINGTON

George Washington from other men
who nave achieved greatness strikes
a vibrant chord IN the hearts of mill
lions of his fellow countrymen this
week as they commemorate the
I7oth anniversary of his birth. That
was his unselfishness.
In this age CT commercialism,
with its lust for money, its greed for
matarial power and social prestige,
it is difficult to imagine man, so
free Of petsonal'vanity aud love of
self txalta ion as to feel an honest
sense Of resentment in the suggestion
of his admirers thai he turn to his
Individual advantage the triumphs
of the heroic little amy he did SO
much to keep together and declare
himself King of the American coll
Cnies. To many the seville, obse-
quient manner assumed toward the
nobility of other countries nowadays
by many Americans, who bow 10
the fetch of royalty IKE the tories
of old and who appear to be ashamed
of their democratic heritage must
seem the survival of that snobbish
spirit in the land, to which the de-
cision of Washington TO keep faith
with the people brought such keen
disappointment.
By his waiver of all salary due
him for his eight years service as
Commander In Chief of the Conti-
mental Army, his insistence that he
be allowed to retire 10 private life
at the end of his second term as
President and his refusal to accept
for himself or his collateral Gescen-
dents any other honor than the abid-
ing confidence and esteem of his
appreciative country, he set his fell
low countrymen of succeeding gen.
erations an example in unselfihness
which they might contemplate with
profit on this anniversary.
To hin the respect OF his fellow
man was worth more than the fllmSy
splendor of crown or the emOlu-
ments Of an office for the establish
ment of which his compatriots
poured forth their blood and offered
up their lives on hundred battle
fields from Lexington to Yorktown.
Studiously avoiding all entapgling
alliances with foreign nations against
which he warned us, we have left
them to sap their vitality preparing
for war while we have asslduously
cultivated the arts of pea e. With
our hands outstretched across the
seas we have invited the healthy a
the strong of the old world to. make
their home with US and help us
develop and make fruitful the vast
heritage he bequethed us. Mind
ing our own business and untsoubied
by the concerns of our neighboIs,
with a pleasant word and friendly
smile for all, we have kept steeG =
fastly to the task TO which Washipg1
ton eDjoined us TO stick and have
reared The greatest and most pros
porous industrial empn eupoR which
the sun has ever shone. We seed
the world with our wheat and our
corn, keep it in profitable employ
ment with our machinery and clohte
it with our cotton, thanks to Eli
Whitney's cotton gin, the ouly great
abor saving invention of his coun-
.rymen he lived to see applied to
Use. We surpass Germany in the
production of steel, excel France in
The value and volume of our maLu-
actured products and through The
Use of the secret Oxford processs
Jucle Sans newest monopoly,
which &C emphasizes here IN two
lays what requires thirty weeks to
10 abroad, We have begun to wresI
rom England its centuries old PEE
dominance oflinen, one of our most
promising infant industries. In our
,eaceful commercial conquest OF
he earth We follow the trail Of civil
ration into the most remote corners
{ the universe and open its doors
o the output of our farms and our
Jealous of our honor abroad and