Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-09-01

Exercises Also in Connection With
the State Fair Opening
at Hartford, Conn.
Special Dispatch to The Star.
HARTFORD. Conn. September In
teresting exercises marked the celebra-
ton Of Labor day In connection with the
opening OF tho Connecticut state fair
this afternoon. Josephus Daniels. Sec
the great crowd assembled at the meet
ing place. Charter Oak" by Representa-
tive Lonergan OF Connecticut, and made
the principal address.
Mr.. Daniels said that one Of the i'm
polling reasons for his presence was the
fact that Hartford was the home of
Gideon Welles. his distinguished prede-
cessor, who served in the cabinet OF
Abraham Lincoln. That was an epoch
making administration said Mr.
Daniels. composed Of men whose names
are written large in American his
tory
What influence was II that con-
tributed more than any other to the
fall of the Confederate states? Event
ually, there could have been but one
end to that titanic struggle between
brothers But it might have been a
thirty-year war il the south could have
snapped aer cotton for ammunition and
supplies. The Businesses of her noun
tains and the recesses of her bayous and
savannahs could have long postponed
complete victory on land. 1t was Secre-
tary of the Navy Gideon Welles who Gu,
off the supplies of the south by the most
effective extended shore blockade the
world has known.
South Bottled Up"
1T never occurred to the leaders of
the south in 1860 that II war came they
could not trade cotton for guns and
ammunition. Indeed, the ability to
blocade the southern ports was not es-
timated as the north's greatest resource
in the early months Of the war 1t re-
manned for Gideon Welles to bottle UP
the south by conceiving and carrying
into execution, by means of the navy
the masterful policy that denied NUM-
lions OF war and the necessaries of life
to the south.
Take living organism. whatever II
may be, place it in vessel hermetical-
ly sealed, and attach to that vessel an
81.
Is needless to describe it. No matter how
strong or how fierce or self confident
1t may be. the victim dies, growing
weaker by degrees: it finally collapses
That was the exact condition and fate
of the Confederacy. What had beer
Confederacy was sealed up within itself
by the blocade. And Gideon welles
editor of the Hartford Times, Lincoln's
Secretary Of the Navy. has never re-
ceived the homage due for accomplish
ing naval feat that was as unexpect-
ed to boards of strategy as it was eff.
fective and far reaching.
In the long line Of illustrious sons
Connecticut has given to her countr,
she may we'll count Gideon Welles amons
of the navy at the most perilous time
in the history Of the country.
Not Enough Holidays.
But have come today, not to attend ;
historical gathering. but to help in tn
proper celebration OF a notable nationa
holiday, and to enjoy the privilege of com
mingling with the people Of Connection
at their state fair We have too few holi
days and too few fete days and home
coming times. The significance of thi
day is that all the world and his famil,
look forward to 1t as day of recreation
and little children ask their parents
I'VE observe Memorial day to homo
men who gave their lives for their coun
try; the Fourth OF July is celebrated be
cause 1t is the day on which we pro
claimed national liberty: Thanksgivinl
day is observed as a day of gratitude 70
blessings from the Almighty, why do W,
celebrate Labor. day" That question il
one which labor likes to have asked. I
Is one which is sure to elicit the CROWN,
appreciation OF labor and its ever increas
ing influence and power and national up
lift. This Labor day has an inporta nee
officially and nationally, not possessed b,
any former celebration Of this holiday.
"Nearly Always q Pessimist."
Every now and then some man, ir
tones sufficiently stentorian to command
hearing, thunders forth the declara
ton that the greatest evil OF our decade
is the multiplicity Of laws. Often he is 8
philosopher: at other times he is a Jere.
miah. Nearly always he is a pessnaist
In loud voice he demands a return te
the good old days when there were few
laws. With. uplifted hands. the conf
dence Of infallibility and the assurance
that he is uttering some startling truth
as will give pause to the nation, he de.
clares that that state is the best gov.
erned which is governed least.
The body OF law must grow to keen
pace with human invention and progress
More than this. laws must keen pace
with crime. Congress at this session
Will put a law on the statute books to
make fmpersonating another over the
telephone a crime. Such a law was not
dreamed of until telephones were invent
ed and not until 'the Wolf used the tele-
phone this year to try to influence legis-
lation. Nobody thought Of an effective
law to prevent lobbying until lobbying
became a fostering sore.
The increase Of laws is due either
to our complex life or to the need to
restrain greed or evil. The fewer laws
that will carry out the DEGREES OF JEFF
ferson and Lincoln the better But in
our day the cry OF Let us alone has
come generally from the man who were
monopolizing the milk and the cream
and who were aroused because others
demanded at least a chance to get a
taste of the clabber. Men who invoke
prevent the passage of laws or the en-
forcement of laws fear an end Of spe-
cial privileges upon which they have
long fattened. Let labor set its face
against useless law, but let us all
demand as many laws as may be need
ed, and as strenuous ones, to prevent
any from taking from labor the bread
1t has earned.
How Best Things Are Obtained.
"The best things of civilization. all
things worth while. have been filtered
through blood and strained through
iron sleeves. Civil and religious liberty
i.~ noy,,A down that way The ri0hta of