Evening star., 1914-04-12


lights which take place at the Scottosh
Rite Cathedral this afternoon at : O'Clock
win complete the Easter service of the
rite which began Thursday with the
extfnSuish1nent OF the lights and the ira
titional banquet. Today-s services will
. uc ritualistlc throughout. so that no one
may be ld litted 10 them but those hold
ing the Rose Croix Chapter degrees. Visit
ing knights Rose Croix will be welcome
b1t other visitors including women. will
: not be admitted. as was the case former
". Tuesday evening Evangelist Chapter
will hold its annual election, and in AL
. bert Pike Consistory the thirty-frst de-
gree wiz be presented in full ceremonial
form instead Of the thirty second degree.
as announced in the latest lss,;e of the
Cathedral Calendar.
The address OF Edgar c. Snyder, thirty
third degree honorary. at the Maundy
Thursday banquet. in Sesponse to the
toast. The President and Our Country"
was an Impressive one. He said, in
part. as follows:
The men who framed the Constitution
and the states that participated in its
adoption. were disguised with the feeble
ness which had been shown under the
confederation. and as a natural sequence
went to the other extreme in clothing the
President with a power that is not pos
sessed by any ruler in the world today
save the czar and the sultan. The max
ers of this great document of human
rights were undoubtedly Influenced by
the fact that every one looked to George
Washington as the first President. and
having sublime faith in his integrity and
his intense Americanism. they hoped that
his conduct of the high office would be
an example worthy of emulation by those
who came after. But they little foresaw
the almost unlimited power which would
ne conferred in the President when the
nited States would consist of forty-eight
states. extending from the Atlantic to
the Pacific and embracing 3.20o.OO
square miles of territory. with dependent
-o,onies upon which the sun never sets.
''Of late years there has grown up a
fashion of speaking sneeringly of the men
Who established our system of free gov
ernment. yet it is my solemn Judgment
that those men had a genius for constitu-
lion-mahing unequaled in any age. They
were not only profound students of his
tory. but they were, to a surprising de-
gree. free from party bias. passion. or
prejudice, they fashioned instrument,
with its checks and balances upon the
-iIree sovereign departments of the gov
-rrmeat. that has been our guiding star
for century and quarter, and which.
pray God. may still lead us throughout
the centuries TO come.
When YOU think of the conditions that
visited in 1896, and contrast those far-on
lays with now. is it any wonder that We
swell up ov e. our greatness and our COM
'nanding position in the great family of
nations
In 1890 we had a little less than
900 900 or people: now we have $1,000
$50. In 1890 We had 10 post offices. now,
'S,e0e-s thousand times as many. Then,
had 800 miles of postal routes: now,
nearly 100000. Then. it required two
weeks for Il letter or passenger to trave!
from Boston 20 WASHINGTON: now twelve
hours.
In 1874 there were but four national
inks in the United States, with a capital
and circulation of $500. 900. or about 60
cents per capita for the population There
are now 1.54S national banks which ask
entrance to the new currency system.
while the money in circulation is s34 SO
per capita.
In 1852. when tie first roll of those EN-
pioyed by the government was made,
there were less than 1900 persons in all
its departments: now there are AL .6Ss
people. according to the civil service COM
mission. in the employ of the government
exclusive of ambassadors. ministers,
consuls and consular agents. and OF this
enormous number the President appoints
nearly 10000. including postnlasters. ac-
ex-President Taft. What tremendous
force in the hands Of an unscrupulous
chief executive.
of late years We have heard a good
tionable use of the power given the Pres
ident by legislative enactment. While
realize that the President of the United
States TO-DAY. in the legitimate exercise
of his authority. exercises a greater
power than any constitutional sovereign
on the face OF tie earth. yet, in the fina
analysis but few Presidents have actually
used this power for selfish or unpatriotit
purposes, and when SO used the recall
has been relentIessly invoked.
Willie changes are going or
ABOUT us. both in social and politica
life while unrest is everywhere ram
pant. J still have faith in the American
people: the5, after all. are the court OF
las: resort.
while there are pending in Congress
forty or more bills seeking TO amend
the Constitution by correcting all tht
Ills that political flesh is heir to- my
Judgment is thai the wise measures vii
receive serious consideration. the Others
will be consigned to the political scrap
heap. where they belong. ! have no be
lief in panaceas. much less in the ruiz
that some statesmen do not hesitate te
prophesy.
"Of the present head of the nation
let me say that. while I may differ with
him in politics. | have wholesome ap
probation of his broad scholarship. hi,
upriShtness. his patriotism and his
Christian character and I feel sure thai
will fnd an echo in all your hearts
when I pray that he may be giver
health and strength and wisdom to worE
ont to the glory of the nation the great
problems. both foreign and domestic
which confront US as a people"
Washington Con,mandery. No l.
Knights Templar. will have its grand
special conclave April 20. DE Molay
Mounted Comma ndery No 4 wil hav.