Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1914-07-10
President Wilson Thrills Crowd.

the foreign policies of America. Presiden
Wilson on the Fourth Of July thrilled
huge crowd assembled in independence
Square. Philadelphia. within few feet o
where the original declaration was signed
The President touched on Mexico, tn,
Panama tolls repeal controversy. his anti
trust program. business conditions and hi
ideas OF modern patriotism. Pounding hi
fist on the table on which the Declaration
OF Independence was signed, he declared
affairs in a way to do honor to the founders
Of the nation.
I'VE are assembled today to celebrate
the one hundred and thirty-eighth anniver.
sary of the birth Of the United States.
suppose we can more wildly realize the
circumstances Of that birth, standing on
this historic spot than it would be posi-
BILE to realize it anywhere else
THE Declaration of independence was
written in Philadelphia. 1t was adopted
in this historic building. ! have just had
the privilege of sitting in the chair of the
great man who presided over those whose
deliberations resulted in its adoption Here
my hand rests on the table on which the
declaration was signed. We can almost
feel we are in the visible and tangible
presence of the great historic transaction.
But have you ever read the Declaration
of Independence When you have heard
il read have you attended to its sentences
The Declaration of Independence is not a
Fourth OF July Grafton. The Declaration
of Independence was document prelimi-
nary to war. 1t involved vital piece of
business. not a piece of rhetoric. And If
you will get further down in the reading
than its preliminary passages, where it
quotes about the rights of men. you will
see that it is very specific body of decla-
rations concerning the business of the day,
not the business Of our day, for the matter
with which it deals is past-the business
of revolution. the business of l776 The
Declaration of independence does not mean
anything to us merely in its general state
ments unless we can append to it SINH
larly specific body of particulars as to what
we consider our liberty to consist of.
Liberty does not consist in mere gen.
eral declarations as to the rights of man.
Il consists in the translation Of those dec
larations into definite action. Therefore.
standing here where the declaration was
adopted. reading its business-like sentences,
we ought to ask ourselves, What is there |
in it for usY There is nothing in il for us |
unless we can translate it into terms of |
our own condition and of our own lives
We must reduce il to what the lawyers
call bill Of particulars. Il contains |
bill of particulars-the bill Of particulars |
of 1776-and, if we are to revitalize it, we |
are to fill it with a bill of particulars of |
1914.
THE task to which we have to address |
ourselves is a proof that we are worthy |
of the men who drew this great declara-
ton by showing we know what they would
have done in our circumstances.
Patriotism consists Of some very prac-
teal things; practical in that they belong
to everyday life. in that they belong to
no extraordinary distinction. but to those
things which are associated with our every
day commonplace duty.
There are some gentlemen in Washing
ton, for example, who are showing them
selves to be patriotic in way that does
not attract very much attention. The
members of the House and Senate who
stay in hot Washington to maintain
quorum of the houses and transact public !
business are performing an act of patriot /
ism. honor them for il. and am mighty |
glad to stay there and stick by them until |
it is over.
ut is patriotic also to know what the
facts are and to face them with candor.
have heard a great many facts stated
about the present business conditions in
this country. for example: a great many
allegations of facts, at any rate, and it is
strange that these facts as stated do not
tally with each other.
Nov the truth always matches the
that everything is going wrong. when it is
demonstrable that most things are going
right, wonder what they are trying to do.
Are they trying to serve the country or are
they trying to serve something smaller
than the countryS
THE world is becoming more compli-
Gated every day. Therefore. no man ought
to be foolish enough to think he under
stands it 4; and that is the reason why am
so glad to know there are some simple
things in the world One of those simple
things is principle.
Honesty is perfectly simple thing. 1t
is hard for me to believe that when man
is dishonest he does not know it. II is
hard for me to believe. under most circum-
stances. when man has to choose between
two ways that he does not know which is
the right way and which is the wrong way
and no man who has chosen the wrong
way ought even come into Independence
Square. That is not where he belongs He
ought not to come within the sound Of
voices uttered where the Declaration of In
dependence was adopted.
so say, it is patriotic sometimes t.
regard the honor Of this country in prefer
ence to its material interests. Would you
rather be dispised by all the nations Of tn,
world as incapable Of keeping your treat.
obligations. or would you rather have fire.
tolls for American ships The treaty ma.
have been mistake. but its meaning wa
unmistakable.
when have made promise as ma
l try to keep it. The most honorable an
distinguished nation in the world is tn
nation that can keep its promises to il
own hurt. want to say, parentheticall!
that don't think ANYBODY was hurt.