The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1915-07-25
THE OPEN FORUM
In Which Readers of The Herald Give Their View
On Current Topics.

labor, however. is ridiculous. and the rich
man who forced his boys to do carpenter
work during their vacation merely as Q
pose. was only another kind of "snob'
himself. and was demonstrating another
sort OF false ideals" 1t is a sort oil
false ideal that is spreading mischief
afoot. and causing the ignorant and men
tally deficient to see things out of pro-
portion. 1t Is not manual labor or me.
chanics that upholds civilization. but the
brains back Of the framework: the hod
carrier does not build the house. but the
architect who makes the plan. Civiliza.
ton Is not based on mere mechanical
progress. or drudgery. or materialism in
general. but on higher things. And the
demagogues who are vociferating about
the adjustment of ''class distinctions"
are making just such distinctions them
selves. only they are reversing the logical
order and are sowing the whirlwind by
working on that most destructive OF
human passions-envy.
KINDA BURKE.
Editor of The Washington Herald-l
wish to send you my thanks for your
able editorial on the Russian Methods
of Our Police Department" 1t is timely,
it is true. and Is a severe rebuke to those
who deserve it. While the police are
raiding places that have a legal right tc
sell liquor. women are being assaulted
and many thieves are at work. Yor
should never put boy to do a mans
work. ADOLPH SMITH.
Petworth Is Patriotic.
Editor of the Washington Herald:
From the statements made in recent
daf IL - h. -
''Tipperary," any one who was not
present at the Petworth Fourth OF
July celebration might be led to be-
lieve that the citizens of this beautiful
suburb. or it's committees. were not
patriotic.
The Star Spangled Banner was
played and sung when the flag was be-
was one of the marches played by the
band in the parade. and it was also
played but not sung during a very i'm
pressive drill by the children from the
school of a neighboring subdivision. az
il was the only piece of the bands
repertoire that the children were IA
miliar with in performing their drill.
The fact that DR.. Adam Geibel. the
well-known blind organist and COM
poser, conducted all the singing at the
flag raising and the other exercises
later in the day is sufficient evidence
that the exercises were all any real
patriot could desire.
As SO much space has already been
given to the previous criticisms, ]
would request that you print the above
explanation and the program of exer-
cises at the flag raising.
RAYMOND E ADAMS.
General Chairman Petworth Fourth OF
July Celebration.
A Plea for an Aged Couple.
Editor of The Washington Herald: sly
attention has just been called to such 8
very unusual case that I know YOU will
permit me space to relate it. hoping thai
some one with influence will help.
couple. now nearly 20 years old. who
have lived in one house here for twenty
three years. will be turned out on the
31st unless they can pay rent. as they
have gotten behind this summer for the
first time in the twenty-three years. The
man worked for the father of the pres
ent owner of the house. who required
him to rent from him. They have paid
about 5000 in rent for that house and
taken good care Of II. so in twenty-three
years the owners have never had to lose
their rent for one day. That alone IL
something unusual here. Now the man
is not able to work at his trade. and
you know how impossible it is for an
old man to get work. His wife took
roomers and worked hard. but only has
the use of her left hand. which is bent
and knotted. While other rents have
gone down in that section. they have
tried to pay the same. but for the past
year it has been impossible to get room
ers. and so have not been able to meet
the rent.
Two years ago she had a little money
she had saved to get her husband in
home, but she was persuaded to invest
it with an inventor here who made great
promises. For eighteen months she hai
been trying to get him to return her
He knows her helpless condition
and that unless she has her money she
will be turned out en- the street.
This Is a most worthy couple Their
greatest pleasure has been in never ow-
ing anyone. She says she cannot stand
the disgrace of being turned out on the
street in a place where they have lived
so long. They have no children and no
relatives to help them. They have helped
others too often not to be helped now
in their old age. She says the God whom
she has trusted will not forsake her now.
1 hear there are many thousand va
cant houses here. Won't q ne one give
her the rent to esre for re house for
a while? They would not lose but would
gain by having IL cared ior' WHICH Wouio
make 1t sell better.
Won't some one help to get them in Q
home where they can spend their last
years together? They have lived happily
together for forty-five years and should
NOT be separated now. She told me that
whenever anyone died she envied them.
Life is hard to them now. They have
not had one pound of ice this summer.
though offered it on credit They fear
debt but not death. We would be glad
10 hear from anyone interested. Ad-
dress sos Woodward Building. U. B. L.