Evening star., 1915-02-26
REPRESENTATIVE BARrHoLDT.

REPRESENTATIVE BARTHOLDT.
Representative Richard Bartholdt of
Missouri praised the District of CO.
lumbia and pledged his continued
friendship for the National Capital at
a banquet given at Rauscher's last
night by the friends and admirers of
Representative Bartholdt, who retires
from public life March 4, after twenty
two years continuous service in the
House. During his long service in
Congress. DIR. Bartholdt has invariably
supported measures which tended to
improve and beautify the capital
Nearly a dozen speakers. members OF
Congress and men prominent in the
world peace movement in which DE-
Bartholdt has had a foremost place,
bore witness to the achievements OF
DR.. Bartholdt in public, life, and ex-
pressed their regret that he was to
leave Congress. A prediction. was made
by Representative Austin OF tennessee
to the effect that Missouri would seho
DIR. BarthoIdt back to Washington TO
ranrssent her in the Senate, or that
republican administration getling INTO
power here would designate the as
tinguished Missourian to represent the
United States at Berlin.
German Citizens Loyal.
Speaker Clark praised the fidelity and
patriotism Of DR.. Barthoidt.
.PeopIe who talk about the lack Of pa
triotism among the. German-born Ameri-
20, citizens are ma king fools of them
seiyes." said the Speaker. Il sometimes
believe that the men who have emigrated
from E,1ropean countries or who are the
sons of immigrants here are more loyal
citizens than those whose fathers came
here 800 or 400 years ago.
Does any sane man beileve that be.
csuse man crossed 5000 miles OF
water he has forgotten the place OF ms
birth? The German-born Americans anu
the first generation born here are as pa :
triotic citizens as any, and l am not
afraid of them. If we get into war WIN
foreign power every one OF them VIII
prove a stanch citizen
Sneaker Clark declared that he beheVed
DIR. Bar1holdt should have been awarded
the Nobel peace prize at the time it was
given to Theodore Roosevelt
Friend of District.
Turning to the services which DIR. Bar
thoIdt has rendered the District OF Co
lunnbia. Speaker Clark commented upon
the manner in which the business Of the
District is transacted generally by Con-
gress- He said:
Not a single man in the House o.
Senate is fit to be member OF WASH
inRton council. They do not know loca
conditions What ! would like to see i:
some system inaugurated and perpetu
ated which would prevent this eVeriast
ing squabble over District taxes !
would like to see the people of Wash
inRton fix their own taxes, pay thei
own taxes, and attend to their OWE
business.
other addresses praising Dr. Bar
tholdt were made by Representative
Julius Kahn of California. Justice An
derson of the District Supreme Court
REPRESENTATIVE Russell of Missouri
Representative Campbell OF Kansas,
Representative Fol.mer OF Iowa. Rep
resentative Metz of New York. Repre-
sentative Mondell of Wyoming, A. d
Call, secretary of the American Peace
Society, and DR.. 6. c. Hexamer OF the
National Gernan-American Alliance.
DR. Hexamer declared the love of the
German-American for the United States
and insisted that he would always bt
loyal to this country. On behaf OF the
German-American Alliance, he present
ed TO DIR. Bartholdt a large silver low
ing cup.
Simon Wolf presided at the banquet
as toastmaster.
DR.. Bartholdt's Response.
In response to the various addresses.
Representative Bartholdt said:
Il am sure you will acquit me of af-
fectation when ! say, IT is not without
deep emotion that l have received thi:
cordial expression of your good will
and sympathy
To make up your mind voluntarily
TO retire TO private life is easy. To
stick TO your resolve in the face of pro-
tests from thousands of kind friends is
little more difficult. but the severest
lest comes when the hour of parting
strikes, when you have to forsake the
many pleasant associations and sever
the many ties which bind you to the
official and social life Of the National
Capital. Then and not until then you
realize what Washington really has
been and - to you.
twenty-five years is quite a long
service In that time ] have seen five
Presidents come and go, and l don't
know how many Slenlbers Of Congress
There is but single one left of those
who were here when ] first came. So
considering all the Kaleidoscope
changes, IL may be better, after all. To
go voluntarily than to be kicked out
without ceremony or, what would have
probably happened in my case, to be
carried out with the customary though
kindly eulogies. To prefer hearing
these eulogies yourself instead of hav-
ing them pronounced when you are
dead may be selfish, but it is human
nature.
"As to the many things which my
good friends. the speakers of the even.
ing, have laid at my door. l have no
alternative but to plead guilty. but |
crave the privilege Of throwing myself
on the mercy of the court. Remembe,
hat what is meritorious in my record
might as easily have been accomplished
by any other man IL he had been given
the same opportunity. 1t is due. there
fore, to the generous indulgence of my
constituents and the unwaveriug loyal.