The Irish standard., 1916-03-04

& AL the washington Day celebration
held under the auspices of The
Knights of Columbus of Minneapolis,
Hon. Ed. G. Dunn, formerly State Dep.
Z uty of the Knights of Columbus of
n Iowa, and Democratic candidate for
Governor of that State two years ago,
4 was one of the speakers. We have
the pleasure of presenting to our
readers the excellent address of Mr..
Dunn delivered on this occasion. Mr..
Dunn spoke in part as follows:
Once again in the relentless march
Of Time this Nation is gathered
4 around banquet boards to celebrate
the birth of the Father and the found
er of this Nation of ours. From field
and shop, and factory, from majestic
/ palaces and humble cottages, from
every path and every avenue of world
" toll, the sons and daughters of this
Republic have gathered to pay honor
to him who was present when this
splendid Government was born and
who guided its tiny bark through the
stress and storms of it's early years.
. No event is worth concentrating
unless it has part in the onward
march of human progress; unless it
is or was mile stone marking an
achievement somewhere along the
trail of human advancement. Com
memOrating events and actions which
have long since been forgotten and
which have left no imprint on future
years is a waste of time and energy.
II was my privilege few years ago
to visit our National Capitol and like
all who gather there, my privilege to
see the Washington Monument, and
yet as / stood there and watched the
countless thousands who came and
went, the foreign born and native,
rich and poor, great and small, the
dignified statesmen and lisping babes,
realized what so many others have
realized, that that splendid spire was
the least of Washington's monument.
Its massive base grounded on ma
lures rock was less stable than was
Its purpose. It's towering spire rising
into the mists of heaven less lofty
than his ideals, while it's polished sur.
face defying wind and rain and storm
less able to perpetuate his memory
than the love and devotion which
gathered around it's base to gather the
lessons of patriotism to spread in the
pathway of posterity. Born an aristo-
crat, this man whose birth we tonight
are concentrating was the very ex-
IRENE of democracy. He realized, as
few men of his day and age have
realized that no Nation is greater than
its people; that no Nations patriot
ism is more sublime than the love and
devotion of that Nations individual
citizens; that no Nations strength is
mightier than the combined effort and
devotion of Country's people spurred
on by a realization Of the fact that
their Country is worth the sacrifice.
Born into wealth and influence and
power, yet he realized what few have
been able to comprehend, that il you
draw distinction between the babe
III its palace ON the Hudson and the
mite of humanity In cottage in the
coal mines of Pennsylvania, you are
striking at the very foundation stone
of this Republic and rending Ma.
ton in twain. A soldier by education
and profession, yet he realized that
Nations development lies in the
path of peace and to that end as
statesman and soldier as the head of
the infant nation he had done SO much
to nourish, he expended his every ef-
fort for peaceful development. Born
into station in life which gave him
every opportunity and every advan-
tage afforded by the age as we'll as
by the world he was one of the first
to realize that Republics name ex-
listed only If its citizenship Is enlight--
ened, If the great bulk of the Nations
blood understands the meaning and
the duties and the obligations of cit
izenship. He realized as many others
!. should realize at this later day that
poverty and misery and crime are the
breeding place of disloyalty and an
archy. He realized in the closing
days of the 18th Century what many
of our Statesmen, so-called, realized
In the early morning of the Goth, and
that is that it is cheaper to develop
citizens than it is to destroy them,
cheaper to nourish and educate lot
of little unfortunates than it is to
build reformatories and penitentiaries
to care for them when they're lost.
AS one travels over this Country
pausing here and there to view the
sights of interest and the places of
mote, or in fancy wanders to the
realms and the ruins of the old world,
he meets here and there granite
column erected by the hands of love,
or perhaps the hands of hirelings. in
an attempt to remind posterity of one
who had passed before.
Do they fulfil their purpose? Do
they carry to posterity anything of
value? Do they add to the wealth of
civilization, either materially or other
wise? Are they even a monument to