The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1917-02-26

not think that times mad changed oA-
tirely for the worse so long as the wo-
men are not Sinking their duties' SO
long as they are still willing to do the
mems work. There are four women
here today who belonged to the frst
group OF thirteen, who stamped their
character upon this chapter. They
gave it certain qualities which hope
it will always keep. They possessed
the earnest desire to contribute some
thing useful to their generation. They
had the fine courtesy which makes II
possible for women Of strong and d.
verse qualities to work together with
out friction. They had the largeness OF
nature which makes them willing TO
work without applause, without the
petty ambition to hold the chief places.
the rule or ruin spirit which spoils
sometimes the work of women's or
CARNATIONS. At our last meeting we
voted upon three names which, when
accepted will bring our membership to
|seventy-six, an historic number, let us
hope that the spirit Of our 76 will be
the spirit Of the original thirteen mem
bers.
"For almost twenty years our chap
ter has been doing its share In carry
Ing out the aim Of the general society.
DO we TddIAx0 SuoW 6AC0S In0N 0AAAA -
1t Is nothing less than the education
LOT our whole nation in patriotism, that
all may realize that It Is wrong to &C
|cept without gratitude the blessings OF
our great country. won by the saert-
fee of our patriot and pioneer ances-
tors. That we may understand that
the acceptance and enjoyment OF this
inheritance carries with it an obliga-
ton to hand it on to other genera
tons. In order to teach this lesson
our society has gotten historical relics
and records, has marked the graves
OF revolutionary soldiers, and battle
fields and trails beaten by the men
and women who made the nation. 1t
lis conceivable that some day all these
historic spots will be marked, but the
greater work of our society must go
on until that is done. hope there
will always be Keokuk chapter OF
Daughters of the American Revolution
holding fast the principals CT free
DOM"
Miss Clara Gertrude Fry then played
a piano mum Der, The Music Box, and
responded to an encore, playing in her
usual finished style.
Mrs. j. o. Boyd then read two pat
riotic poems both recently written.
one by Clinton Scallord and one by
Edith Wharton. Both were interpret
ed in the artistic way with which Mrs.
Boyd always reads.
Spirit Of rs.
Mrs. G.. Lloyd Norman spoke aon
The Spirit Of '76. In the grace of her
delivery and in the correct lines on
which her speech was built there was
a suggestion that her university train
ling is recent experience.
She said when the liberty bell
rang on that July day, it resounded
far across the Delaware, and the spir-
1t It aroused, spread over all the band
| OF thirteen colonies. 1t is still alive
| in the descendants of that band even
unto this day, and believe that spirit
will 60 on echoing through future
ages. It IL not spirit based upon
ancestry and tradition, but spirit
based upon right, on freedom and on
| principle.
at is spirit which had been strug-
| Cling through centuries for express
sion. Hopeless Of success In the OLD
world, men in whose breasts the
longing for personal freedom could not
be suppressed, came by perilous jour
ney to a land of danger and hardship,
there to establish for themselves the
independent government, which had
been to them dream. The call of the
liberty bell went to no solid unit OF
government. There was no well oiled
machinery Of preparedness which mob
Iilized armies in moment. In the year
before, the gathering hoofs Of Paul
Revere's big black horse, had reused
from their sleep q scattered band OF
patriots, who had no colors, no regi-
mental ensign. They seized their
arms and went forth to join what
ever others were willing to resist the
advance Of the hated British.
From behind every bush and stone
and tree they picked off cherries" and
harassed the advance OF the organized
|troops-even as little Belgium stood
up before the mighty blows of giant
Germany and held of for time the
worlds most formidable fighting ma
chine.
There was a spirit In those men
and women who fought for liberty
which gave birth to new nation. a
nation conceived in liberty and love
of home and family-a nation which
has never known the greed OF con-
quest.
TT must have been righteous spirit
for the victory went to the weak not
to the strong. Then guided by spirit
of equality, government of the peo-
pie, for the people, and by the people.
was organized. The man who stands
as the exemplification of the spirit OF
,76 is the man whom today we honor.
george Washington. He offered his
life and his fortune to his country.
He led ragged. tattered army
through dark hours, and finally to vic
tory. After the revolution. with no
desire for personal ACKNOWLEDGEMENT, |
he led the people and guided them IN
the ways OF peace. On the walls OF
Mt. Vernon hangs portrait of Wash |
ington, on the back Of which an I'M
known hand has written this express |
sive eulogy:
"'George Washington, the defender
OF his country, the founder OF liberty, |
the friend of man. He united all quail
ties necessary for an iAustrious ca
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