The Washington times., 1917-06-19

] ana senate leIl W carry AONdg
by special train for Valley Forge. The
presentation OF the Memorial Arch was
made there this afternoon and was &C
cepted by Governor Brumbaugh and
other Pennsylvania officials:
Home Of HerOIsm.
In his address today Speaker Clark
said In part:
THE story OF Valley Forge is one.
of the most heroic and beyond all
question the most pathetic chapter in
the history OF American armies. 1t
required more courage and fortitude
/ to freeze and starve In the canton
ments here during the awful winter
of 1T7T-l777S than II did to charge
the British regulars in the open field
or assault them in the redoubts at
/ Yorktown. We stand today on a
ground hallowed by the unspeskable
| sufferings OF as true a band OF
patriots as ever lived"
After a review OF historical events
connected with Valley Forge, Speaker
Clark turned to the Constitutional
| Convention, the growth OF the Re
public, and the Congress as 1t is
constituted today.
This republic is the first really
great republic that ever existed on
the face OF the earth" he said. I'VE
| talk about the republics of Greece
and Rome, and the rest OF them.
They were simply oligarchies. The in
tricate, delicate. and elaborate scheme
of checks and balances in our sys-
| tenn OF government is what has pre-
served it to the present day. and
/ what will preserve IL. let us hope,
| for all time TO come.
What Brutus said.
THE idea of free government is
not new. We did not originate It.
w have developed 1t and put 1t into
practice. 1t has been the dream OF
men from all time. Whoever wrote
the Shakespeare plays put these
words into the mouth OF Brutus in
his speech defending himself for the
assassination OF Caesar:
"'Here comes his body, mourned by
Marc Antony, who, though he had no
hand in his death, shall receive the
benefit OF his dying, a place in the
/ commonwealth; as which of you shall
notT
There is the case in a nutshell,
| the essence OF representative gov
ernment-'a place in the common
wealth
"The legislative body in every free
country Is the most important of the
three branches-judicial. legislative.
and executive. We come from the
people, we represent the people. and
reflect the will of people. I under
take to say that when the American
people make up their minds they
want a thing the Congress will grant
IT as soon as they find out that the
people desire it, I believe the Con-
gress OF the United States is the
greatest legislative body in all his
tory, and / take pride in that fact.
Yet every evil-disposed person can
| find some Islander to utter about Con-
gress.
GConErens Does Its Duty
AT this very moment when the
country is engaged in the most
stupendous war in all the bloody an
nails Of mankind, the Congress is
doing its duty. its whole duty, man
fully, industTiously, and periodically,
/ to bring II to a speedy and trium-
plant conclusion-as all good citizens
hope most fervently that It may be
brought
Representatives and Senators not
| only vote unheard OF sums OF money
for the prosecution OF the war, but
to the limit of their financial ability
they contribute to the cause by pur-
chasing bonds to foot the bills. Rep
resentatives and Senators not only
voted other mems sons into the army,
but they send their own sons to fight
I-perchance to die-for the Starry
Banner OF the Republic.
There cannot be even the shadow
| of doubt that the Congress will vote
every man and every dollar needed
in this titanic world struggle into
which we have entered.
"we Establish JuHtIee.-
How many new propositions do
you suppose our system OF govern
ment rests on? Only three. There
are two OF them in the Declaration
| of independence and one in the Con-
stitution. All men are created equal
| That is one OF them. All govern
ment's derive their just powers from
| the consent of the governed That
] is the second, and they form the
basis Of republican institutions.
THE third one is-hardly anybody
ever reads 1.-THE preamble to the
Constitution, one OF the finest sent
ences ever written and one of the
most comprehensive: We, the peO-
! pie OF the United States, in order to
. form a more perfect union. eStdDilsn
/ justice, insure domestic tranquility,
| provide for the common defense, pro-
mote the general welfare and secure
| the blessings OF liberty to ourselves
| and our posterity, do ordain and es-
tablish this Constitution for the
United States OF America
There II all is. That is our chart
and our creed. What courtship is
to marriage. what the flower is to
the fruit. what youth is to manhood,
what hope is to fruitioDp that is
what the Declaration OF independence
is to the Constitution of the United
States. Since Washington, on York
towns blood-stained heights, made
[ good Jefferson's declaration, thrones
have been crumblinE, crowns have
been tumblinE. and dynasties have
been fleeing for their lives.
An Even Break.
when our fathers proclaimed this
republic there was only one other re-
public on the face of the globe-Swit-
zerland-and the fathers were not
certain that this one would live until
Christmas. 1t was an even break
whether II would or not. Now,
thanks be to Almighty God. there are
/ twenty-six republics in this world.
In very large sense we made them.
every one.
Mark Twain. the greatest Mis-
sourian that ever lived. once said: