Omaha daily bee., 1920-01-18
DECL ARATION OFIDEMON rum DIES
INDEPENDENCE ISIHARD DEATH IN
GIVEN AN AIRING NEW YORK CITY
Parchments Brought to Light
For First Time in Last
18 Years and Photo
graphs Made.

Washington, Jan. 17.-Recent ac-
tivities of railroad propagandists led
Secretary Lansing this week to dis
play for the first time in Is years
the original parcllments OF the
Declaration OF Independence and the
constitution OF the United States.
In the presence of group of of
ilcials, the parchments were removed
from the protecting walls of steel
safe enclosing them and placed on
view in the State department for an
hour, while motion picture cameras
recorded their appearance for the
benefit Of the 100000 persons liv-
s, ing under the principles enunciated
by them.
Will Exhibit Films.
Theaters from Maine to California
and from the Gulf of Mexico to
Canada will exhibit the films in the
coming weeks III an effort ito re-
move from the public mind in every
CITY, tONtl dilu NltIdSN any Ppoo'D'S
effects Of recent red activities
Owing to their age, exhibition OF
the parchmentS is rare event. Ex-
posure to light. even though each
sheet is protected carefully from
air by Theoretically sealed glass
plates, causes additional fading OF
the ink inscribing the immortal
words which brought the republic
into being.
1t was only the hysterical clanior
of radical agitators, which caught
the ear OF many local citizens be-
cause Of the reaction after the war,
' that induced Secretary Lansing to
enlist the cooperation of the press
and motion picture industry to re-
mind the people of this country OF
their debt to the land in which they
live. Fearing a great crush to see
the precious sheets if the plan be-
came known, with the possibility OF
serious damage resulting, announce
ment of what was done was not
made public until today.
In Excellent Condition.
Both the declaration and the con-
stitution were found in excellent
condition. The former for many
years has been very faded, due to
the fact that letter press" copy,
from which reproductions have
come, was made about 20 years ago
and in the wetting necessary, much
g of the ink was lost. The signatures
are very indistitnct except for the
famous "John Hancock written
extra large with fourishes and right
in the most prominent place, so that
his advocacy of the documents S
principles should be known to all
the world.
In an address TO the company
witnessing the exhibition OF the doc
uments, Secretary Lansing said he
had found the constitution safe SO
far as the forces of nature were con-
cerned and that the American peo-
pie should protect it equally we'll
in their minds and hearts.
"a -Four great documents" Mr..
Lansing said, mark the progress of
the struggle of thousand years to
attain the civil liberty which has
found expression in American citi-
zenship-Magna Charta in 1725, the
English bill of rights in 1859, the
Declaration of Independence in l776
and the constitution of the United 4
States of America in 1898. Epoch
making as each of these documents
is, it is the constitution which repre-
) sents the high expression OF the SOW
ereignty of free people.
All Have Equal Voice.
"Gleansd from the collective wis
dom of the ages and forged into a
perfect whole in the fires of genius,
the constitution, consummat,ng the
hopes and aspirations of generations
brought into being nation founded
ON the principle that all meE are
equal before the law and that all are
entitled to an equal voice in the gov
ernment under which they live.
This great instrument, whose ex-
cellence has been proven in war as
) we'll as in peace, in the channeI
through which our national lite
finds true expression. II is the bull
y wark' of our individual rights and the
u guardian of the destinies OF the re.
i public. With reverence we stand
in the presence of the constitution o.
the United States s>beholding in it the
symbol of democracy victorious after
centuries of conflict. the visible evl.
dence that this nation is builded or
the eternal rock of human liberty
Nav we never surrender this grea'
birthright of American citizens. May
we give to it our undivided allegiance
MAY we defend it. even with oul
lives. from every enemy who seek:
to destroy it in principle or, power
AS it shielded our forefathers anc
has shielded us let US always shield
It from profaning hands"