Cheraw chronicle. [volume] (Cheraw, S.C.) 1896-2005, 1921-10-06
DON'T sQUN
By Owen w,

velt, had he been living, would have
been sixty-two. In order" not only to
keep, but fittingly to- mark Rooseyelt's
birthday, some wise and patriotic
Philadelphians. made it the occasion
of formally changing the, name of an
important new highway.
The mayor of Philadelphia was pres
ent. Other leading citizens were on
hand. Some Of them spoke. A group
of school children sang music beftt-
ing the occasions Best Of all, the
widow and the son of the greatest
American our generation has known,
stood there while the new highway
was renamed. "a '} ~
Hitherto it had been called the
Northeast Boulevard Heneeforth it
will be the Roosevelt Boulevard.
Those school children who sang will
remember the day in their older years
But that is by no means the END Of
it, and this single instance can be
made the forerunier of a widely ex-
tended national custom, which we
practice now in bnt a very narrow
way. Not long hence, as history
measures time, everybody who attend
ed the senaming Of the boulevard will
be gone, and other school children
will walk there Only then will the
new name attain it's full value.
The new name boards some of the
strength of our past as a tonic for
generations to come, If we do not
keep the precious drops of our his
tory, our national blood will be too
thin TO live any future worth living.
Save as a convenient label, whac
value has Northeast Boulevard?
Roosevelt is q,Ste another matter.
Roosevelt rings with history Like
Washington, or Lincoln, 1t sets our
patriotism vibrating. Not that every
time school Child of the future
walks in the Roosevelt Boulevard he
will invariably thrill with American
pride and feel like shouting "The
Star spangled Banner or "My Coun-
FRY, 2ffs Of Thee at the top Of his
lungs, Not at an! Such frequent
bursting into the national anthem is
not desirableS Indeed, it would be
most annoying. - : y. 6 z < !,
passibly Il will be Temsn Sered by
some Of us5who atesmeais az restau--'
rants during 4 the recent war, how
thankful we, were when the restau-
rant had no orchestra how glad we
were to be able to go from SOUP to
baked apples without having to Jump
I'd every five or ten minutes and
stand while they finished some nation
al tune and the food grew tepid on
our plates.
| happen to be writing these SEN
tences in Boston, where the principal
shops are.to be found in Washington
Street. The patriotism of probably
not many who shop in that street is
nourished by its immortal name; Dut
would any of these people like to see
the name changed from Washington
Street to, let us say, Tenth Street or
Eleventh Street, or Avenue A, or Ave-
nue. B? Would not most, of them,
would not all who are, genuine Amerl-
cans object strongly to this ehacins
of monument to the Father OF their
Country?
Monuments are Of many sorts Ger
tain varieties Of thenl-such as nat
ional holidays, tall columns. statues,
public buildings-should be, kept, and
generally are kept, for the greatest
men. Next follow public parks and
squares, and in this class may be
placed also highways. Highways Of
fer an especially adaptable means to
commemorate any citizen of distfnc-
ton, because they are Of so many diff
ferent degrees of Importance.
We have given tosour greatest high
way the name of Lincoln. Other
streets and other monuments there are
to him, just as there are to Washing
ton. because both men rendered SER
vices to our country so very great.
It is beginning to be thus with Roose-
yelt. He neither created nor saved
his country; he had no chance 10
nerform either of these services; but
he lifted her very high, because by
his daily life he taught young men
the full meaning of their country
and the full measure of their duty
to her.
Thus we hoard Washington, Lin
coin, Roosevelt, for the generations
to come. Thus we hoard Grant, thus
Sherman, Sheridan, Webster, Mar
shall, Hamilton, Jefferson, Franklin,
and many others, paying them' by
the varying Importance of our monu-
ments to them, the honor which we
feel. more by instinct than through
thinking, is due to them for their
VARYING degrees Of public service.