The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1921-11-14
WASHINCTONIS
EUL0GIzED IN
HARDING talk
CONTINUED from First Page.)


N-Great Personal Factor
1T has seemed to me that our
studies of Washington have been
too much from those public sides
from which we view him as the mil
itary chief, the inspired leader of
the colonies, the statesman and
guide of constitution-mak times,
the welding force which hammered
fragments of communities into
great nation; as the first presi-
dent, and as the author of that body
of domestic and foreign policies
which he bequeathed in his fare
we'll address.
Il think it may be said that if
on the one side Washington was
a great personal force that wrench
ed the two great branches of the
English speaking race, he was on
the other, the greatest personal
factor in saving this continent TO
Anglo-Saxon domination; and in
doing that he contributed very
greatly TO making possible the
wide-fung family of English speak
ing nations. If as leader of the
revolving Colonies in '76, this time
aided by France. he tore them from
the grasp of England, it is equally
true that two decades earlier he
had saved them from the possible
domination of France.
Served All Mankind.
81 am sure that today our faith
full friends and trusted allies Of
France and England alike would
agree that in both cases, viewed in
the light of subsequent events, he
served mankind well. 49,. e
but among the documents
which attest his wisdom there IS
one to which little study has been
given. 1 mean his last Will and
testament. On an occasion such as
brings us here today it is not in
appropriate to direct attention for
a few moments to this remarkable
instrument
Was Business Man.
washington was not only a
great statesman, he was also a
man of great business affairs, an
eminent humanitarian. PrOvident
and also methodical in his business
he amassed a fortune. which has
been rated by many as the greatest
of his time in all the country. But
plainly it was not his belief that
society is best served by the trans
mission from generation to genera
ton of such imposing aggregations
of wealth. Therefore his will
after devising minor and largely
sentimental requests to many reia-
| tives and friends directed that the
residuary estate should be divided
| into % equal shares, to pc distribs
uted among the heirs whom be
named. Thus it comes about that
an estate which. if held together
and wisely administered, might
have become very large, was DELHI
erately so distributed that in few
| portions had been absorbed into
the general body of the country
wealth. Though that process o.
| disintegration and absorption in
yolved some loss, it is probable
! that in the sum of results the ma
ton was gamer by the policy o.
Washington.
Paid Debts Promptly.
Washington as a model either
shines forth with a peculiar rad
/ lance from this last testament Thu
i first provision is that his debt
will be paid promptly. All tn
world needs the example of KEEP
Lobligations. The second iten
i makes generous provisions for hi
wife; and then comes the direction
that at her death all his slave
shall be given freedom.
: Next follow deyises of funds Il
: aid education of poor or orphane'
children, and for the endowmen
of q university in a central part o
the United States.
Another specific bequest goes I
Liberty Hall academy, now WASH
: ington and Lee university, ut Lex
ington, Va y list Of debtors ar
forgiven their debts To each c
five nephews he gave one of IN
swords with an Injunction not n
. sheath them for the purpose c
: shedding blood except it 5e-for Sc
!: defense or II d7fcEco ~ the-~ c3uT
t~v and rs r.z-fe' end u tie II
: ter Case. 80 Ecen them uIsheathe
!. .~=,r F-FF--- WITH them /