Evening star., 1922-07-05

choose to proclaim the purpose IN
advance because / dislike the tend
ency to promise excessively and ac-
complish inadequately Imagine my
surprise. yea. my amusement. to read
In an important metropolitan news
paper that 1 was dining the steel
barons to shake them down for the
deficit in campaign funds Of 1920:
1T would be good to talk about
Marion. Just among ourselves. l know
nothing more interesting to any man
| than his own community. II he isn't
Interested he Is not a good citizen.
"A century sounds like q long while
at first impression, but after all 1t is
munities in the world. ten or twenty
centuries old. not half 30 important
in world activities today; perhaps
they have contributed to human
progress Infinitely less in all their
time than Marion has in ono century.
the Marion we boast has been really
only half century in the making.
Il mean no disparagement OF the
older and earlier citizenship Of sturdy
qualities which pioneered the way.
Theirs was a great and highly essen
tial work in blazing the way for the
present day civilization. 1t required
strong men and noble women to turn
| wilderness into worthwhile habita.
tions. Malaria and ague sorely tried
cheerfully resisted.
Men Pershing has spoken Of, the
fearless colonists. and we ought to
revere them for their surprising be-
quest OF liberty and nationality. but
the builders of the west the men
westward star of empire were no
less brave. no less heroic and were
| more prophetic. They sensed the
greater possibilities. Of which the
| colonists had not dreamed.
Century But Little While.
II said a century seemed long
| time in which to achieve, and yet In
only a little while the nation lacks
four years OF boasting century and a
half. but discovery came four centuries
ago. and a century and a half Of
! colonial development preceded the ma
| tional beginning.
1T was my fortune to participate In
the tercentenary celebration of the
| landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth a
year ago, and there was the constant
| reminder that New England had pre-
ceded us two centuries in the making
of America.
But there is a rather more personal
reason for the little while view.
became a citizen Of Marion forty years
ago. almost to a day. and have been
| a resident of the county Just about
I fifty years. And it all has tho seeming
Of being but little while. Yet could
almost qualify as a pioneer.
Tho Marion I first saw In 1882 had
less than 1000 people. but my first i'm
preston was that of very much a city.
| In which feared should be hopelessy
| lost. The Industrial awakening had not
been given notable expression. Edward
Huber had begun the industrial march.
but he was still struggling, as most in
| dustries struggle before they are firmly
| founded
Probably Marion was as countryfied
as 1 felt. but I did not know 1t was
my viewpoint. my limited vision. which
kept mo from knowing. You see. came
from the farm and village. and tho
| county seat Of 1000 loomed big in my
vision, because I had seen nothing
greater. Surely 1t looked ten times as
large as it does today. though the
Marion Of today !. ton ton times time: Larger T
portant in its relationship to the world
| Of human activities.
This confession 10 meant to have
application. How important Is the
viewpoint to all the Impressions and
! tho great city. is confused by the
high tide of activities. and awed by
| the complacency of those accustom
! ed to them. and 50 reveals himself q
| provincial, and 10 SO designated. But
| those who proclaim him are oftimef
|
have tho narrow vision: they do not
know the village and country life
| which is ever ireshening and swell.
Ing the current of our national life.
Early Transformation.
Tho carry Marion had only the
viewpoint of the county civic and
| trading center. until industrial ge'
MUS flashed on the screen the pictur:
trade in large circles. and the at
| tending advancements incident tc
| greater activities. 1t 10 not for me to
| detail tho expansion and Transforms
| tion, We are an outstanding INDUS
trial and commercial community TO-DAY
in tho Marion Of 1922. and wish for II
accumulated growth. magnihed I'M
portance, and larger social. educa'
tional, moral and patriotic attain
ment. in tho century to onn come ~ i
| terial enlargements, Ths conscious
ness Of mental and spiritual attain:
ments. readily fostered by material
| growth, is tho real compensation tc
be striven for. A..
! natal day of tho nation. One hundred
| and forty-six years have passed sino<
| the prophetic beginning. and 1t Will bt
a patriotio thing to stop for retrospect
tion and introspection ana clrcum'
spection, to take stock upon our keep.
inr of the legacy bequeathed by the
| founding fathers, -,
! 'In our international relations ~
IN we'll, They are securer today, with
more assuring prospects OF peace
than ever. before in tho history or the
republic. New guarantees have re-
| Gently been added by the very proc.
ess Of exchanging viewpoints and
bringing the spoke esmen OF great ma
tions to the conference table ana Tor
the exchange of views, and to resolve
| to do together those fine and nobler
| things which no one nation could DO
"Frankly, we have broader view
point than the founding fathersi we
must have, because human progress
has altered our world relationship
but we have held firmly to all the
fundamentals to which they commit-
ted us. We. cannot be aloof from
the world. but we can impress the
world with American ideals. mean
to say it; because it is seemly to say
it, the world believes today in Amer
! loan national unselfishness as never
| before, and recognizes our commit
| ment to Justice to be no less resolute
| than our determination to preserve
our liberties, Even Russia, toward
when we remain. aloof, except in
sympathy and very practical proof
thereof, looks upon America as friend
and example.
| but let US turn specifically to intro
spectfon-take stock among ourselves
Materially, we have surpassed the
] widest dreams of the inspired found
ers. saw the fifteen starred flag the
other day, the flag Of 1919, unfurled
/ ~..< nForraurw 6rrfnH fhA a TIA al