Belington progressive. [volume] (Belington, W. Va.) 1912-1927, 1923-04-26
Uncle Ted's Bedtime Story
REST IN THE WORLD"

"Well, what did you see in WASH
ington ~ asked Ruth as she and
Jack found Uncle Ted in the sitting
room after he, had put away his
travelling bag and washed up after
his long ride on the train.
II saw and heard lots of things
ADD many Of them quite interesting,
I think" replied Uncle Ted, 'sYou
know | used to think Of Washington
as spot on the map, and the only
definite idea / had Of it was from the
picture Of the Capitol we had in our
history when was a child. But af-
ter several trips to Washington !
begin to think of the city instead Of
just the spot on the map.
While was there this time, ]
learned that committee of Con-
gress has just voted to report favor
ably on plan to add large tract
of land to the botanical gardens. The
Government already owns most Of
the land, but will have to buy Some
more. The tract is about two blocks
wide and seven blocks long, and when
it has been turned into botanical
garden the United States can have
one of the best collections Of plants,
trees and shrubs anywhere in the
world. The botanical garden at pre-
sent covers only about two blocks
and things are so crowded that there
is not much pleasure in visiting it..
| would like to walk through U. s.
Botanical some day and say, Best
in the World
while ! was in Washington on
this trip, the annual Congress bf the
Daughters of the American Revolu-
ton was in session, and attended
the reception given by the officers.
/ think that organization, together
with the Sons of the American Re-
volution, is doing wonderful work
in building up patriotic feeling in
the United States. President Hard
ing delivered a short address at one
Of the sessions and / want to quote
you one thing he said, although per-
haps it was not the most important
part of bis speech. After telling of
difficulties that beset the Govern
ment after the revolution, he said
And yet here in America, with so
unpromising beginning, we have
come to the point when ! think it is
no unseemly boast to say that the
United States is one of the govern
mental models Of the world - the
highest type of democracy on earth
"You see, have the same idea
President Harding has Best in
the World
"But there are a lot of people in
the United States who do not think
this is the best government or that
we have anything here that is worth
praising or retaining. There are a
lot of people here who think the
government of Russia is better than
ours. They are against our govern
ment, against our system of owner
ship Of property, against our railroad
system, which is the best in the
world, and against our schools, our
churches, our newspapers, and prac-
tically everything else. And, strange
to say, many of those people who
seem to be against everything Amer
lean are not all foreigners, by any
means. Lots of them were born
here in America, but they are trait
ors in their hearts. Why, while !
was in Washington on this trip,
was in group of people who we're
talking about the war, and one Of
the women boatsed that she did not
do thing to help the war net
even knit socks or sweaters. And she
born in this country, too.
"Just the week before l was in
men had arrested lot Of radicals
who had been conducting agitation
against the United States. I don't
know whether they had committed
any actual crime or not probably
they had been careful not to do any
thing they could be punished for. But
while was there, the cases Of those
men came up in court, and what do
you suppose they did claimed pro-
lection under the Constitution Of the
United States. That is the way all
the radicals do. They condemn the
government and denounce the Con-
stitution, but as soon as they get
into trouble they claim the protect
ion fthe Constitution and the laws
enacted under it.
"That reminds me of another part
Of President Harding's speech to the
Daughters of the American Revolu-
ton. He said, 1t is not right for
anybody ON earth to have the for
tunes, the privileges, the favors and
fba orv,rv.f.,nif;oo ~ Ar1aricau citi-