Belt Valley times. [volume] (Armington, Mont.) 1894-1977, 1923-03-22
George Lester Ad-
dresses Senate

house members present in the back
: aisIes of the lower house, the senate
observed Washington's birthday with
a short program which included two
excellent addresses by Senator Taylor
of Sheridan, and George Lester, as
~sistant secretary of the senate. The
exercises which lasted about one hour
were closed by the singing of "Amer.
ica," led by Paul Flint of Helena.
Senator Taylor first sketched the
life of Washington, giving high
praise to the nations first president
Taylor termed Washington a conser-
vative revolutionist, a descendant of
English nobility who threw himself
intellectually into the battle for lib
erty without a thought of self.
His courage, ~self-sacrifice and his
craftsmanship were qualities that APP
pealed. How he first worked as a
surveyor and learned the art of fight
ing Indians and woodcraft; how he
served in the British army against
the French; how he returned to the
estate at Mt. Vernon, emerging when
the colonies united to expel the Brit
ish from Boston harbor; how Wash
ington fought through the revolution
airy war under discouraging condi-
tions, with treason behind him and
despair in front" at Valley Forge,
were told effectively by the senator
from Sheridan, He sketched Wash
ington's career as a welder of the
colonies when they seemed likely to
90 to war among themselves and his
career as president for eight years.
"Our fault is to idealize our great
men as heroes until they become
saints" continued Taylor. "But none
of them are gods. They had frailties
and foibles like us all and it is well
that is so, for it makes them human
like the rest of us. Washington had
a high temper and in times of anger
he was unreasonable, history tells us.
Sometimes he was spiteful as we all
are. Once. he was so angry at con-
gress that he refused longer to APP
pear on the floor Of the senate and
out of this incident grew the custom
Of the president sending his message
to be read instead Of delivering it
himself before congress.
washington had his human side
and his frailties were as marked as
his virtues and his wisdom. But all
in all his public life was n of the
cleanest and best. He risked his life.
his honor, his home and property for
a principle, when he fought the Brit
ish. His life should be an inspiration
to all of us to apply our best thought
in these days. The opportunity for
service and sacrifice was eve great
er than right now"
George Lester, who followed Sem
ator Taylor, with an address which
was instructive as well as eloquent.
He told of Washington's early boy
hood and Of his training in the open
air.
Gin the life of Washington" he con-
tinued, "there was the abiding influ-
ence of the backwoods, the great
spaces of forests and the uninhabited
regions . = There is a mythical ell
ement in this great man, something
which gave him a feeling of being or
dained to some great purpose. He
was q product of association with out
door nature, rather than with man.
Washington, like Lincoln, felt the
compulsion of strong belief for the
right, a belief hat strongly distin-
guished those two noble characters
from many other men of their time.
Some there are who think Washing
ton held himself aloof from his fellow
men, but in spite of influences making
for isolation, he liked dancing and
was not shy in enjoying the society
of young women. He even wrote
poems to some of them"
y
The speaker then told of the part
Washington played in the wal of the
revolution, how he was selected as
commander in chief and the discour-
agements which followed; of his VIC
tory and his retirement to Mt. Vernon
and at last his election. to the presi-
dency.
"The trials and t~ribulations were
numerous, but Washington showed
that same sound judgment which had
characterized him as a soldier.
Washington was not a
sudden nor a shallow clamorer
for independence He believed the
sober second sense of the British
would lead them to perceive that they
had made a mistake and for this he
was criticized by his own countrymen
for his conservatism. But during all