Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1923-05-18

! talent and every opportunity to &C
quire wealth. retired from pubic
! service poor. striving professionally
to earn a livelihood for his FANNY; 8.
l. THE fine example was then and Is
today less an exception than this sim
ccre tribute from n great European
statesmen would seem to Indicate.
Hundreds OF very capable and hignly
ment today at the neglect of their
private fortunes. We should be
poorly equipped for the tasks OF gev-
eminent II they did not do so. 1t Is
to be deplored that there are public,
men who make of public position the
opportunity to enhance their Personal
fortunes, but 1t rivets our confidence
to know that so many are serving and
sacrificing In their service to promote
our commonweal. 1t ought to be
understood. amid too mistaken con-
ception of the compensatiOns OF pub
lie service. that scores of men today
hold highly important positions. not
because they sought them. but be-
cause their services have been sought.
and the consciousness OF service to
the nation and their fellow country
men Is their chief compensation.
Honesty Of Leadership.
But | choose to stress the rugged
honesty Of this patriot-statesmen. be-
cause honesty viii. cure 10000 Ills
of today. Honesty OF leadership will
spare US the popular misconceptions
which are ever menacing to democ-
racy. Honesty in statecraft Will point
the way to impregnable heights.
Honesty among nations will dissolve
their differences. so that new and
lasting friendships may be bound by
the ties Of fraternity and. mutual
trust. Honesty In politics will reveal
unerring public opinion. and honesty
MI
diminish public waste and extrava-
gance. Honesty of manhood and
womanhood will abolish the sources
Of discomfort which threaten the
worlds civilization. and will bring US
to conviction regarding the fupda-
mentals of the social fabric. without
which fundamentals there can be no
human progress.
alexander Hamilton had the vision
to see the expanding republic. He
vas an American by adoption. but he
fought his way to the loftiest plane
OF citizenship and accepted all its
nDligations. He was the youthful
Z"alot for liberty, and most distin-
euished soldier of the revolution
The transccnding qualities of his
tary career that it Is little noted
though standing alone his military
services would command q place in
history.
re was literally founder and
builder. Washington had learned his
qualities in war. and in Washington's
trust he became the master builder
Aye, he was more than founder or
builder: he was the prophet OF Amer
lean destiny.
Warned of Dangers.
With that insight and foresight
which signaled his public service. and
made him understand why republics
had failed and faded from popular
recollection. he sought to guard
against the dangers of his day. and
gave warning against the dangers to
come. Human nature does not differ
in one century from another. and the
popular fallacieS which Hamilton
combated in his day have yet to be
met in ours. Here was revelation
of the conscience of his statecraft
No threatened loss of popularity ever
deferred him. Believing for himself
in a policy designed to promote the
welfare Of the new republic and to
strengthen its security, he became It's
Jealous advocate. He argued until
he convinced and then committed.
None ever welded 4 more trenchant
pen, no heart and mind ever directed
a more eloquent tongue. An infinite
courage sustained him. ard in the ma
tion3l viewpoint he found his unfail-
ing inspiration.
1T was his conviction that the fed