The Pleasantville press. (Pleasantville, N.J.) 1912-1929, 1923-07-04

independence day VIII also be celebrated after
Il fashion all over the world. For America Is a
world power nowadays and its sons and daugh-
tiers are many in most parts of the earth. And
wherever they are, they will gather in honor OF
the Star-Spangled Banner. For example, 800 Chi
cagoans visiting Gothenburg's tercentennial Will
give Sweden an object lesson in Fourth of July
celebrations. Wherever Old Glory floats, there
will be some sort of observance of the day the
homeland celebrates.
Moreover, all the peoples of earth, with few eN-
ceptions, will be in sympathy with these celebra-
tons, for 1t is coming more and more to be I'M
derstood that American independence and liberty
stand for a worldwide idea.
There Is one thing, however, that every good
American should do on independence day. Re
affirm his view of patriotism. We have come up
from q humble beginning through storm and stress
to the first place among the nations of earth. We
should make firm resolve on the Fourth of July
that we will not lose that proud eminence through
the enervating influence of wealth and luxury and
neglect of patriotic duties. We should try to
realize how fast history is making in these mod
ern days and resolve to help in making it along
lines Of progress.
Frank w. Mondell of Wyoming, majority floor
leader of the house, closed a continuous service
of 13 terms at the end of the last congress. These
words from his farewell address give us a hint
of how fast history is making in America:
AT the close of this congress l shall have
served my constituents as a member of the con-
gress 10 terms, or 26 years, and 2S years shall
have elapsed since | first visited this chamber as
a member elect. Twenty-eight years is a brief
period in the tides of time, but it is a long period
In the life of a man and a considerable period in
the life of a nation when important history is in
the making. My service here has been under six
presidents-Cleveland, Mckinley, Roosevelt, Taft,
Wilson and Harding and under five speakers
Reed, Henderson, Cannon, Clark and Gillett. Dur
Ing the period since my service began we have
fought two foreign wars; we have extended our
boundaries and our jurisdiction from the CONT
nent of America to the islands of the eastern and
western seas and to the fartheSt Orient we have
united the two great oceans at Panama. We have
during this period, through the force of our moral
Influence and without intent or purpose on our
part, passed from the condition of an isolated
and somewhat unimportant western power to a
position Of acknowledged supremacy in potential
power and in high moral influence.
"At home, measuring our activities by eXpendi-
lures, we have progressed from an annual outlay
of half a billion to the expenditure in a period of
war and stress of thirty-three billions in Il twelve
month, and to a present annual outlay of nearly
four billions. In my first session of congress we
discussed with apprehension of uniustiiable ex-
trayagance a naval expenditure of less than $780,
100000, the beginning of an effort to revive our
navy from the moribund condition into which it
fell following the Civil war. Today our naval
policy contemplates a fleet equal to any afoat.
In those days Il river and harbor Appropriation
appr0ximating 100000 was considered a wild
extravaganza. as compared with the S5G,500.000 of
the present year.