Evening star., 1924-07-04
PACE ADDRESSES
D. c. PIONEERS
Clerk of House Chief Speaker
at Meeting nf Association
OF Oldest inhabitants.
WORK AND THRIFT URGED
U. S. People Should Help Selves
Instead of AsFtug Fedora. Aid,
Orator Declares.

Orator Declares.
Inc minds of tie American peools
may be confused, hut their hearts still
are sound, Willisla Tyler Page, clerk
or the House of Representatives do
clared, addressina' the Independence
DAY meeting of :he Association Of
Oldest 1nhabitantr of the District of
Columbia at ChriIt Church, G street
between 9Th and 7th street ssoutheast
| at noon today.
Ihere is nothing wrong with the
American people,, Mr.. Page asserted.
Their hearts ara alright and It Ia
only their minds that are confused.
When they become less dependent
upon law and its administration, and
thelr minds once more set upon work
ing out their own salvation. they
VIII, through tho operation of natu-
raj laws, restore formal living, which
legislative ..,sI enactn!ent never can do.
mus Will many problems solve
themselves Thgs will men and
women take up .ach in his and her
own way the duties of citizenship,
and the aggregate of individual ef-
fort will restor" normal, healthful
and hopeful conditions of living.
Honest work anA frugality in living
again will becomn as in former hap
py days the fourdation of our pros
perity, our progress and our self
respect"
Loyalty to Constftution Urged.
In another part of his address the
speaker told the gathering of pioneer
Washingtonians that motley forces
of opportunism have introduced into
our system of government policies
and practices fore gn to this repub-
lie. They have, jusiduously at first,
and then brazenly, through class leg
islation and the recognition of So
cialism, sown til" seeds Of bodshe-
vism and encouraged discomfort"
This nation he continued. can
not live partly under the Constitution
and partly outside of it The repub-
lie must be that which was intended
to function under The Constitution, or
it must jetison altogether that great
instrument 1t cannot be sovietized
and remain a representative govern
ment.
To-day we are all Americans and
nothing but Americans. AS we go
aside into the spiritual atmosphere
of self-sacrificing PATRIOTS from Girls
pus Attucks of the revolution to the
last American douEhboy of the world
war we become Galmer, our vision
clears and we think Sanely.
L. s. Achievements Lauded.
From the hectic atmosphere so re-
Gently enshroudinE us with its omi-
| nous portents of evil we emerge to-
day upon heights from which we be-
hold the republic in its glorious
might and majesty. We gave upon
a nation grown from thirteen colonies
| to forty-eight United States, realize
its power for good and its resistance
to evil: sense its l@ve of liberty and
take pride in its generosity, in its
honorable history and in its potential
resources. Hope lightens our path
! way. With these individual thoughts
we are ready to face again to-
morrow the duties and responsible
| tiles of citizenship and to think less
of our rights and of our prejudices."
Mr.. Page declared each American
should regard himself as an integral
part of the government, and not look
upon the government as something
apart from the individual, as many
well meaning persons dc. Intelligent
use Of the ballot and respect for law
make for righteous freedom and the
general welfare, he added
America, he went on, has the old
that it has withstood destructive
change longer than any other.
Faith In Future.
but" he obse served, "can we expect
this happy condition to continue If we
become Indifferent to assaults upon
our constitutional form. to proposed
changes in it and to practices outside
of it?
'One OF our statesmen over one
archy is a man-ofwar, stanch, iron
ribbed, resistless under full sail, but
a single hidden rock can bring her
to the bottom. A republic is a raft
hard to steer. your feet always wet,
but nothing can sink her
How true this is today. We can
take courage, and face our problems
unflinchingly, however bad the out
look, knowing that we are on a safe
craft even though it is uncomfortable,
as we pass through the cross cur
rents into which we have drffted far
from our course"
Songs and Poetry.
Although a native of Maryland, Mr..
Page said he has been in the service
of the House of Representatives for
forty three years and felt he could
count himself an oldest inhabitant of
the District. He said he has wit
messed Washington grow from a
mud hole" with horse cars to the
beautiful city it is today.
The patriotic exercises began with
an invocation by Rev. William Curtis
White, rector of Christ Church, after
which the members Joined in reciting
"The Americans Creed which was
written by Mr.. Page. the orator OF the
day.
Excerpts from the Declaration OF
Independence were read by Freder-
ick L. Fishback- An original poem
entitled IF This Country Don't Suit
You, Then Why Hang Around? was
delivered by John C1agett Proctor,
member of the association. Willard S.
Haynie sang three solos and the en-
tire gathering united in singing
patriotic airs Vice President Henry
l. Bryan presided.
Following the exercises a lunch
con was served
New Members Elected.
At the business meeting preceding
the patriotic exercises the following
new members were elected: John r.
Woodwork, sos Rhode Island ave-
nue.; r Edward Joyce, 1904 18th
street; Louis E. Hoover 1887 ver-
mont avenue; William S. Mccarthy,
Jan,aa