Evening star., 1926-04-19
TEXT OFD.A.R. CHIEFS SPEECH

The address of greeting delivered
by Mrs. Anthony Wayne Cook, presi'
dent general of the Daughters of the
American Revolution, to the Thirty.
! fifth Continental Congress of that so.
clety this morning follows. in part:
For the last time ii is my duty,
| pviv.le and pleasure to address the
I opening session of a Continental Con
| Sress as your president general. Mine
! has indeed been a happy time of Serv.
! ice, overflowIng with the joy of inter
ested planning and successful fruition
| in all that has, during this period,
| pertained to the progress and devel-
! opment of our society. 1t has been
| a triennium of accomplishment. made
| possible because of unselllsh and help.
| full counsel on the part of official as.
| sociate and of members funct.oning
| through their individual chapters and
| States for the we'll being of the So
| ciety, and through it. in no small de-
| gree, for the welfare of the Nation,
| the wellbeing OF our fellow Ameri.
| cans and. in simple truth / may add,
of the world.
Such assemblies as this bring un-
derstanding and camaraderie. ], who
| so well know the fine mettle of our
membership, am sure that those Of US
here present will, with understanding
unfailinS courtesy and true esprit de
corps. graciously overlook the minor
inconvenience which by chance or
| unavoidable oversight may Temporal
rlly be ours incident To the largest
Continental Congress ever assembled
| in the history of our organization.
Officially in attendance upon the floor
Of this Auditorium this morning are
a oil fnc 90
! and Territory of the Union and those
of chapters in distant and foreign
lands.
The day is sacred to our purpose.
'On such an April morning. 151
years ago, a New England countryside
aWoke to the alarm of a II. .ght-riding
courier. FearSome were the tidinGS.
The soldiers of the king were coming.
Dire and ominous events portended.
Grim, purposetul men obeyed the sum-
| mons and assembled in arms on Lex
ington Common, under command of a
great. tall man-their captain, one
who had seen service in the French
wars. They were but 10 The odds
against them were great. but their in.
flexible purpose was greater. Need
less was the leaders warning, L will
order the first man shot who runs
answered Paul Revere's call that April
morning!
THE world knows the story. While
human hearts are attuned to senti-
mentS of patriotism: while human
aspiration seeks loftier heights. that
story cannot fade. In the sacred
cause of God and their country those
doughty Colonials stood fast and fired
the shot heard round the world A
stone memorial, Sacred to liberty and
the rights of mankind records their
names and valor, and a nightly Ma
ton. dedicated to liberty and justice,
is the living memorial of their de.
votiOn. Truly, no man can suffer too
much, and no man can fall too soon
If he suffer and If he fall in the de-
tense of his country's liberty
As Sacred Duty.
To-day we are assembled in the
Capital of the Republic made pos
sible by that sacrifice
I'VE who are privileged to enjoy
in security the manifold blessing Of
life In a land where law is admin
istered with equality and with the con-
sent of the governed should appraise
it a sacred duty and our highest privi-
lege to revere this day. April the 10Th,
and to admonish those who are to
come after to enshrine it in sacred
memory.
I'm appraising the present and in
forecasting the future OF our own
lives and the career of our society ret
us consider the thought expressed in
this ancient Sanscrit salutation to the
dawn:
For yesterday is but a dream
And tomorrow Is only vision
But today well lived
Makes every yesterday a dream of happiness
and every tomorrow vision of hope.
"As an organization we have been
potent force in our land in the for
nation of public opinion. largely be.
cause we have been Steadfast in our
advocacy Of sterling principles and
have never swerved from the path Of
common sense or been Influenced by
the lure of false beacons which might
have misdirected our energies. Let
US continue our Endorsement Of that
which is worth while in our national
life, but let us refrain from giving this
advocacy too lightly, too unadvisedly,
or too frequently, lest, with it's en-
phasis dulled. 1t lose its power and
fail of it's purpose.
"A most significant, and in its effect
most far-reaching, activity in conso.
nance with the ideals and purposes Of
our society are the annual oratortcal
contests held each June and open to
friendly competition of high school
youth. with the Federal Constitution
as subject matter. Originated and
managed by Mr.. Randolph Leigh, gen.
erously assisted by the cooperation
Of the newspapers of the country,
these contests are making profound
impression for good upon teachers,
pupils and the public at large. This
activity, am sure, typifies one of the
most helpful realiZations Of the dig
nifty and essential worthiness of our
institutions of democratic government
that have enlisted our interest since
the World War.
Most appropriately. the new audi
torium to be erected by our society
because Of such a pressing need is,
with the sanction and approval of this
congress, to be named Constitution
Hall. This edifice is to stand as an
enduring testimonial of the faith of
the Daughters of the American Revo-
luton in the soundness, virtue and
essential completeness of the Federal
Constitution. / am confident that
voice the sentiment Of our society and
this congress in hoping that, upon its
completion. Constitution Hall may
serve as the forum for many future
contests with the Federal Constitution
| as the theme.
Constitution Hall is to compile
| ment Memorial Continental Hall. our
first national headquarters in the Ma
tional Capital. Contributions, bequests
and sale Of bonds have assembled a