Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-16
"The Monument Is Still There.

Continued efforts to explain III.
rurport and the purpose OF ms re
marks at banquet in this city by the
critic of the character of George
Washington indicate a total miscon
ception of the nature Of his oftense
Reiteration is not atonement. Repetl
ton is not eXtenuation. AVoWal OF
the "spotlessness" of George Wash
ipcton's character. in the light of the
SANDERS given utterance. Is ohiH an
accravation of the affront.
No controversy can he stimulated
by this incident regarding the manner
Of man George Washington was in his
daily social life. None but a prurient
curiosity as to human temperamentaI
characteristics can he aroused by dis
cusSion and iteration of the results OF
undertaking through diaries and let
tiers. The great majority of people
are not concerned as TO the details of
WashinGton's conduct, outside of his
great services TO the new Nation.
When questioned as TO his views on
the subject President Coolidge, it is
related, looked out of his office win.
dow at the great shaft rising in the
park south OF the White House and
remarked: The Monument is still
there" In those five words are con
tanned an adequate rebuke to the mud
singer The Monument endures all
the blasts Of the elements. II rests
he
fame of George Washington as
a patriot, d nation builder. a leader.
rests upon the great works he accom-
pIished, and not upon trifies of tenn
permanent with which posterity has no
concern.
Back OF the Slur that has been cast
at the repute of the first President is
\ mean motive that cannot be excused
or condoned. TO what good end can
such attempts to revise the popular
conception of the national heroes pos
sibly go" Nothing is To be gained by
a disclosure of faults and fraiNies
Does the fact that the cherry tree
story" is doubtless apocryphal rem
the young? 1t stands for the concept
OF youthful truthfulness. 1t sets a
sta ndard of honesty. 1t symbolizes
The essential virtue of honor. What
if it be misapplied TO this particular
man? 1t remains a valuable lesson.
Call it a fable, if you will. Call it a
fiction, perhaps. But let the young
people of this country continue TO &C
cept il as Il concrete example of the
virtue of truth telling, the more i'm
pressive because attributed 10 the man
whom they have been taught to re
we're as one II the greatest of Ameri.
cans.
Persistence in the SANDER reveals
the true purpose back of this offensive
outburst. This is but one of the sap
pers at work upon the foundations of
the American Government. digging
stealthily and, through masked mo.
tives, secretly, to destroy the basis of
American faith in the principles and
the practices of the present organiza
lion which constitutes the Nation. In
another land now appear the results
Of just such endeavors. a hideous 20
litical malformation that serves TO
show the world, and America particu.
larly, the consequences of Communist
schemin2. Some Of these enemies OF
the state as it is now constituted are
working openly. Others are working
under cover, some in the guise of
teachers of good. But all of them are
hent upon destruction. and when their
works are disclosed they should be
stamped with emphatic public disap-
proval, even if the law cannot reach
them with specific punishment