Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-01-26

If Rupert Hughes, as some Of his
many critics suggest, merely was seek
ing publicity when he assailed the pop
ular conception of George Washington
by emphasizing human qualities of the
first President, his recent speech be.
fore the Sons of the Revolution was
a distinct success. From North and
South, East and West, came hearty
condemnation. which the novelist's
later explanation that he meant to be
complimentary did not soften.
Says the Seattle Daily Times:
America never will suffer a decline
If 1t can produce to meet each recur-
ring national crisis 4 George Wash
ington-with all his faults-but. above
all else. with all his virtues" The ex-
aggeration In the terms applied to
Washington's acts by Mr.. Hughes Is
denounced by the Hartford Times. "A
man who swears occasionally when he
has to is by no means a cursor, any
more than a man of the eighteenth
century who distills whisky Is a
whisky distiller," declares the Times.
"Mr. Hughes has forgotten that men
are to be judged not by thir unim-
portant weaknesses and mannerisms,
but by the prevailing direction Of their
lives. Thus seen, Washington psases
the test Of the most Pecksntd1an
American"
"If the Volstead test of perfection
Is to be applied to the fathers OF the
Republic" the Syracuse Herald re-
marks, "let us anticipate the result
by admitting that they were nearly
all hopelessIy bad men," AS for Wash
ington, the Herald continues. "let him
81 NJ ha
at his majestic figure. The mass of
his countrymen, in whose hearts his
memory is forever enshrineo, will not
Expressing belief that somewhere
| "hetween the George Washington Of
Parson Weems and the George Wash
ington of Rupert Hughes we may get
a fair portraiture of the character or
the Father Of His Country. the
Charleston Daily Mall draws its own
picture Of Washington: Neither super
mar nor canting saint, but red
Hooded, sensible man who lived the
life Of his class in his time, there was
vet in the man something that singled
him out from among his compeers and
exalted him above Them"
Concerning the manners and Gus
toms Of Washington's day, the Fort
Worth Record Telegram reminds US:
Everybody drank to some extent IN
those days, played about as many
cards as does the ordinary man OF TO-
day. had almost as many-but not
the same kind-of things to 'cuss'
about and doubtless took the gentle
mans place about half way between
the 'sheiks' and the sissies OF his day
and time. Washington wore no halos
either daily or Sunday. He was o
characteristic type of the landed
gentry of Virginia, and made no
bones about being no better and no
worse, speaking in terms of personal
habits, than those Of his associates
who lived in the same environment"
X + y \
"In other words" as the Dee Moines
Tribune puts it. 'as to the morals
and decencies Of behavior, George
Washington was a conformist In his
day." On the other hand, continues
this Journal. "Let us but recognize in
addition that in certain affairs, for
| instance the problem of the colonies
relation to the mother country, Wash
ington was not a conformist, that he
upset the established order"
Washington's greatness was rec
ognized by men of his own generation
J who knew him well" observes the