Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1926-09-19
BY MARGARITA SPALDING
GERRY,
THE national convention of the
Unitarian Layman's League.

TIME national convention of the
Unitarian Layman's League.
now in progress in this city
Il calls attention TO the value.
both to the Nation and to
Washington itself, OF the group Of
rnen who were the founders Of that
liberal church In this city. OF the %
who organized that first congregation,
William Winston Seaton. nine times
mayor OF Washington and for half
century Gevo.ed to IT'S service, prob
ably did more for this city than any
other man. And since those who knew
him best could not conceive of him
without the faith that pervaded his
whole life, it seems fitting to retrace
the steps of very noble life while 90
many who think az he thought are
meeting In the city Of his devotion.
There is always sense of triumph
~ when an evolutionist can discover, in
hereditary traits, the modifying effect
Of environment. If there was one
quality that was persistent in w. w.
Seaton IL was loyalty. And there Ia
the spell of old.worid ioealiies in his
very name. For the seatons from
whom our mayor was ineal de-
scendant In the old country were al
ways devoted adherents oi the Stuarts.
And that Henry Seaton Of Csir- Milton.
who emiCrated to this country in 1888,
left his own land only when 1t was evil
dent that there would be no retriaI Of
the Stuart cause. In new country
loyalty attached itself 20 principles as
we'll as to persons
From the first the Seatons held a
high place among the colonial gen
try. Henry Seaton settled in King
William County. Virginia. oar mayors
mother was sister OF Col Winston
Of Revolutionary fame. whose beau
tiful estate was in Stokes County,
n. G.. and the Winston" was pre-
served in the nephews name. The
enthusia SINS Of young Seatons boy
hood were about equally divided be-
tween study and the chase. and this
balance between Intellectual interests
and wholesome pleasures was charac-
teristic of his whole life.
The boy was very young when
he began his chosen work Of jour
nalism. first in Richmond. then in
st. Petersburg, Va. But even in his
first independent venture in 1907, as
editor OF a paper in Halifax. y. c.,
he showed the qualities Of bravery.
reetitude and reasonableness thst.
doubly remarkable In so young and
vivid a man, were to become the
dominating forces Of an amazingly
symmetrical personality. Courage so
often deeenerates into rashness, or,
hurting itself against too great oh
stacles, is impotent. But with young
Seaton the cavalier spirit enforced
success because Of its uprightness.
and success because Of an under.
standing OF the point of view OF
other men. The pitfall of almost
spectacular good looks, also. failed 10 !
trip up his busy feet. and an en-
Sasins youthful diffidence made very
evident ability disarming, instead of
as sometimes happens when youth |
IL to the fore--almost an offense.
Certainly every possible gift. native |
and acquired was needed for this par
ticular post. The virulence Of party |
politics in the early days Of the re- |
public is today almost impossible to
comprehend. Men were moved TO the |
height of passion. often to murderous
passion. Newspapers were hostile |
manifestoes: an editor was a salient |
Of personal danger. This was the pc
Rod Of transition from the almost !
pure federalism OF the early republic
emphasizing the necessity OF a
strong national governmert-to that
doctrine OF the sovereignty OF the
common man. which, whether called
''republica nism," as II was at that |
has since been linked with the name
OF Jefferson, has always contended
against the force Of Capitalization to
produce that still experimental ba!
ance Of opposing forces which we term
q republic.
IN North Carolina w w. Seaton
voiced Republican principles in a
State which was prepondera utly Fed.
eral. Some of the party leaders were
more of the nature OF what we call
gunner today than Of the polti-
clan whose legerdema!n is effective
with votes rather than with bullets.
The task to which Seaton dedicated
himself was ito curb the fiery opposi
ton, to obtain from his opponents a
candid discussion Of the political ques-
tions at issue, to charge vigorously +
against the pure federalism of which
this region has been heretofore the
and to transfer its allie.
glance to republicanism.
One must admit that to do this re.
CURED a stout arm and cool head.