Evening star., 1927-08-11
COOLIDGE PRAISES LEADERS.

COOLIDGE PRAISES LEADERS.
President Pays Tribute to Predecessor
in Dedication Speech.
BY a staff Correspondent of The Star
| KEYSTONE, BLACK HILLS, S.
| OAK, August lin q brief but high
ly impressive address near here yes
| terday President Coolidge declared
that the progress of America has been
due to the spirit Of it's people. adding
| that this same spirit has been respon
sible for the winning of independence.
the perpetuation of it's institutions for
| self government and for the growth
and strength of this country.
The occasion for this address, which
was the first public utterance Mr..
Coolidge has made since announcing
| that he did not choose to be a candi-
| date to succeed himself, and the first
| formal speech he has made since com.
ing to the Black Hills, was the be-
ginning of the work of carving the
| likenesSes of Washington, Jefferson,
| Lincoln and Roosevelt into the gran
ite of Mount Rushmore, which colossal
| sculpture is to serve as a national
memorial for all time.
| 1t was amid most picturesque sur.
rOundings and with the great tower
ing wall Of Mount Rushmore, one Of
the highest peaks in the Black Hills,
before him, that the President deliv.
cred this speech. Besides a large
number of State and local officials,
there were more than 1000 persons on
hand to hear him and to look on dur
ing these exercises.
Purpose of Memorials.
In ascribing the marvellous growth
and development Of this country to
| the spirit of the people of America
| President Coolidge said that it is in
no small degree due to that spirit that
we have been able to produce such
great leaders as Washington, Jeffer-
son. Lincoln and Roosevelt.
| 1t is his opinion that If coming gen.
erations are to maintain like spirit.
it will be because they continue to
study the lives and times OF the great
men who have been leaders In history.
and continue to support the principles
which these men represented. He
contended that il is for that purpose
we erect memorials
| The Presidents speech In full tol'
lows:
| 1--WE have come here to dedtAto q
corner stone that was laid by the hHnd
Of the Almighty. On this towering
wall of Rushmore, in the heart OF the
Black Hills, Is to be inscribed me.
mortal which will represent some OF
the outstanding events OF American
| history by portraying with sui.aptS
inscription the features or four OF our
Presidents, laid on by the mana OF
great artist in sculpture. rms me
mortal will crown the neignt Oh aad S
| Mountains ana
the Atlantic seaboard, where coinIns
generations may view 1t for all tlme.
"It ia but natural that such design
should begin with George washington,
FOR with him begins that wnlcn Is
truly characteristic OF America. ne
represents our independence, our I'm.
stitution our liberty. He formed the
h;ghest aspirations that were enter
tanned by any people into the perlna
nent institutions of our Governlient.; y.
He stands as the foremost olsciple y.
| ordered liberty, a statesman VII
| inspired vision who IS not JUL
by any mortal greatness.
"Next to him will come Thomas Jel.
ferson. whose wisdom insured tna' .lis
| Covernment which Washington nau
forped should be intrusted to the ad'
ministration of the people. he en-
nhasized the element of self govern
| n,ent which had been enshrlneo III
| American institutions in such way
as to demonstrate that 1t was pfac.r
"a, and would be permanent. In MN
was likewise embodied the spirit OF eX'
,ansion. Recognizing the destiny Oh ms
country, he added otis territory. DS
removing the possibility OF any power
full opposition from nelshpol!.ihe !i
State he gave new guarantees " 'A'
rule of the people.
| Next Great Task.
| "After our country had been estab.
| ls,hed enlarged from sea to sea, ana
dedicated to popular government, tne
next great task was to demonstIa.e
the permanency of our Union ana 10
extend the principle of freedom to all
he inhabitants Of our land. The master
of this supreme Accomplishment Mas
| Abraham Lincoln. Above an oInel
national figures, he holds the love
Of his fellow countrymen. me "J, ha.
which Washington and JeHersoh ue
gan ne extended to its logical con-
| clusions.
| "That the principles for which these
three men stood might be still more
| f1rmly established destiny raised up
Theodore Roosevelt. To political free
| dom he strove to add economic Tree,
dom. BY building the Panama Canal
| he brought into closer relationship tne
| East and the West and realized tne
vision that inspired Columbus IN ms
| search for a new passage 10 lne
| Orient. u...,
.'The union of these four Presidents
carved on the face Of the eVerlastns
hills of South Dakota will constitute
| a distinctly national monument. II
will be decidedly American In its con-
ception, in its magnitude. in It's mean.
| ing. and altogether worthy or our
| country. No one can look upon IL
understandingly without reallzins tnat
! 1t is a picture Of hope fulhlled. Ats
| location will be significant. Here ~
the heart of the continent, on the sue
| of a mountain which probaply Ho
white man had ever beheld IN the oays
| of Washington, in territory when was
acquired by the action Of Jenerson'
| which remained an almost unbroKen
| wilderness beyond the days of Lincoln
! which was especially beloved by Koose'
Welt. the people of the future will see
| history and art combined to portray
| the spirit Of patriotism. They VIII
| know that the figure of these Fresi-
dents has been placed here, because
! by following the truth they built ior
eternity. The fundamental principles
which they represented have been
wrought into the very being Of our
country. They are steadfast as these
ancient hills.
"Other people have marveled at the
growth and strength Of America
| They have wondered how a few weak
and discordant colonies were able to
win their independence from one OF
the greatest powers of the world.
They have been amazed at our genius
for self.government. They have been