Evening star., 1928-05-27
WINNING GRAFTON
IN NATIONAL TEST
Moore Says Constitution Is
Bound Up With Anglo
Saxon History.

The winning Grafton by James Il.
Moore of Somerset, Ky, in the National
Oratory Contest here last night, fol-
lows:
The love Of liberty is instructive to
all men in all ages To the Latin and
Slavonic races. liberty has been like
some heavenly nebula. luminous and
Unattanable. To the fierce and prac-
teal Saxon, it was a concrete thing
upon which he must verify lay his
hands.
The story Of the American ConSti-
tuition is the story of the AngloSaXon
race. lis realization is the outcome of
a slow process of historical develop
nlcnt from the Norman Conquest to the
surrender at Yorktown
The seeds of Anglo-SaXon self gov
ernment fruited at Runnymede when
the baroaS Of England forced King
John TO sign the Magma Charta. They
fruted again when Oliver Cromwell
drove his worthless sovereign from the
English throne They reproduced a
thouSandfold when Washington. sub
merged III the Wintry SHOWS of Valley
Forge. called upon his God to deliver
his nation from the British chains Of
oespotsn. From the days of Magma
Charta 10 the days Of George III, lib
=
Destiny of Pioneers.
"@uerics IS the destiny Of master
TO- OoneeTing people determined to
sr6Serve in the New World the fruits
Of a thousand years struggle for free
dom in the Old The story of our
country is grander than that of the
Greek and nobler than that of the
Roman. It's struggle 70, existence. its
y ,-k. h.
ana endurance Of its men and women
challenge the best and noblest of all the
recorded past.
From the earliest Colonial period all
the aspirations for political security and
progress led to the establishment of the
principle of representation in govern
ment The characters under which the
ColoniStS built their settlements the
laws they made. their attempts at union
and their growing independence up tc
1889, all form the background of our
Constitution. Starting with the estab-
hsllment Of the Virginia House of
Burgesses in 1919. there was a continu-
anee in the growth of representative as
sembiies in all Of the Colonies, SO that
by the time Of the Revolution the DO
lItical struggle had become one between
Parliament on the one hand and the
representative assemblies on the other
When English liberties failed the
North American colonists they petit
toned the King. In vain they appealed
20 Parliament for the rights Of English
men The answer 70 this petition and
appeal was fleets and armies. the blood
CT Lexington and the fires of Charles
ton.
The Colonists writhed under the
principle Of taxation without repre-
sentation,' and strong only in the JUS
tice Of their cause and the stoutness Of
their hearts. they flung defiance in the
face Of the mightiest military power IN
Christendon.
whole country. because the divine spark
Of nationality first kindled by that act
vas famed into a mighty fame. which
Immediately spread throughout the i3
colonies. Unionl Union. was the In
stin6tive and simultaneous CRY through
olls the land. Independence was de-
clared and the illustrious Washington
led his country through a long. de-
sT7atrlug revolution 10 victory over
people who had acknowledged no victor
Tor 700 years.
Veterans Saw Promise.
The veterans who stood with WASH
3ngton and Lafayette at yorktown saw
cleaning the rainbow promise OF new
Nation under whose institutions liberty
order and opportunity should be en-
j0yed hy millions. They saw a new Ma
fion with neH ideals and new purposes
conceived III the holy thoughts of lib
erEy. equality and freedom, the most
sublime doctrine since the Sermon Oh
the Mount.
Let US never forget that We possess
q noble inheritance bought for lis by
the toll and suffering and the blood and
s2crlnfe Of our ancestors
at tile close 0! the Revolution, the
nbes atEd colonies were drifting into an
1ay and chaos for the need Of an
effective central government. In iT77
Congress adopted the Articles OF Con-
federation. which were ratified by the
States IN 1881. These soon proved In
adequate No mere confederacy could
answer the needs Of the nex American
people. That people needed q national
government
1T vas provsdential that the inef-
fecfsveness Of the confederation was so
Boosl recognized, and that there was al
hand the leadership Of such men ds
washington. Madison. Franklin. Ham
Aton and others 20 guide diStraught
people 10 SO sound basis Of nationality
These great names and their services 70
the Union aGorn the pages Of our MS
kgFN a. EfEE &LAEE AEAE
n1enf They gave US our independence,
cur Constitution, cur Union. and our
freedom.
aaThe Constitutional Convention met
In Philadelphia. May ~, 1887, TO re-
wise the Articles Of Confederation. but
with admirable boidne6g It's members
resolved 10 cast these aside and TO draft
2 wholly new Constitution. This ia
Yyoflg assembly Of S. delegates. 80 OF
w,iaor4 signed the Constitution. we're stu
dents Of governmental experiments and
had the experience of the English con-
stfsutson and Of their colonial and state
governments Combined Ia that noia-
be gathering we're the Vigof and en-
tf2uslasna Of youth and the counsel ana
moderation of age.
Work Is Accomplished.
.."After four months u arduous LABOR
through Z scorcEing Philadelphia Sum
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