Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1931-03-18
CORRUPT POLITICS
ASSA|LED BY COLBY
Former Secretary of State
Speaks at st. Patrick'S
Day Celebration.

Mobilization of public sentiment
against organized minorities" and po-
litical corruption was urged by Balm
bridge Colby of New York, speaking
last night before the Washington So
ciety of the Friendly Sons of st. Pat
rick at the Hotel Mayfiower. The for
mer Secretary of State in the Wilson
administration attacked what he term
ed a general decline of the old COIL
| ceptions OF civic responsibility and
duty"
Three other prominent st. Patrick S
day gatherings were held last night,
| the members of the Ancient Order of
Hibernians gathering at the Mayflower,
Washington newspaper men and many
officials assembling in the auditorium
of the National Press Club for a gala
entertainment with a Broadway revue
and dancing and the Massachusetts
State Society holding a celebration.
Secretary of War Patrick j. Hurley
headed the list of prominent guests at
the banquet Of the Friendly Sons of
st. Patrick.
Urges Public Cleansing.
American public life needs quicken
Our institutions need cleansing. Our
citizenship needs rousing. Our STAN
dards of public conduct need lifting.
In some of our larger cities it is
obvious that some members of the
judiciary are sitting not only on the
bench, but on the lid screening wrong
doors from punishment and interpret
ing not the law, but the wishes of
dominant and corrupt political organi-
cations.
In the seats of legislation the forces
of privilege and special interest are
solidly massed. Legislation in the gen.
eral interest is pushed aside to make
way for legislation demanded by private
interests.
Assails Political BIocS.
II sometimes wonder who is repre-
senting America at the seats of Gov
eminent. can identify the spokesman
for the railroads. and for the utilities,
the textile manufacturers and the vari-
GUS importing interests. The Senators
for sugar and oil are easy to locate.
1t is simple matter to identify these
interests in the State capitals as we'll
as in the Nations Capital But it is
not so easy to find the spokesman for
America.
1T almost seems at times as II the
been disfranchised in its own house.
Almost everybody has his Congress-
man except Uncle Sam Almost every
point Of view has its exponent except
the plain American viewpoint"
Swager Sherley. former Representa-
tive from Kentucky, and Col. Arthur
O'Brien, president of the Society, also
spoke. The invocation was pronounced
by Rev. DR.. George w. Atkinson and
tNr.G nRz IL - H. - n.
man Nevis, S. j., president of George
town University. Levi Cooke was toast
master and win p. Kennedy eulogized
the departed members.
Among the guests were the Minister
Of Albania, Solicitor General Thomas D.
Thatcher, Senators Alvin w Barley,
Thomas P. Gore, Harry 3. Halves
Charles L. McNary, Key Pittman and
Burton K. Wheeler; Jouett Shouse, Ad-
miral H. " Butler, Justice Jennings
Bailey. Justice Fenton w. Booth, Joseph
P. Tumulty and Everett Sanders.
President Attends.
The Hibernians' banquet was at
tended by Judge Martin L. Sweeney of
Cleveland, national president of the
order. The speakers included Right
Rev. John M. Mcnamara, Auxiliary
Bishop of Baltimore; Miss Agnes G.
Regain, executive secretary, National
Council Of Catholic Women; Rev. T.
Vincent Fitzgerald. District chaplain of
Hibernians, and Miss Elizabeth Lynn,
District president of the Ladies' Auxil-
larry. Patrick j. Haltigan acted as
master of ceremonies.
At the National Press Club festivities
Eugene S. Leggett, the president, acted
as host, with Lee Poe Hart as chairman
Of the Entertainment Committee.
Among the nearly TOO guests were
Gen. John j. Persfing, Secretary of
Agriculture Hyde, former Ambassador
Henry Morganthau, Senator Tom Con-
naLy of Texas, who, with others, were
introduced by Eddie Bowling, stage star.
He is president of Famous Artists of
the Air, who furnished the program. a
portion of which was broadcast by the
National and Columbia systems.
Entertainers Listed.
The entertainers included Henry
Bowling, composer; Lee Morse, singer:
the Yacht Club Boys, Hal Sicily. AL
Shayne, Louise Burnhardt, the Trade
Twins and j. Fred Cootes, composer:
Nicolo Constantine, Allan Jones. the
Cordova SiSters-Anita, Angelica and
Lolits-Louise Groody, Evelyn Herbert
and Bill Coty
Dance music was rendered by Harold
Veo's well known radio orchestra.
The Massachusetts State Society,
largest of State societies in the Capital,
held party in the ball room of the
Shoreham Hotel, with more than 300
couples participating last night.
The entertainers included Miss Dor
othy Skinner, Miss Virginia McComber
and Charles Demma.
The committee in charge included
Stanford Bates, supervisor of Federal
prisons and president of the society;
William T. Simpson, treasurer; George
A. Herman, secretary, and Robert H.
Kempton, chairman of the Reception
Committee.
The Entertainment Committee in
cluded Louis w. Hart, chairman; John
L. Mcdonald Charles F. Sharkey, Miss
Eleanor Carleton, Miss Ruth Noyes,
Mrs. Patrick j. Murray, William R.
Russell, John F. Nesline, Wilson Nc
Cray, John F. Slattery and Mrs Bar
bara Butler.
The last reception Of the season will
be held Tuesday night, April 81, in the
Shoreham Hotel.