Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1935-07-05
Senator Declares Constitu-
ton Holds Hopes of Ma
ton in Meeting Problems.
SPECTACULAR DISPLAY
VISIBLE FOR MILES
Massing of Colors and Marine
Band Concert Lend Color
to Ceremony.

OAOWAC0 o4Oh4A0 bAAN w hoAl-
ington Monument last night to watch
the brilliant Independence day fire.
work display, were exhorted in a
Fourth of July grafton by Senator
Harry Flood Byrd. Democrat, of Viz
GINA, to follow the Constitution in
seeking the way out Of current eco
nomic difficulties.
1t was of George Washington, to
whom the Monument is a memorial,
that Senator Byrd spoke, using the
great Americans life and ambitions
for the Nation as a springboard for
defense of the Constitution and the
sovereignty Of the States.
Conceding the difficulty of today's
economic problems, the Virginia
Democrat warned against disregard
of the Constitution in seeking their
solution. George Washington. he
said, believed "the choice was between
the Constitution and confusion"
Men Of equally good intentions
cannot always agree upon the proper
boundaries of the rights of the States"
said Senator Byrd, who in the past
has charged the Roosevelt admins
tration with improper usurpation of
power.
They cannot take map and mark
where the jurisdiction of the Federal
Government begins and the jurisdic-
ton of the State government ends.
Yet, remember that the Constitution
provides that the Government has
only the powers granted it by the
States and that all powers not granted
are reserved to the States or the
people thereof.
I'm a country so vast and diversified
as this, central Government may not
understand and effectively meet all
the local problems peculiar to the
several sections whose needs vary
greatly one from the other.
"The Constitution protects your in
dividual freedom and your individual
property and your right to have home
tribunals pass upon those matters
which most intimately affect you.
Holds Principles Vital.
1.-THE Constitution is not sacred
it may be changed-but the funda-
mental principles sought to be pro-
tected by the Constitution are sacred
and vital to the life, liberty and
chance of happiness of every Amer
! lean"
The entire program, of which Sen
ator Byrd's speech was a part. was
run off with dispatch. The spectacu-
lar fireworks display, witnessed by
President Roosevelt from the White
House, took a little more than halt
an hour, but was described as one
of the finest presented here.
New Government buildings nearby
transformed the sharp reports Of ex-
ploding rockets into reverberating
rumbles. And actual thunder was
not far from the minds of the crowd
for skies were overcast when the cere-
monies began and the clouds grew
heavier with the increasing darkness
All of the 5000 tickets for chairs
on the Monument slope were disposed
of two hours before the exercises, as
surfing sufficient money to defray ex-
penses. Half the tickets were sold by
Wednesday evening and hundreds OF
would-be purchasers were turned
away last night at the Monument
Grounds booths.
Display Seen at Distance.
Persons at much greater distance
than those having chairs could readily
see the fireworks, however. Spectators
lined the north side of Pennsylvania
avenue to watch the display and some
1000 persons gathered on the emil
hence of Meridian Hill Park miles
away.
Rockets which showered floating
lights of many hues constituted the
principal portion Of the show, but
sets, both patriotic and humorous
provided variety. Portraits of the first
and present Presidents, done in fame
and a burst Of several rockets fired
simultaneously brought the show to
an end.
Park and Metropolitan police and
National Guardsrnen handled the
crowd smoothly. There was prac-
tically no confusion and the Monu-
ment Grounds were well cleared Is
minutes after the display.
BY tbs pm, when the concert by
the Marine Band began, the seat;
were well filled.
The ceremony started with mass
ing of colors by half hundred patri-
otto organizations at Sixteenth street
and Constitution avenue. From
Seventeenth and Fifteenth streets the
f1agbearers converged on the center
of the field in an impressive display
Father OLeary Gives Invocation.
With Melvin Sharpe, chairman Of
the Citizens Committee which staged
the affair, presiding, Rev. Arthur A
OLeary, new president of George
town University, gave the invocation
There was more music and ther
Sharpe introduced Senator Byrd. Col
Edwin A. Halsey, secretary of TIT
Senate, read the Declaration of In.
dependence, and Boy and Girl Scout!
marched with torches to the speakers
stand. Nearby, the drum and bugl,
corps of the Vincent B. Costello Post
American Legion, played MARTA
music.
At the end of the ceremonies, tn,
colorbearers marched through an aisl,
in the crowd and to the base Of tn,
Monument.
Among the guests were numerou.
representatives of the Capitals ON
cialdom. These who sat on the plat.
form included Senator Arthur Cappel
and REPRESENTATIVE Percy Gassaway