Evening star., 1936-07-04
Men of JefferSon'S Type
Required, He Says in Ad-
dress at Monticello.
SAME QUALITIES OF rs
HELD NEED AT PRESENT
Confident Relighting of Spirit
Will Come and Lovers of Democ-
racy Will Be Developed,
BY ]. RUSSELL YOUNG.


CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va, July A.
Standing reverently on the portico of
Monticello, the home of Thomas
Jefferson, President Roosevelt today
delivered an Independence day Grafton
appealing for leaders of the character
and spirit of the author of the Decla-
ration of Independence to meet the
problems of the present Ito maintain
true freedom in this Nation" A large
gathering heard the address.
Mr.. Roosevelt declared the problems
of 1886 call as greatly for the continua-
tion of imagination and energy and
capacity for responsibility as did the
age of Jefferson, and he added with
emphasis that it is not beyond the
power Of the people of this country to
relight the sacred fire of fundamental
freedom. He contended there are nc
limitations upon the Nations capacity
to accomplish this, except the
strength of our Nations desire ano
determination.
However, Mr.. Roosevelt spoke as one
who has confidence that this religh.-
ing of the spirit of freedom will come
about and that lovers of freedom and
democracy like Jefferson will be de-
Veloped. He said he is not one who is
inclined to believe that the spirit Of
such men as Jefferson was the spirit
of golden age, gone and never to be
repeated.
Glass Lauds President.
1t was plain to be seen that the
President was pleased by the COM
parsons to Jefferson in the remarks
of Senator Carter Glass and Stuart
Gibboney, president of the Thomas
jefferson Memorial Association, who
presided.
Mr.. Roosevelt was introduced by
Senator Glass, who said:
Virginia greets him because of his
high position; Virginia greets him
because of his high courage and in
comparable patriotism, and Virginia
greets him because he processes that
love of humanity and the plain people
that characterized Thon1as 3effersoii
Mr. Gibboney said Mr.. Roosevelt,
you are worthy successor to JET
ferson and we acclaim you for the
devotion you have shown in your pub
lie life for the common people. JEFF
ferson fought for equal opportunity
for all and against all special priv
ilege, the same as you have. You have
been Jeferson's worthy successor in
the fight you have made for the |
people"
Scene Is Inspiring.
The words of the President seemed |
TO be inspired by his standing amid |
the scenes which inspired Jefferson |
and which he loved so we'll
Amplifiers carried the voice of the
President to the far corners of the |
great crowd assembled on the smooth |
lawns of the historic estate However
these thousands of people, mostly from
this section of Virginia, were not Mr..
RooSevelt's only listeners. He was
heard by millions throughout the land
through the medium of Nationwide |
radio hook-up. In the group of promi-
nent persons seated near the President |
as he spoke were Mrs. Roosevelt, Post
master General Farley, Secretary OF
Interior Ickes; Marvin H. Mcintyre,
one of the Presidents secretaries; Miss
Marguerite Leland, the Presidents
private secretary; Senator Glass
and Senators Harry F. Byrd of
Virginia, and Hattie Caraway Of
Arkansas, Gov. George Peery of Vir-
ginia, Representative Howard Smith
of Alexandria, Va, Judge r. Walton
Moore, Assistant Secretary of State;
Edward F. McGrady, Assistant Secre-
1ary of Labor; Charles West, Under
secretary of Interior; and J. M. John
son, Assistant Secretary of Commerce.
Mrs. Roosevelt was attractively at
tired in a white dress and red and |
blue silk scarf, which combination CT
colors gave her patriotic tone.
In lauding the character and great
ness of Jefferson in his opening re-
marks, the President said there are
periods of history when one man
seems great because those who stand |
beside him are small, but that Jeffer- |
son was great in the presence of many |
great and free men. The President |
expressed the opinion that in 1776
the fathers of the Constitution seemed |
to have caught the fire of greatness |
from one another and that all became
elevated above the common run of |
mankind.
Source of Greatness.
Mr.. Roosevelt then declared that |
the stirring of a new sense of freedom |
was the source of their greatness He |
pointed out that they were enjoying |
the taste of the first fruits of self gov
eminent and freedom of conscience;
that they had broken away from a |
system of peasantry, from indentured |
servitude; that they were finding that |
they could build for themselves a new |
economic independence.
The President seemed to be speak
ing in defense of his New Deal policies
when, speaking of Jefferson and his
fellow patriots, he said, Theirs were
not the gods of things as they were,
but the gods of things as they ought |
to be. They used new means and new
models to build new structures"
The President said the world has
never had as much human ability as
it needs and a modern democracy in
particular needs, above all things, the
continuance Of the spirit of youth.
BY way Of emphasis he added that
Jefferson was only SO when he wrote
the Declaration of Independence.
These exercises at Monticello, while
Impressive, were not long drawn out
as is frequently the case on patriotic
occasions. They began at 10 am.