Evening star., 1937-07-06
DR.. MARVIN URGES
LOCAL VOTE FIGHT.
Educator Addresses Oldest
inhabitants Groups
4th Celebration.

Charging that new ways have
twisted old faiths from their founda-
tions and disturbed the sanctions of
the holiest laws" in modern life, DR..
Cloyd H. Marvin, president of George
Washington University, yesterday
sounded an Independence day call
to righteous citizenship" with de-
mand for votes for the District Of
Columbia.
Too much emphasis is being placed
On the economic phase of life to-
day, Dr. Marvin told the Association
of Oldest Inhabitants in their tradi-
tional Independence day celebration
at Old Union Engine House. A re-
turn to the "spiritual' values of ear
lier days and the noble inheritance
left us b. our fathers" said the
speaker, involved the recognition of
responsibilities incurred through the
inheritance
II know that it is not righteous
citizenship" he declared, when we
as individuals do not insist upon our
full right of suffrage within this Dis
trict. I know it is not righteous citi-
zenship when any one of us seeks to
evade the payment of legitimate taxes.
know that it is not righteous citizen
ship when masters of corporations
chartered to do public work give that
service only by clamor and struggle
of those that they should serve. l
know that it. is not righteous citizen
ship for industry to oppreSS the
worker and stand apart and say that
unfair contracts were made and that
there is nothing to arbitrate. l know
that 1t is not righteous citizenship
for the worker in his strength to
break law, confiScate property and lose
his understanding of the very rights
he seeks. I know that it is not
righteous citizenship that permits i'm
proper relations to be established with
other nations. Righteous citizenship
means carrying out our legal obliga-
tions, for they are the rules of the
game, and. more than that. it means
living our lives with one another upon
the plan of the golden rule.
righteous citizenship he declared,
"is the knowing of right and the
wrong in public life, is the recogni-
tion Of right and wrong in the re-
lations of the individual life to the
life Of the state. Public office
is a public trust, but now that gov
ernment and business are immediate
partners there is no private Office
which does not involve its public
duties and responsibilities - except
here in the District of Columbia.
where We have no such thing as
citizenship"
Declaring there never was a time
In the history of this Nation when
the need of intelligent and patriotic
service was so keenly felt" Dr. Marvin
said modern changes had resulted in
contrast of conditions, subservi-
ence of social ideals and a shifting of
social relations involving the entire
fabric of our society"
The sudden widening of vision and
the enrichment of knowledge coupled
with new works, new ways he said,
have twisted old faiths from their
foundations and disturbed the sane
tions of the holiest laws. New en-
deavors on new seas The compass
quits the star. Old condolences fail!
Men try to think; there seems to be
no right or wrong but only the say
age laws of violence which We see
farlng up in our crude and outlandish
strikes whereby he who can is right
Society and state wherever they have
existed in the history of humankind
have arisen and been maintained
through some form of the conception
that life has purposes larger than
can be expressed in the momentary
wants and satisfactions of the idi-
vidual. The consciousness that an in
dividual life is part of some greater
whole is the impulse to that attitude
we call religion, out Of which and
without which arises society and the
state"
DR.. Marvin was the principal speak
er at the patriotic exercises of the
day. officially opened by the ringing
of the famous old fire bell, which
was the first to toll in mourning for
the death of President Lincoln. That
was when it was located in the Old
Guard House on Louisiana avenue
between Ninth and Tenth streets. 1t
was rung yesterday on the stroke of
noon by J. Eliot Wright, recording