Evening star., 1940-05-19
Pioneers Had
Influence in
City Growth
Local Branch Held
First Session Here
50 Years Ago
By John CIaeen Proctor.

CAOA1a3 SSSASOy Va G4AS 5SAAo Va
the American Revolution whose
congress meets here at the Ward
man Park Hotel, beginning today
and lasting through Wednesday, and
incidentally, the Sons of the Amer
ican Revolution should be greatly
interested in the people of the
National Capital, many of whose
ancestors entered the struggle for
American independence because
they believed that taxation without
representation was tyranny, and,
yet, a large majority of the 627,-
600 .ouls resioi.ilg here, at the Capt.
tai of Nation made possible by
those patriots who refused to pay
taxes not imposed by their own
representatives, are still without
the rights for which their ancestors
fought, bled and died
However, the Sons of the Amer
lean Revolution is fine body of
men who stand for the best there
is in character, loyalty and citizen
ship. 1t was organized in Califor-
MIA on July 4, 1876, on the occasion
of the centennial of the Declaration
of Independence, under the name
of the Sons of Revolutionary Sires
On April 30, 1889. the centennial
of the Inauguration of George
Washington as President of the
United States. a national society was
organized in Faunce's Tavern, New
York City, in the Long Room" in
which Washington took leave of
his officers at the close of the Revo-
luton. On this occasion the name
of Sons of the American Revolution
was assumed by the society. At
the same time. the original Cali
fornia Society of Sons of Revolu-
tionary Sires and 13 other State
societies which had since this Or
ganization become affiliated with
1t, changed their own designation
to one which corresponded to that
of the national society.
Senate Bill.
AS early as April 9, 1890, Senator
G. F. Hoar of Massachusetts, intro
duced in the Senate a bill to in
corporate this society, the bill be-
ing sponsored by David D. Porter
of the District of Columbia, Will
liam H. Arnoux and James Otis of
New York, w. Seward Webb and
Theodore S. Peck of Vermont, Tim
othy Dwight, Lucius P. Deming and
j. Coddington Kinney of Connecti-
cut, Rutherford B. Hayes and Will
son L. Gill of Ohio, Wade Hampton
of South Carolina, Simon B. Buck
ner of Kentucky, John B. Gordon
of Georgia, Robert L. Taylor of
Tennessee, Robert S. Green and
William O. Mcdowell of New Jer-
sey, Edwin S. Barrett and Luther
L. Tarbell of Massachusetts, John
G. Morris, James c. Cresap and w.
Francis Cregar of Maryland; A. S.
Hubbard and Charles j. King of
California. Charles Edward Cheney
of Illinois. William H. English of
Indiana, Charles H. Denison of
Maine, William H. Brearley of
Michigan, John B. Sanburn of Min
nesota, D. R. Francis of Missouri,
Hiram E. Hall of Washington, At
wood Violet of Louisiana, Edmund
de La Fayette of France, Zebulon B.
Vance of North Carolina, William
D. Moare of Wisconsin, Fitzhugh
Lee of Virginia, James A. Beaver OF
Pennsylvania, John j. Jacobs OF
West Virginia, Ebenezer B. Andrews
of Rhode Island. H. K. Slayton of
New Hampshire, Joseph F. Johnston
and Goldsmith Bernard West OF
Alabama, Samuel w. Williams of
Arkansas, Lyman E. Knapp of Alas
ka, H. R. Wolcott of Colorado, A.
j. Woodman of Delaware, William
B. Allison of Iowa, L. Bradford of
New Mexico, George L. Miller of
Nebraska, w. F. Wheeler of Mon
tana, Charles E. Hooker of Mis-
sissippi, William Kapal of Oregon
and George Pettigrew of South Da-
kota.
Objects of Society.
This bill gave as the objects of
the society: ITO perpetuate the
memory and the spirit of the men
who achieved American independ-
ence by the encouragement of his
torical research in relation to the
Revolution, and the publication of
Its results, the preservation of docu-
ments and relics of the records OF
the individual services of Revolu-
tionary soldiers and patriots. and
the promotion of celebrations of all
patriotic anniversaries; to carry out
the injunction of Washington in his
farewell address to the American
people, to promote. as an object
of primary Importance, institutions
for the general diffusion of knowl-
edge, thus developing an enlight-
ened public opinion, and affording
to young and old such advantages
as shall develop in them the largest
capacity for performing the duties
of American citizens; to cherish,
maintain and extend the institu-
tions of American freedom, to foster
true patriotism and love of coun-
try and to aid in securing for man
kind all the blessings of liberty"
Under this bill the National
Society was to have its principal
office at Washington, was to report
annually to the Secretary of the
Smithsonian Institution concerning
its proceedings, and other provisions
were stipulated. But apparently
this bill must have died with the
51st Congress. since the society was
not Incorporated until Is years later,
or on June 6, 1906, and then by
special act of Congress.
The first president of the National
Society was Lucius P. Deming, be-
fore mentioned, who was elected in
April, 1889, and resigned in October
of that year. when w. Seward Webb,
Of Vermont, was elected and filled
the Office for three years, he being
followed by Gen. Horace Porter,
who served for the next three years.
MIR. Webb was vice president of the
New York Central Railroad, and
the son-in-law of William H. VAN
derbilt.
There has always been a very
close connection between the
national body of this organization
and the local society. and the first