davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star., 1942-04-26
BY Claude Bowers.

Lincoln once said that "the principles
OF Jefferson are the definitions and the
axioms of a free society'-s free society
that is today being challenged by brute
force throughout the world.
In his political concepts. in his mill
tant devotion to democracy, in his love
of liberty and independence, In his ha-
tired of religious and racial intolerance.
In his contempt for the anarchy of in
ternationsl gangsters. he is the personifl-
cation and the symbol of the American
ideas and ideals that tyranny and saw
agery are now trying to destroy.
He made himself the personihcation
of things that are fundamental and
eternal and thus his leadership of lib
erty-loving people even to this day
And because the things he fought and
wrought for in his heroic days have been
condemned to determination by brute
force, the genius of Thomas jefferson
Is again evoked to lead us in the spirit as
he once did IN the flesh. His papers
and letters are left us for our guidance,
and because his words were touched with
magic and dealt with elemental things
they might have been written this morn
ing in direct answer to the challenge OF
the tyrants now upon the march. OF no
other American in history is this quite
so true
He cryStalhzed in law and confirmed
IN practice the things that go TO the
making Of the American way Of life
which the despots of today have mo-
bihzed utterly TO destroy.
Saw a New Day.
We see him seated at the little desk
he had designed IN the parlor Of the
simple apartment in Philadelphia where
he lived. responding TO the unanimous
call Of his colleagues TO write the Dec
larstion Of Independence. Others could
have drawn the indictment of a mad
monarch and a plant Parliament per-
hapS as well; but this man saw beyond
the ephemersl grievances Of the hour 20
a new day now made possible for the
common lot. AS his pen raced over the
paper before him. he wrote an indictment
accidentally interesting today as bit
Of history but in the preamble. which
alone gives the document its immortal
ity, he wrote indelioly the American
ooncept OF life He wrote the covenant
OF democracy.
We hold these truths to be self
eTidenf that al men are created
equal. that they are endolped By their
Creator Icith certain IadlieHdble
rights. that among these are hte,
liberty and the pursuit OF happiness.
That to secure these rights, eope-H-
HeRts are instituted among men, de-
rirtno their jESt pot0eTS from the
consent OF the governed
Thus he flung the challenge OF free,
men 30 the tyrantS of all time.
His life thereafter was devoted Il
giving reality to that creed Again VI
see him. a little older now. in Paris, IL
the service Of his country, reading witt
CONSERVATION new Constitution tha
made no provision for the protection
of the people against the abuse Of power
Again his pen spluttered over the paper
writing Washington and Madison tha
Evening star., 1942-04-26

as well as silks and laces, India null
shawls, striped silks. lace wells and
shawls. Irish linen and Russia duck were
in favor, and the wtfite merino shawl was
in vogue for young ladies. Later the
crimson shawl was thought indispensable
by single women, as much so as the Rus
sian duck trousers were for mems sum-
mer wear. In millinery, the Leghorn hat
was favorite, but the matrons affected
the bandesu with ostrich plumes.
Washington Topham, quoting the Ma
tional Intelligencer of June IL, 1888. says
this newspaper states the business center
Of the city was then along Pennsylvania
avenue between John Marshall place and
Eighth street and that Just six months
previously this paper had noted the
erection by Darius Clagett of building
Evening star., 1942-04-26


for many gears kept q general
store at the intersection OF the
SuitLdnd and SilUer Hill roads.
estate he built two artificial lakes and
stocked them with fish; indeed, there
were few things absent from what was
built for a country gentleman's home.
He planted out many acres in fruit
trees, and as these grew in size, and the
quantity of fruit increased. he shipped
TO other cities what he could not dispose
Of in Washington.
The colonel was famous for his hos
pitality, and he was known throughout
the county for his many charities. But
he did like to entertain prominent
people. and such notables as Presidents
Grant and Rutherford B. Hayes and Mr..
Justice Miller of the United States
Supreme Court were frequent guests at
his mansion, and often stopped in to see
the colonel when out for carriage ride.
When the British High Commission
came to Washington in 1875 to adjust
the Alabama claims, it, together with
number of distinguished friends of the
host, was entertained at Suitland with
a banquet and ride to the hounds.
and the United States Marine Band fur
nished the music.
Some marriages are not always har-
monious. and Col. Suits second marriage
was apparently not complete success,
for about this time Col and Mrs. Suit
were legally separated. Subsequently he
was married TO the daughter of Charles
Pelham. Representative from Alabama.
1t seems that happiness and sadness
are inseparable and Col Suit had both.
Evening star., 1942-04-26

elegant style. having vaults all around
under the footways"
The firm of Perry g. Bro. included A..
z. Perry, T. j. S. Perry and Seaton Perry.
and the writer is Of the opinion that the
distinguished lawyer, r. Ross Perry, and
of the members of this firm.
Apparently the Clagett firm later
moved next door to the corner, for at
this time its house number was Market
Space, No. 2 being at the northeast cor
ner of Ninth street.
In more recent years, as many will
recall, this corner was occupied at various
times by Robinson, Parker g. Co.; Parker
& Bridget and Cherry & Moran and
others.
Market Space is one of the oldest busi-
Evening star., 1942-04-26

25 BY IS feet al the northeast corner OF
Ninth and Pennsylvania avenue. the
largest and handsomest store on Penn
sylvanIa avenue"
The erection Of the present building Is
recorded by John Sessford as having
occurred in 1889. and, this early chron-
icler says: This store Of Perry &
Brother, FIVE stories high. at the corner
OF Ninth street and Pennsylvania avenue
Is a superior building. being fitted up in
Evening star., 1942-04-26
BY John Clagett Proctor.

in ls40. Darius ClsRett having formerly
beer tn the retail dry goods business in
Georgetown. In 1850 the firm engaged
here was known as ClaRett. Newton. May
Il Co, the partnership including D.
Clagett, John 3. Clsgett, A. L. Newton
and Joseph I May.
In those days csssimeres. kerseys.
bornbazines. cambric, lawn, cahcos, linen,
Evening star., 1942-04-26
THERE WERE GIANTS IN
THOSE DAYS"

This is the eighth of q series Of articles
about men and women who worked, fought
and died that America might lives men and
women who made America great by contrib
utinR their own greatness to country which
was founded and has endured on the prin-
ciples Of life; liberty and the pursuit Of hap
pineSs the right of every man. The
ninth article in the series viii appear
next Sunday.
Evening star., 1942-04-26

But Col Suit, or Taylor Suit, as he
was most likely then called. was not in
tended for a store clerk, and besides. ne
was ambitious and desirous of college
education, and because his father did not
crafty his wishes along this line, he ran
away while still in his teens and found
employment in Keokuk, Iowa. After
staying there several years he went to
Louisville, KY, where he secured work
in a distillery, and in time became
distiller himself and built what was for
many years the largest liquor warehouse
In Louisville.
1t was while residing in Louisville that
he was first married, but his wife lived
only few years, when the colonel mi
grated to New York City and became
interested in the securities market,
eventually obtaining seat on the Stock
Exchange. Here he added considerably
to his fortune and he further added to
his social standing by marrying Aurelia
Wilmarth, daughter of the president Of
the Home Life Insurance Co. of New
York, by whom he had one son.
When Suit Returned.
AS is usually the case, when man
leaves home and acquires a fortune,
there is beckoning that urges him to
return to his native heath, and few
ever resist it. And so, in 1865, on ac-
count of failure in health. he returned
to nearby Washington and bought the
Suitland property.
Money brought to Col. Suit high ideas,
and in order to crafty these ne built
upon his farm, distance back of the
Silver Hill road, fine house patterned
after an English mansion, such as had
fascinated him on his frequent visits
to Europe. 1t was spacious house.
built for the entertainment of guests
and had every convenience in use at
that time, including a wine cellar that
would have done justice to the barons
of Southern Maryland during Colonial
days. The living rooms were decorated
with fine paintings and with art objects
brought from abroad.
The grounds were elaborately land
scaped with exotic shrubbery, statuary
and summer houses, and a greenhouse
attended by Belgian gardener, fur
nished the mansion with flowers In win
ter He had thoroughbred horses, car
riages and an English coachman, whose
quarters over the stable were even sup
piled with a billiard table. On the
Evening star., 1942-04-26

in shining armor to lead the struggle
definitively to determine, once and for
all, that the Preamble of the Declara-
ton and the Bill of Rights he had
championed defined the American way
worth dying for.
After a bitter battle, with demagogic
mobS milling in the streets, with the
poisoned arrows of hate and fury turned
upon him, the prison doors opened to
the release of men who had suffered
for opinions Sake-the platform again
was open-again the press was free.
Called Red"
But this culninative struggle had dis
closed that powerful forces with facts
tic concepts were at work to make
mockery of the principles of the Pream-
BILE to the Declaration. No longer was
it safe to rest our democracy on infer
ence. 1t had to be put to the arbitra-
ment of debate. And for full decade,
the issue was uncertain as the bitterest
and most significant battle in American
history was fought.
At the head of the democratic col
umns rode the red-haired author of
the Declaration. Scurrihty opened its
food gates upon him. He was red"
he was "Jacobin," he was an atheist
he was "demagogue"-and all this
meant that he was a democrat. With
the consummate political genius that was
his, he modified, organized, munitioned,
armed and led the people in the struggle
to determine whether government
should rest on the consent of the gov
erned, or be imposed by selfish, auto
cratic few. He won the victory which
Evening star., 1942-04-26

But he was tender-h hearted and kind, and
loved children, of whom he had several.
He was generous TO others, and perhaps
some mothers and fathers still recall
having received from him, when they
were young, one of his pure white Ice
land ponies, which he bred upon his
farm for no other purpose than to pre-
sent to his friends.
However, his greatest trouble and loss
began in 1876, when his costly mansion
was completely destroyed by fire. It oc-
CURED while he was serving as one Of
the judges of agriculture at the Gen.
tennial Exposition in Philadelphia, and
the shock was a severe one. Although
Evening star., 1942-04-26
Star stan Photo.

came to this vicinity from Stamford.
Conn, shortly after Col. Suit moved
here, for the purpose of looking after
the colonels saw mills AT an early date.
Mr. Crosier bought so acres of Col. Suits
land and later added to his original
purchase.
Naturally, nearly all the old-tmers
who lived in this district as early a.
1873 have either died or left the COM
munity. but. nevertheless. 1t may be
interesting to here preserve the names
of some OF It's early inhabitants. tbs
descendants of many of whom. no doubt,
are now residing in the District OF Co
lumbia.
Evening star., 1942-12-30
Clio Union Wins Election
At Wright Plane Plants
By the Associated Press.

BY the Associated Press.
PATERSON, N. j., Dec. 3O.-The
C1O has won the right to represent
production workers in five New Jer-
sey plants OF the Wright Aero
nautical Corp. after a long strug-
gle to break the hold of an inde-
pendent union.
The results OF a collective bar
gaining election conducted by the
National Labor Relations Board
were announced last night by John
j. Carmody, NLRB field examiner.
He said the vote was 1859 for the
United Automobile Workers (CIO)
4,6l3 for the Independent Aircraft
Workers of America and 1,257 for
no union. A total Of 1928 were
eligible to vote.
The UAW had been defeated by
another independent union, the
Wright Aeronautical Employees As
sociation, by a 2-to-1 vote last May.
But the NLRB threw out this cleo
ton, charging the WAEA with being
company dominated
When the WAEA was dissolved
by its officers, the Aircraft Workers
of America was organized to take
up the fight for independent union
representation. The new election
was held this week.
In three other elections among
smaller groups Of Wright workers
the C1O was victorious in one, the
AFL won another and the Aircraft
Workers of America the third.
Evening star., 1942-12-30
The Great Game of Politics
WoIIoee's Talk Monday Night Called Fine Speech;
Friends Warned Not to Spoil 1t by Overproise

contrary, 1t Is as concrete as any
one possibly could be at this time
on this subject. Instead of having
his head in the clouds, Mr.. Wallace
seems now to have his feet on the
ground.
Apparently he has profited not
only by criticism but by reading the
great speech of Secretary of State
Hull delivered last July. Apparently,
too, he has been reading the various
magazine articles and columns treat
ing of postwar problems.
In other words, Mr.. Wallace has
neither ignored his critics nor dis
regarded their criticism. Instead he
appears honestly to have profited
by them, which is not only disarm-
ing but Illuminating.
The small man adopts a different
method. He refuses to let in the
light. declines to concede that any
just fault could be found with him,
falls back upon his yes men and
greasers to confirm his opinion of
his own nobility and greatness. Mr..
Wallace did nothing of the sort.
AS a result, he has made a reallv
fine speech.
True, 1t contains no strikingly new
thought, but it Is clear-headed and
hlgh-minded, and 1t will be tremen-
dously helpful in educating the peo-
pie toward the making, after victory,
OF sane peace, effective co-opera-
ton with other nations and an en-
hghtened handling of the vital inter-
national and domestic problems with
which we will be confronted.
1t Is to be hoped that Mr.. Wal
lace's overardent friends do not
spoil this really good speech as they
did his first one by overpraise.
That will be unfair to Mr.. Wallace
for two reasons. First, every man
suffers soon or late from overpraise;
second, II too much is made OF this
speech 1T will give rise again to the
suspicion that, in the midst Of a war
he and his friends are conducting a
Wallace e-for-Preside campaign.
That would be unfortunate. Ger
tainly, 1t would detract from the
beneficial effects Of the sound pro-
posals he now advocates.
Evening star., 1942-12-30

ed 10 cut the Constantine Brown.
knot by assuming full control OF
the entire area until the end of
the war, when the North African
empire can be handed back to a
government elected by the freed
people OF France.
The meeting between Gen.
Charles de Gaulle and Gen.
Henri Honore Giraud, the new
high commissioner and COM
mander In chief in North AZ
rica, will not take place until
after Gen. Giraud has formed
his cabinet and established his
new government.
1t appears that while the gov
ernors in Morocco, Algeria and
Senegal have pledged themselves
to cooperate unrestrictedly with
the Allies they would oppose the
presence of Gen. de Gaulle in
any kind Of administrative job
in. North Africa. Gen. Giraud
himself is willing to go along
with Gen. de Gaulle and is con-
sidering giving the leader of the
Fighting French a military job
with the battling forces.
But he is reported reluctant to
offer De Gaulle any other posi-
ton except In a military capac-
ity compatible with his military
experience.
Whether Gen. de Gaulle will
be willing to yield political am
bitions and accept a subordinate
position such as commander of a
tank division, remains to be seen.
London Backers Concerned.
In the meantime, however,
there is much concern over what
reaction the Fighting French
leader and his hackers in London
will have when Gen. de Gaulle
realizes that his role in North
Africa will have to be confined to
a military command.
Important conversations are
now going on between Washing
ton and London on this subject
and other matters concerning the
future of Africa.
For the time being the power
full British wireless stations at
Akkra-southeast Of Dakar-and
the Fighting French station at
Brazzaville are reported to be
shooting at the unsatisfactory
situation in North Africa.
1t. Gen. Dwight Eisenhower
Is said to have objected strongly
to the broadcasts from both these
stations, which are considered by
the Americans in North Africa
as likely to jeopardize our war
effort.
Should there be a further de-
lay in the improvement of rela-
tions as regards Gen. de Gaulle
and the present North African
setup there is possibility that
the United States will become
the official trustee of the North
African Colonial Empire in order
to avoid unpleasant complica-
Evening star., 1942-12-30

ing alone will not solve what
promises to become within the
next IL months the leading
American economic problem
namely, the production of food.
1t is problem which has been
shockingly neglected. And 1t has
begun to assume serious dimen-
sions, not only from the view
point of production, but from it's
effect on the social order.
At time when we need more
food than ever in our history,
farms are closing down by the
tens of thousands. Dairy cattle
are being slaughtered in droves.
A widespread Axis plot could not
accomplish as effective sabotage
as follows from failing energet-
ically to deal with the needs of
farmers.
spent the Christmas holi-
days in a rural New England
community. Within the last
months two splendid and produc-
tive farms, within two miles on
either side of my farm, have
been dismantled. One is a 500
acre farm with new $4,000
barn that normally supports so
head Of dairy cattle Today there
Is not COW on the place. The
other is 200-acre dairy and
general farm occupied for 40
years by the same family. 1t
was sold this winter and all the
equipment auctioned. The buyer
Is a townsman who wants 1t as
summer home.
Labor Scarcity TO Blame.
In each case the answer was the
same: Our boys have been
drafted" In each case no other
labor is available.
In our town there are nor
mally three carpenters. On them
the farmers depend for the re-
pair work now more than ever
essential, since there is a short
age OF materials. All have left
us, to work in defense plants.
True, prices are high. But they
still do not produce sufficient in
come to enable the farmer to
compete for workers with the war
industries. The most incompe-
tent hired man can move to the
nearest industrial center and,
at some automatic process re-
quiring less skill and manual
effort than the manifold skills
OF the farm, earn an income the
payment Of which by a farmer
would automatically wipe out all
his profits.
The problem of transportation
to markets is terrific, because of
the gas shortage. That people
In cities still run private cars
causes the farmer to gnash his
teeth. He is not only cut off
from his market and shopping
Evening star., 1942-12-30
Dead Jap Yields Watch
Marine Lost in SoIomons

BY the Associated Press
VALLEJO, Calf. Dec. 3O.-Marine
Pvt. John S. Ellis learned yesterday
that wrist watch he lost on Quad
alcanal was reclaimed by another
marine from the body of a dead jap.
In Kansas City. Corpl. Orville
johnson of Swea City. Iowa, showed
the watch to friends he was visiting.
1t bore the engraving John S. Ellis,
U. S. M, Aug. 81, 40" In Wash
1ngton the Marine Corps noted that
Pvt. Ellis, of New Bedford, Mass,
was convalescing at Mare Island
Navy hospital here.
Pvt. Ellis told this story:
He was among the first marines
to land on Guadalcanal. They had
to leave all their personal equipment
aboard ship. He took his wrist
watch-his folks had given it to him
when he enlisted-and stuck it in
his bedroll. Subsequently this bed
roll, with other equipment. was
dumped on the bank of a river.
Pvt. Ellis believes a Jap raiding
party made foray through the ma
rine ines-there was considerable
fighting then-and stole the equip
ment. and his watch. The Jap who
got the watch later was killed by
Corpl. johnson.
Pvt. Ellis suffered from shellshock
when bombs dropped only a few feet
from him. He now Is feeling At.
Evening star., 1942-12-30

terrible consequences have flowed
from failure to deal with them
intelligently.
This war, being immeasurably
greater than all preceding ones,
it follows that the problems of the
postwar period will be correspond
ingly great. To muddle these as we
did those of "a years ago will pro-
duce calamity only less dreadful
than defeat.
Thought along these lines has
been stimulated recently by Herbert
Hoover's Chicago speech, in which
he proposed that, when victory
comes, the peace making be in two
stages-fIrst, an immediate and
conditional peace, involving the
total disarmament of the enemy;
second, a cooling-off period, de-
voted to solving the major prob
lens after deliberate study by
competent men. This makes sense.
But now thought has been further
stimulated by the Monday night ad-
dress of Vice President Wallace,
which has the advantage of a pre-
delivery approval by Mr.. Roosevelt
and the facilities for distribution of
the Office of War Information.
incidentally, the Owl is still dis
tributing the last summers speech of
Mr.. Wallace, which some of his more
unrestrained admirers likened to the
Gettysburg Address and somewhat
unWisely tried to make Mr.. Wallace
appear to be a second Lincoln, sue
ceeding only to make him appear
ridiculous.
Now they, themselves, are in
plight. Having exhausted their su-
perlatives in laudation of the first
speech and eulogized Mr.. Wallace
as superstatesman with an in
spired vision, they will find them
selves at loss adequately to treat
this latest speech, which is very
much better in every way.
The contrast between the two
speeches is, in fact, very marked,
not that they do not go in the same
general direction but that they are
otherwise as differently constituted
and phrased as If they had been
written by different men,
1t is interesting, indeed, to note
the effect of the criticism of Mr..
Wallace's first postwar planning
address upon his second. There
could hardly be better example of
how well-directed criticism makes
for improvements this case not
only in style and phraseology but in
thought.
That it was the criticism that
made the change is attested by the
fact that Mr.. Wallace himself takes
note of it in his most recent
utterance, repating the phrases of
the critics and defending himself
against the charges of "soggy
sentimentalism," "vagueness' and
"utopianism.
In his most recent utterance,
there is no "soggy sentimentality"
and nothing at all vague. On the
Evening star., 1942-12-30
New 'Armistice' Seen
For France and Reich
BY the Associated Press,

BY the Associated Press
BERN, Dec. 30-France and Ger
many may agree to another arm
istice" rather than sign a peace
treaty, dispatch from Axis-dom-
mated Paris said yesterday. The
report added that a full clariication
Of their relations was not expected
before spring, but that the Govern
ment would return to Paris from
Vichy.
The first French German arm
istice, which came after the German
armies captured Paris in 1910, was
broken this fall when Hitler's troops
marched into unoccupied, Vichy-
controlled France after the Allied
invasion of Africa.
Evening star., 1942-12-30

the Fighting
French and
t h o S e in
North Africa.
The possibil-
ity Of fur
ther compli-
cations h a s
become such
I II a Z certain
q u a r t e r S
would not be
surprised If
the U n l t e d
States oecid-
Evening star., 1942-12-30

pletely victori-
GUS, the impor-
tance Of not
being C VI 6 h t
wholly u n pre- =
pared W h e n
peace com e S
cannot be ex-
aggerated.
After all wars
the problems of
adjustment have
been great and
In som e in
stances nota-
bly, the last one