davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-08
SPIRES OF THE SPIRIT
Gonbing-For What?
BY DIR. FREDERICK BROWN HARRIS
Chaplain. United States Senate

There is nothing easy and
sure about the road millions
are travelling this day to the
place called Calvary. Every
year In this sacred period
those who follow the Christ
are reminded that to gain all,
one must risk all. The time
less formula for finding is
the willingness to lose. This
sounds as II the essence of
spiritual achievement involves
a gamble. It doesl Perhaps
adventurous faith would be
a more euphonious term, as
low forms Of gaining some
thing for nothing have COW
cred with CRIME the very
word gambling.
But the fact remains that
to reach the heights that
beckon. always risks must be
taken. A very deep insight
with regard to human life
is expressed by a modern
seer. With his eye on his
tory he declares. "a civiliza-
ton that devotes its major
energies to taking risks out
Of life and reducing it to
safety and comfort and con-
venience, cannot be Christian
and cannot long be civiliza-
ton for 1t bleaches out of the
human spirit the quality of
adventure which as Toynbee
says is what makes civiliza-
ton"
Without high adventure,
civilization perishes, for when
risk Is eliminated decay is as
sure as death and taxes.
The great chapter Of faith
in the Epistle to the Hebrews
is a roll call of CANDLES for
great stakes. Listen: Abra-
ham went out not knowing
whittier he went. The only
sure thing about his leaving
the safe and easy seat in Ur
was that he took a chance
with God.
Moses certainly was a gam
bier as leaving the luxury and
authority Of Pharaoh's pal
ace he chose the uncertain
struggle for the freedom of
his people. And a great serv-
ant Of the man of Nazareth
has said reverently, HE was
a gambler too, my Christ.
He took His life and threw it
for a world redeemed"
The New Testament is not
against gambling. 1t is against
the prostitution of a God
given instinct for risks that
weaken and destroy the high
and holy. 1t is against taking
human power which can be
the instrument for good and
God and throwing it away
on some cheap and little
game.
With our very survival now
in the balance of an uncer-
tain fate. America is on a
gambling spree. The cost
OF its dice-throwing prac-
tices runs into billions. The
money put down on gam
bling counters is more than
the total Of the Nations out
lay for education, medical
care and the churches, put
together. 1t is estimated that
over 10 million people in
America are the victims of
get rich quick" schemes as
they bet on everything from
horses to the date of the
Shad run in Alaska.
Lately in the feverish quest
to find money for mounting
expenses to run the state
without increasing taxes, we
hear from various quarters
the specious plea that SEEM
ingly has more than the
proverbial nine lives of a
cat, that inasmuch as the
gambling instinct cannot be
eradicated from the human
breast. 1t ought to be utilized
for public service. The policy
thus defended and advocated
is that even if a thing is in
trinsically bad, if you can't
beat it, it is better to join
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-08
LETTERS TO THE STAR

Pen names may be used n
letters carry tDrtteTs' correct
names and addresses. All
letters are subject to conden-
sdtion.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-08

possession, however, the land should be
put to the best possible use. And what
better Federal use could there be than
that suggested by General Quesada2
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-08
FROM THE STARS FILES

gloom over the minds of our
citizens and the public
functionaries residing here.
to many Of whom Mr.. Brown
was known personally. :"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-08

the moment the little call bell
is rung. :"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-08
so Years AGO

Vandals were at work near
the Capitol so years ago.
On March 9, 1909, The Star
said 1.-THE right ear and
one-half the nose of the
Goddess of Peace and Plenty
are missing from her classic
marble features. The mar
BILE lady's right hand. full of
poppieS and corn. elso is on
the lost or stolen list. The
goddess is part of one of the
colossal groups of statuary
on the main east portico of
the Capitol. She is regarded
as one of the silent sentinels
that guard the approach to
the big white building
through the rotunda. :"
A servant to the Presidents
for nearly half a century
died so years ago. The Star,
on March 10, 1909, reported:
After a continuous service
of As years to Presidents of
the United States, serving
every one from Lincoln to
Taft, Thomas Francis Pen
del. usher at the White House,
died at his home, 304 M street
Northwest, at $50 o'clock
this morning. Bronchial
pneumonia was the cause of
his death, for although nearly
eighty-flve years old he was
still active and in full pos
session of his faculties. :"
An addition to Capitol Hill
brought JOY to the Senators
OF so years ago. On March 8,
1909. The Star reported:
"'All aboard for the Capitol!
Car leaves at once. Through
express Yes, the Govern
ment underground railway is
in operation at last. Senators
can ride from the Senate
Office Building to the Capitol
in two minutes. 1t takes from
AZ to 8 minutes to call the
roll of the Senate for a vote.
So there is time for a Sena-
tor to reach the chamber be-
fore a vote is concluded, if he
jumps from his desk in the
office building and starts over
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-08

A member of the Presi-
dents official family died a
century ago. On March 8.
1859. The Star said: 1T is
with sincere regret that we
announce the decease of
Hon. Aaron V. Brown, Post
master General, which &C.
Cured at twenty minutes
past 9 o'clock this morning,
after a painful illness of some
days duration. at his resi-
dence, corner of G and Nine
teenth streets. Although
this melancholy event has
been expected for several
days, its announcement has
had the effect Of casting a
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-08
100 Years Ago

Development of the wild
and UNEMPLOYED" Northwest
was being pushed 100 years
ago. On March 10, 1859, The
Star reported: THE last Con-
gresS appropriated the sum
Of 100000 to enable Lieut..
John Mullan. I'd Artillery,
United States Army, to con-
tinue the establishment of a
military road in Oregon. It
will be remembered that this
road was commenced last
summer, but operations upon
1t were necessarily suspended
on account of the Indian dis
turbances in the Northwest.
The road will extend from
Fort Walla Walla on the Co.
lumbia, to Fort HeSton on
the Missouri River. passing
through a wild and hitherto
UNEMPLOYED region of country,
traversed only by menacing
and rowing tribes Of the red
men of the forest . :"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-03-08

A popular national figure
departed from Washington
100 years ago. The Star on
March u, 1859, reported:
Sam Houston-This distin-
guished gentleman left Wash
ington yesterday afternoon
for his home in Texas. Up to
the hour of his departure,
his rooms were crowded by
friends calling to take leave
of him. No other public man
ever made more, or more sin
cere. friends here. nor was
severance of a gentleman's
connection with American
public affairs ever more sim
cerely regretted than in his
case"
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-06

technology are employed in the service
OF mankind and not used instead for his
utter destruction - population Of 237
million people living better as well as
longer, travelling faster and further
(even to other planets) and in both
spiritual and material respects finding a
life more rewarding than man has ever
dreamed of before.
This committee is not the FIRST, of
course, to project the potential wonders
OF today's scientific exploration into a
brighter world Of tomorrow. It is I'M
likely, too, that 1t can stake out as an
exclusive partisan political preserve the
task Of writing the ground rules by
which the national effort in science
necessarily should be pursued. It has,
however, directed a worthwhile empha-
sis to the need for freedom Of inquiry"
In which the Federal Government
should have an important, but only
supporting, role in collaboration with
the vigorous, competitive research eff
forts of private agencies, foundations
and industries. The record of this pri-
vate effort has, in fact, been Of such
impressive dimensions that any political
party would be shortsighted indeed to
favor its subordination to restrictive
governmental control.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-06
In Appreciation

The Garden Club Of vir-
ginia's 23rd annual Rose
Show has recently been held
in Leesburg. We had the
help of several of your edi-
tors and I want to express
to you my own appre-
citation and that of the Lees
burg Garden Club for their
assistance.
We planned to have the
show at the Goose Greek
Country Club. After all our
plans were made, that burn
ed to the ground. We all
felt like Paul's description
of Joseph after his brothers
sold him down into Egypt.
To paraphrase the Bible. we
felt as if we needed to be
relieved of our Affections and
to be granted favor and wis
dom. We just borrowed a
large vacant house and made
new plans.
And thanks to The Eve
ming Star, we were able to
turn a major disaster into
some small success.
Mrs. T. Frank Osburn,
Leesburg, Va, Chairman,
Publicity, Garden Club
of Virginia.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-06
What Does He Expect?

Calvin Griffith, bordering again
the proposal to shift the Washington
ball club to another city, has expressed
disappointment over this years attend
ance figures at Griffith Stadium IT
thought we'd draw hell of lot more"
he said in Los Angeles. eve had an
exciting ball club, regardless of where
we finished" It is evident that Cal is
hard to please. He is not satisfied with
the 100000 increase in park attendance
the past season-the third largest gain,
incidentally, recorded in the American
League.
What more does Mr.. Griffith expect
of fans who have seen the Senators end
up in last place for three seasons in a
row and in the second division for the
past Is seasons? That there was any
increase at all in attendance this year
is tribute to the durability and faith
fulness of the local fans, as well as
recognition of the fact that the Sem
ators this year blossomed out with some
exciting" long-ball hitters, such as
Killebrew, Allison and Lemon.
There is way that Mr.. Griffith
can make the turnstiles hum without
seeking out new ball pastures for his
team. Cleveland and Chicago, for ex-
ample, registered attendance gains of
$4,000 and $4,000, respectively. They
furnished their fans not only the ex-
element of watching home-run balls
sail over the fence but of seeing their
teams in a neck-and-neck race for the
pennant - with Chicago going on to
seek the world championship.
Since Mr.. Griff1th's main concern
seems to be to garner more dollars for
himself and fellow stockholders, he
might well try providing Washington
with at least a f1rst-division team, even
though the initial investment in
strengthened club might be painful.
Certainly he owes that much to the
thousands Of fans who have stuck by
the Senators through thick and thin
mostly the latter.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-06
Fly in the Ointment?

Although appearances are often de-
ceiving, it does seem that Premier Khru-
ShchevS visit to Peiping has ended in
an atmosphere of some GOODNESS. At
any rate, the Chinese Communists have
not responded with wild enthusiasm to
what he has said to them about how
the world needs to put an end to the
cold war and about how all nations
East and WeSt-ought to resort to nego-
tiation rather than force in settling
their differences.
Mr.. Khrushchev, of course, has had
friendly reception in Peiping, and he
has been praised there (but with con-
siderable restraint) for having gone to
the United States and talked with Presi-
dent Eisenhower on ways and means Of
relaxing international tension and pro-
noting peace. At the same time, how
ever, high officials Of Red China have
cut loose with belligerent attacks on
our country, and one or two Of them
have once again limited that force
may be used to "liberate" FormoSa
from American Occupation" and "im-
perialism."
This sort of talk, together with
Peiping's aggressive pressures at vari-
Gus points in free Asia, obviously does
not fit in with the missionary role Mr.
Khrushchev has been playing in behalf
of peaceful coexistence." Accordingly,
if he is genuinely sincere in that role,
then the continuing muscle -flexing and
bellicoSity of the Mao Tze-tung regime
can hardly fail to annoy him as kind
of fly in his tension-easing ointment,
and that in turn may be putting GER
tain amount Of strain on Soviet Chinese
relations.
Actually, as has been suggested by
the Yugoslavs and others, it may well
be that the Chinese Communists want
the cold war to continue undated be-
cause it provides an external distraction
that makes it less difficult for them to
impose their tyrannical RECOMMENDATION
on China's $50 million men, women and
children. Certainly, assuming this to
be true, tensions are likely to plague
Asia for long time to come, and it will
be idle to talk about sweeping universal
disarmament of the type proposed by
Mr.. Khrushchev.
In such circumstances, the most
that can be hoped for is improved rela-
tionS between the West and the USSR,
but even this improvements it comes
will be strictly limited as long as
Peiping, Moscow'S ally, persists in keep
ing the Asian pot aboil. Perhaps Mr..
Khrushchev, in his new capacity as a
crusader for peaceful coexistence,"
may be able to persuade the Mao re-
gime to change for the better, but his
chances on that score seem less than
bright at the moment.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-06
Debated Book

The argument that q book
Is being widely used by
schools throughout the Unit
ed States does not insure
that its text illumines the
philosophy of free enterprise
as against collectivism.
When an author accepts
the Benthamite theory that
law should promote "the
greatest happiness Of the
greatest number" the liber-
tartan philosophy of the in
dividual's right to life and
rightfully gained property is
denied, and collectivism is
lauded. For, as John Cham
berlain stated in his review
Of Democracy versus Com
munism in The Freeman
Magazine, February, 1858,
who can know anything
about happiness in respect
to numbers?" What, to cite
an extremity. if 81 per cent
OF the people were to define
their happiness as canni-
balism? The greatest hap
pinesS" test, since it must be
a subjective guess where it is
not a crude matter of plebis-
cite, can lead to all manner
OF tyrannies. The author of
Democracy versus Commu-
nism" is clear on the point
that Jefferson posted some
unalienable natural rights,
but he is not at all clear
that a man should not be
subjected to the Benthamite
test. An unalienable right
: must be beyond the reach of
numbers, or it is no right.
Inc author OF Democracy
versus Communism" justi-
f1es public housing, whose
failures any sincere re-
Searcher in truth can find
exposed in the daily news
papers. The very people it is
supposed to help are not be-
ing helped because the high
cost of government dispens-
ing this good" has so in
creased the costs and the
rents in this housing that
the people it is supposed to
help cannot afford to live
there. Thus, the delusion
that government can supply
low cost" housing or low
cost anything, is exposed.
G. b.
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-06
IndividuoIisnn

0opnlSClcaCeQ ana wise as
we moderns think we are.
the very fundamental princi-
pie OF the right to life-crea-
tive individualism-is widely
ignored and abused even in
this Land of the Free" Col
lectivism in its many guises
as against individual choice
is the vogue. But listen to
the voice of wisdom whose
statements can be proved
against the experience of
time. The American Legion
Magazine for october states:
"A hundred years ago, in
the year 1859, John Stuart
Mill wrote his classic essay
On Liberty. The following
is from the final chapter of
that work:
1.-THE third and most CO.
gent reason for restricting the
interference of government,
is the great evil of adding I'M
necessarily to its power. Ev-
cry function super-added to
those already exercised by the
government causes its influ-
ences over hopes and fears
to be more widely diffused
and converts more and more
the active and ambitious part
of the public into hangers
on of the government, or of
some party which aims at
being the government. If the
roads, the railways, the
banks, the insurance offices,
the great joint-stock COM
panies, the universities and
the public charities were all
Of them branches of the gov
eminent, if in addition the
municipal corporations and
local boards, with all that
now devolves on them, be-
came departments of the CEN
trail administration, if the
employees of all these differ
ent enterprises were appoint
ed and paid by. the govern
ment, and looked to the gov
eminent for every rise in
life; not all the freedom of
the press and popular consti
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-06

In the newspapers which I
read reporting the speech of
KhruShchev before the Ma
tional Press Club I did not
read any reference to what
the Prime Minister said about
Lenin. And above everything
else he said, this was the key
TO his sincerity. Let me quote:
THE Soviet Union stands
for the development of relax
ationS between states on the
basis of the principles Of
peaceful co-existence. These
principles were bequeathed
to us by Vladimir Ilyich
Lenin, the great founder of
the Soviet state. And we are
true to these principles :"
Every Communist through
out the world understood
what Khrushchev meant,
and so does every student of
Communist theory. Let us see
what the principles of Lenin
are, that KhruShchev is true
to, to select just a few, but
without wrenching context,
from the volumes of Lenin's
works:
1.-THE only serious organi-
rational principles the active
workers of our movement can
accept is: Strict secrecy,
strict selection of members,
and the training Of profess
sional revolutionists
"ThoSe political leaders Of
the revolutionary class who
are unable to tack, to ma
newer, to compromise, in or
der to avoid an obviously dis
advantageous battle, are good
for nothing.
1.-THE revolutionary die
tatorship Of the proletariat
is power won and maintained
by the violence of the prole-
tariat against the bourgeoisie,
power that is unrestricted by
any laws. :.
1.-THE replacement Of the
bourgeois by the proletarian
state is impossible without
a violent revolution. The
abolition Of the proletarian
state, i.e., Of all states, is only
possible through whitening
away.
I'VE. are living not merely
in a state. but in a system of
states. and the existence of
the Soviet Republic side by
side with imperialist states
for a long time is unthink-
able. And before that end
supervenes, a series Of fright
full collisions between the
Soviet Republic and the bour-
geois states will be inevita-
ble."
This, then, is what Khru-
shchev was saying to his
comrades in this country.
. Alice B. NunnaIly
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-06
Lives ImperiIed

l wish TO praise your
newspaper for the recent ar
ticles regarding the Temple
Hills road, which my child,
and many others, must trav-
erse to school,
We live in an unincor-
porated area, near New
Hampshire avenue extended,
one block from the busy
highway. one block from the
District line. Our street,
Poplar avenue, is q down.
grade road, badly in need of
repair. narrow. winding and
extremely dangerous. We
have lived in this area for
nine years, and have lived
with high hopes of having
the dangerous curve re-
moved, and the road
Strengthened. The school my
child attends is a short dis
lance from the end of the
curve. There is no sidewalk,
as it would be impracticable
to undergo the expense of
laying one until the road i'm
provements are accomplished.
There is a sign warning of
the approach to the school,
which motorists ignore. They
also ignore the school pa.
trolls. which guide the little
children around the danger
Gus curves in the morning
and at the close of the
school session.
AS Carol James wrote to
your paper, "Of course, a
child has not been killed
yet" No. there has been no
human fatality, yet, on Pop
lar avenue. but there are
scores of children who
mourned the death of their
pets on this racetrack.
We have contacted the
Prince Georges Police De-
partment regarding the
speeding motorists on this
stretch, but to no avail.
There is a shortage Of police
for cruising purposes, I real
ize. We have tried to have
a sidewalk placed on one
side Of the road for the chill
dren, also to no avail.
My child is only six years
old. I have walked with him
and the other children to the
school, which is only five
minutes from our home. I
nave been forced to the side
OF the road with the group,
single file, with the approach
OF passing cars. 1t is possible
for me to realize the danger
as I have experienced it.
Cannot some one investi-
gate this shocking condition
before it is too late?
Helen M. Kainer
Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1959-10-06

There Is a pleasant theory abroad
In the land that collective bargaining
is give-and-take process, meaning that
each side gives something in return for
what 1t gets at the negotiating table.
But this is largely myth, and the steel
contract talks, now in collapse, tend to
prove it.
After months Of futile haggling the
steel industry finally has made an offer.
According to industry sources, the offer
Is equivalent to Is cents an hour-com-
posed OF improved fringe benefits in the
first year and wage increase In the
second year Of a two-year contract. This
would come on top of average earnings
for the Steelworkers of $3.l1 an hour,
but 1t may or may not be all that the
industry can afford to offer at this time
In any event, the offer is conditioned
on acceptance by the union of certain
changes in work rules which the indus
try says are needed to improve operat-
ing efficiency, thereby making possible
wage increase without inflationary con-
sequences. David ]. Mcdonald, the union
president, recoils in real or simulated
horror from the mere suggestion of
work-rule changes.
Mr.. Mcdonald, who has a flair for
purple language, says the industry wants
to use ga blacksnake whip on the backs
Of the men in the mills" and that he
will never surrender to such pro-
posal. What this really means, we think,
is that Mr.. Mcdonald wants wage in
crease, bigger increase than that
which has been offered, but that he is
unwilling to give up anything affecting
the work rules in exchange for it.
On its face, this is not give-and-
take bargaining. The "on-its-face"
qualification is necessary, however, since
the merit, If any, in the work-rule issue
has been lost in propaganda fog. The
industry has not said specifically what
changes it wants. Mr.. Mcdonald has
never said specifically why he is against
any change. And the subject was not
even touched upon in Secretary Mitch
ellis "fact-f1nding" report few weeks
ago.
This is unfortunate, for it probably
means that the public will have no OPP
portunity to form a clear-cut and firm
Judgment as to the merits, pro or con, OF
this seemingly key issue in the dispute.