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Show 1NDBSTBV MMUiMiY MLLfiBS C? THE NATION,' DECLARES -GLEVELRND CHICAGO, Feb. 22. Ex-President G rover Cleveland waa the Washington's birthday speaker at the celebration by the Union League club here today. . He said' In part: The American people are but little given to the observance of public holidays. holi-days. This statement cannot d disposed of by the allegation that our national his tory Is too brief to allow the accumulation accumula-tion of days deserving- civic commemoration. commemora-tion. Thoug-h it is true that our life as a people, according; to the standard measuring meas-uring the existence of nations, has been a short one. It is filled with glorious achievements; and though it must be conceded con-ceded that It is not given to us to see' in , the magnifying mirage of antiquity, the exaggerated forms , of American heroes, yet In the bright and normal light shed upon our beginning and growth, are seen grand and heroic men who have won imperishable honor and our everlasting remembrance. We cannot therefore excuse a lack of commemorative incllnatlonu and a languid lan-guid interest in recalling the notable incidents in-cidents of our country's past under the plea of a lack of commemorative material; ma-terial; nor can we in this way explain our neglect adequately to observe days which have actually been set apart for the. especial es-pecial manifestation of our loving appreciation appre-ciation 'of the lives and the deeds of Americans, who in crises of our birth and development have sublimely wrought and nobly endured. . Should Celebrate More. I am confident that I voice your convictions convic-tions when I say that no play of ingenuity ingenu-ity and no amount of special pleading can frame an absolutely creditable excuse ex-cuse for our remissness in appropriate holiday observance. - The commemoration of the day on which American independence was born, has been allowed to lose much of its significance as a reminder of providential favor and inflexible patriotism of the fathers of the Republic, and has nearly degenerated to a revel of senseless noise and dangerous explosion,' leaving in its train far m re of mishap and accident than lessons of good citlsenshlp or pride of country. The observanceof Thanksgiving day Is kept alive through its annual designation desig-nation by Federal and State authority. But it is worth our while to inquire whether its original meaning, as a day of united praise and gratitude to God for the blessings bestowed upon us as a peo- file and as Individuals, is not smothered n feasting and social Indulgence. We In common with Christian nations everywhere every-where celebrate Christmas but how much less - a a day of commemorating the birth of !tbe Redeemer of mankind, than as a day of hilarity, and the interchange inter-change of gifts. In furtherance of the high endeavor of your organisation. It would have been impossible im-possible to select for observance any other civic holiday having as broad and fitting a significance as this. It memorizes the birth of one whose glorious deeds are transcendently above all others recorded in our national annals; and in memorising memoris-ing the birth of Washington it commemorates commem-orates the incarnation of all the virtues and all the ideals that made our natlon- growth and strength. It is a holiday that belongs exclusively to the American people. peo-ple. All that Washington did was bound up In our national destiny. The battles he fought were fought for American liberty, lib-erty, and the victories he won gave -us national independence. , Lessons Prom Washington. His example' of unselfish consecration and lofty patriotism made manifest, as in an open book, that those virtues were conditions not more vital to our Nation's beginning than to its development and durability. His faith in God. and the fortitude for-titude of his faith, taught those for whom he wrought, that the surest strength of nations comes from the support, of God's almighty arm. His universal and unaffected sympathy. With those in every sphere of American life, his thorough knowledge of existing American conditions, and his wonderful foresight of those yet to be. coupled with his powerful influence in the counsels of those who were to make or mar the fate of an Infant nation, made him a tremendous tre-mendous factor in the -construction and adoption of the . constitutional chart by which the course of the newly launched Republic could be safely sailed. And It was he who first took the helm and demonstrated for the guidance of all who might succeed him, now, and in what spirit and intent, the . responsibilities of our chief magistracy ' should be discharged. dis-charged. "We Need Washington." If your observance of this day were intended in-tended to make more secure the Immortal fame of Washington, or to add to the strength and beauty of his imperishable monument built upon a nation's affectionate affec-tionate remembrance, your purpose would be useless. Washington has no need of you. But In every moment from the time he drew his sword in the cause of American Ameri-can independence to this hour, living or dead, the American people have needed him. It Is not important now, nor will it be in all the coming years, to remind our countrymen that Washington has lived and that his achievements In his country's coun-try's service are above all praise. But it is Important and more important now than ever before that they should clearly apprehend and adequately value the virtues vir-tues and ideals of which he was the embodiment, em-bodiment, and should 'realize how essential essen-tial to our safety and perpetuity, are the consecration and patriotism which he exemplified. ex-emplified. The American people need today to-day the example and teachings of Wash-ington Wash-ington no less than those who fashioned our Nation needed his labors and guidance. guid-ance. If we And that, the wickedness of destructive de-structive agitators and the selfish depravity de-pravity of demagogues have stirred up discontent and strife, where there should be peace and harmony, and have arrayed against each other interests which should dwell together in hearty co-operation; if we find that the Id standards of sturdy, uncompromising American honesty have become so corroded and weakened by a sordid atmosphere that our people are hardly, startled by crimes In high places and shameful betrayals of trust every-' where; if we find a sadly prevalent disposition dis-position among us to turn from the highway high-way .of honorable industry Into shorter cross roads leading to irresponsible and worthless ease; if we find that widespread wide-spread wastefulness and extravagance have discredited the wholesome frugality which was once the pride of Americanism, we should recall Washington's admonition admoni-tion that harmony, industry and frugality frugal-ity are "essential pillars of public fidelity," fidel-ity," and forthwith endeavor to change our course. |