Fraternity-Testvériség, 1966 (44. évfolyam, 1-12. szám)
1966-06-01 / 6-7. szám
4 FRATERNITY (A. c. N. s.) IT’S GOOD TO KNOW (A. c. N. s.) REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES The Fourth of July is also observed as Independence Day in the Philippine Islands, for 20 years ago, on July 4, 1946, the United States recognized the Philippines as an independent and sovereign state. The Philippines were ceded to the United States by Spain in 1898. A civil- military government was established for the Islands, administered in the interest of the Filipino people, training them in self-government. The Tydings-McDuffie Act, passed by the United States Congress in 1934, provided for complete Philippine independence in 1946. Meanwhile, the Commonwealth of the Philippines was established. Manuel Quezon was its first President. The largest island group in the Malayan Archipelago, the Philippines have a population of over 29,500,000. The principal languages are Tagalog, Spanish and English. Manila was replaced as the capital by its former suburb, Quezon City, in 1948. STEPHEN FOSTER — AMERICAN SONG WRITER On July 4, 1826 — 140 years ago — Stephen Collins Foster, American song writer, was born in a suburb of Pittsburgh, Pa. He published his first song at the age of 18, and in the next few years wrote a number of others which were sung by Negro minstrel troupes. Among these early songs was Oh! Susannah which, when published in 1848, immediately became popular and made him famous. Other of his well known songs include Old Folks at Home, My Old Kentucky Home, Jeanie with the Light Brown Hair and Old Black Joe. The financial returns from his songs were never commensurate with their popularity. Poverty and excessive drinking marked Foster’s last years. He died at the early age of 38 in Bellevue Hospital, New York, as a result of a fall in his room in a Bowery lodging house. Foster wrote all of the lyrics for his songs which are among the most popular ever written by an American. Many of them were based on native musical idioms and the music of the American Negro. Although largely self-educated as a musician, Foster’s total musical output consisted of over 200 songs and instrumental works. Some 25 of his songs are still sung today. WILLIAM JENNINGS BRYAN'S "CROSS OF GOLD" SPEECH On July 8, 1896 — 70 years ago — William Jennings Bryan, a young Congressman from Nebraska, thrilled the Democratic National Convention, meeting at Chicago, with his famous “Cross of Gold” speech. It closed with the eloquent appeal, “You shall not press down upon the brow of labor this crown of thorns, you shall not crucify mankind upon a cross of gold.” The “Cross of Gold” speech lifted Bryan to a position of national prominence. He was nominated as the Democratic candidate for the Presidency. Although he waged a vigorous campaign on the platform of the free and unlimited coinage of silver, he lost to McKinley in that year’s election. Bryan again ran for President in the campaigns of 1900 and 1908, but was defeated each time.
