PS 635 .Z9 U21 Copy 1 March of Democracy Patriotic Play for Intermediate and Grammar Grades NINETEEN HUNDRED AND NINETEEN March of Democra cy Patriotic Play for Intermediate and Grammar Grades NINETEEN HUNDRED AND NINETEEN v?^V> Copyright, 1919 Frances Waldron Chicago, 111. MAfi II 1919 ©C1.A5145'35 THE MARCH OF DEMOCRACY Characters — Prologue 1 Five Colonists « 5 Thomas Jefferson 1 General Washington 1 General LaFayette 1 Constitution Group 2 Thirteen Colonies 13 Uncle Sam 1 Spirit of Democracy 1 States and Republics 60 Kansas 1 Abraham Lincoln I Woodrow Wilson 1 Courier 1 Red Cross and Salvation Army 2 Group of Kings 3 Army 1 Navy 1 PROLOGUE . We call our play "The March of Democracy." In it we have tried to show how Washington and Lincoln forwarded the cause of democracy. The first act shows the feeling in the early colonial times. Group of Colonists (5 boys). 1st. — The English king wants us to pay taxes without letting us have a w^ord to say about making the laws. 2nd. — -It is unjust as it can be. We have many friends in England who would help uSc Why do v^e endure it? 3rd. — He does not represent the English people. His ideas will ruin England yet. But we must not endure these wrongs. Enter 4th boy. Another tax.— A stamp tax this time. Tax, tax, tax. Does he know no other way of raising money? 5th. — We are not going to endure it. The men say Thomas Jefferson is writing a declara- tion of independence. I hope we will all sign it. Here comes Jefferson now. Enter Jefferson. Yes, gentlemen, 1 have written a declara- tion of independence. It reads thus: "When in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dis- solve the political bonds which have con- nected them with another, and to assume, among the powers of the earth, the sepa- rate and equal station to which the law of nature and of nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of man- kind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation and here are the causes. Will you sign? Colonists (together). — We will sign. Four colonists sign and pass off to the right. The fifth remains alone on the stage. Remaining colonist. — ^This means trouble. I am sure it will bring war, but it cannot be any worse than it is now. (Exits.) The Prologue comes to center. Prologue — ^The war followed the Declaration of Independence. Washington was made general of the army and he is now^ shown at one of the most critical moments of the war. Enter Washington. — The war is almost a failure. My army is without food, without clothes, without money. The colonists do not support us as they should. We must get help. But where- — where — will it come from? 1 am almost in despair. Enter Lafayette. — Washington — Lafayette ! Lafayette.- — Yes, Washington, I have heard of your trouble and have come with money, soldiers and myself to your aid. We must win, for we are right; and right always wins. Enter a courier — Addresses Washington. The British have surrendered at York- town. We are at last a free nation. (Exit Courier.) Washington to Lafayette — That means we are a free nation. Now we shall have to form a new government. Lafayette- — Do make it a republic. 1 know the common people can govern themselves. At least, give them the opportunity. Washington — I am in favor of it. Enter the two boys representing the Con- stitution group. 1st Boy.— We have been talking about the gov- ernment and have written out some laws that we think will work quite well. Would 3/0U care to hear them? Washington— Yes. Will you read them to us? 1st Boy. — We, the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquil- ity, provide for the common defense, pro- mote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Con- stitution for the United States of America. Then follow the laws. 2nd Boy. — But how shall we bring the people together under it? Washington — Better let each colony sign or rat- ify it and they can come in as they please. I wonder which will be the first colony to come. Ah, it is Delaware. Enter the 1 3 colonies — Delaware leading, Rhode Island last. (1787 — Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsyl- vania. 1 788 — Connecticut, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, South Carolina, Vir- ginia. 1 789 — North Carolina. 1790— Rhode Island.) Enter Uncle Sam. Uncle Sam — Well, Washington and Lafayette and little colonies, you have made a good beginning. I will do all in my power to aid you. Washington and Lafayette (together) — How we should love to see the progress of this idea of democracy, but our time is short; we must soon go. (Turn and hesitate, then move slowly toward the right of stage.) Enter from right the Spirit of Democracy (hold- ing up her hand to halt them). Spirit — -I am the spirit of democracy. I have the power to show you the future of this United States. Shall I call the years for you? Washington and Lafayette — If you will, kind spirit. Spirit — Each year does something for the prog- ress of our idea. (States enter from the left and form behind Uncle Sam.) 1791 — Vermont. I 792 — Kentucky. 1 796 — Tennessee. 1802— Ohio. 1 8 I 2 — Louisiana. 1 8 1 6 — Indiana. 1 8 1 7 — Mississippi. 1 8 1 8 — Illinois — Song of Illinois. I 8 1 9 — Alabama. 1820— Maine. 1821 — Missouri — Central America. 1825 — Mexico. 1828 — -Uruguay, Bolivia. 1830 — ^Venezuela. 1 8 3 6 — Arkansas . 1837 — Michigan. 1845 — Florida, Texas. 1 846 — Iowa. 1847— Chili. 1 848 — Wisconsin. 1 853 — Argentine. 1830 — California. 1858 — Minnesota. 1859 — Oregon. 1861 — Kansas — very much perturbed. Kansas — O, I'm so glad to get in. We had an awful time. Some of my people wanted slavery and some did not. Some say we are a union and some say we are not. I don't know how it will end; but I'm glad Abraham Lincoln is at the head to guide affairs. Enter Lincoln — Looks at the states anxiously. The 1 1 seceding states (1, South Carolina; 2, Mississippi; 3, Florida; 4, Alabama; 5, Georgia; 6, Louisiana; 7, Texas; 8, Arkan- sas; 9, North Carolina; 10, Virginia; 11, Tennessee) step out and face Lincoln. 1 1 states in unison (angrily) — If we can't have slavery we will not stay in the union. Lincoln (shaking his head sadly) — "We cannot live half slave and half free!" The 1 1 states march angrily out to the left. Enter the courier — to Uncle Sam. Courier — ^The South has declared war. Uncle Sam to Lincoln — They must be brought back. We cannot have two republics. You will have to get the Army and Navy to help you. Lincoln — I summon the Army and Navy. Enter from right the Army and Navy — they salute Lincoln. Lincoln — I command you to bring back the seceding states. (Exit Army and Navy to left.) Enter Courier— The battle of Gettysburg has been won. They wish you to dedicate the field to our heroic dead. (Exit.) Lincoln passes to front and gives the Gettysburg address. Four score and seven years ago our fa- thers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battlefield of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of it as a final rest- ing place for those who gave their lives that that nation might live. It is alto- gether fitting and proper that we should do this. 8 But in a larger sense we cannot dedi- cate, we cannot consecrate, we cannot hal- low this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have con- secrated it far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us, the living, rather, to be dedi- cated here to the unfiinshed work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the fast full measure of devotion, that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom, and that the gov- ernment of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. Enter Courier — -The states have decided to come back. (Enter states slowly and take places.) Uncle Sam — We are very glad to have you back. Song — Dixie. Lincoln — ^My work is done. I must be going (turns to pass to right). (Spirit meets him.) 9 spirit — O, Lincoln, you are very weary I know, but would you not like to see the progress of democracy? Lincoln — More than anything in the world, kind Spirit. (Spirit waves Lincoln to place beside Washing- ton and Lafayette.) Democracy — 1 863 — ^West Virginia. 1864 — Nevada. 1867 — Nebraska, Peru, Alaska. 1870 — Paraguay and France. Prologue — The group of kings about to appear does not represent any particular country but autocracy in general. All sing — Marseillaise. While they are singing the three kings en- ter from the right. 1st King (haughtily)— How I hate that Spirit! That is the cause of most of our troubles. Who will do the work if all the people learn to think? 2nd King — How fast the idea is growing! Just see what countries have comp in within the last one hundred years! 3rd King — We ought to crush it. But we may be able to overcome it. Let us see w^hat the next years bring. 10 Spirit reads — 1871 — Colombia. 1 876 — Colorado. 1887 — Montana. 1888— Brazil. 1889— North Dakota, South Dakota, Washington. i 890— Idaho, Wyoming. 1896— Utah. 1898 — Philippine Islands. 1900— Hawaii. 1902— Cuba. 1904 — Panama. 1907- Oklahoma. 1 9 1 — New Mexico, Portugal, Arizona. 1911— China. China — Asia has given many things to the world; among them papermaking, silk manufacture, gunpowder and porcelain making. We have heard of your ideas of democracy. We, too, would like a gov- ernment "of the people, by the people, for the people," so I have come to join you. The Kings (very angry) — This must be stopped. If it continues we are lost. We must strike together. (They rush to France and thrust their swords in her. France falls on her knees — Kings back slowly to former position.) Enter Salvation Army and Red Cross. Salvation Army (putting a hand on France's shoulder) says — "I am a servant of de- mocracy. I come to all who suffer. Do not be afraid France, we will help you. Red Cross — -I, too, am a server of democracy. Be of good cheer, France; the w^hole w^orld will help you. Uncle Sam (Makes a motion of advancing to France.) (The kings, watching, ru^tj, and make another thrust — France falls almost prostrate.) , ' -W - Uncle Sam — This cannot go on. We mbst again fight for freedom. I summon Wdodrow Wilson as my agent. Enter Wilson- — to Uncle Sam — I am at your com- mand. Whatever you wish I will execute. The government of the people, by the peo- ple, for the people must not perish from the earth. Uncle Sam — -Call for the Army and Navy and go to France's aid. Wilson — I command the Army and Navy. Enter (from left) Army and Navy. Wilson — You must go at once to help France. The Army and Navy, with weapons for attack, advance slowly but firmly toward the kings. The kings use swords feebly but back toward wing at right — until out. 12 Army and Navy return and take posi- tions on each side of Uncle Sam. Spirit steps to the front — Our idea of democracy is spreading rapidly all over the world. Great nations of the world are beginning to see the wisdom of a government "of the people, by the people, for the people." 1 9 I 7— Russian and Virgin Islands. I 9 1 8 — Czecho-Slovak. Wilson steps forw^ard — As we have formed a great republic on the western hemisphere, so the peoples of Europe, Asia and Africa will form a league of nations, based on the principle of "a government of the peo- ple, by the people, for the people. ' All the nations — All hail the day! Spirit — I trust that the sentiment of the league of nations will always be in harmony with the thought expressed by Rudyard Kip- ling in — All— "God of our fathers, known of old Lord of our far-flung battle line — Beneath whose aw^ful hand we hold Dominion over palm and pine — Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet, Lest w^e forget, lest w^e forget! The tumult and the shouting dies The captains and the kings depart Still stands thine ancient sacrifice, An humble and a contrite heart. Lord God of Hosts, be w^ith us yet, Lest we forget, lest we forget! If drunk with sight of power, we loose Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe Such boasting as the Gentiles use, Or lesser breeds w^ithout the Law — Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet. Lest we forget, lest we forget! For heathen heart that puts her trust In reeking tube and iron shard — All valiant dust that builds on duct, And guarding calls not Thee to guard. For frantic boast and foolish word. Thy Mercy on Thy People, Lord! COSTUMES— The colonists wear wigs. Wigs are easily made, using an old stocking cap and covering with cotton batting. The states may each carry its own flag. The flags are easily made from paper. (The Geographic Magazine, October, 1917, has pictures of the flags.) The countries are represented by girls. The girls carry shields made of paper and w^ear caps of the tri-color. On the shield is printed the name of the country and the year it became a republic. The historical characters the usual cos- tumes. Army and Navy represented by a sol- dier and sailor. 14 FORMATION FOR OPENING Jefferson Washington Lincoln Courier Kings Nations Army & Navy FRONT OF STAGE FORMATION DURING PLAY states 4-5-6 3 2 6. Spirit 1. Uncle Sam 2. Army 3. Navy 4. Lincoln 5. La Fayette 6. Washington 7. States 8. France 9. Countries 10. Kings FRONT OF STAGE FORMATION FOR RECESSIONAL 6 1. Uncle Sam 2. Army 3. Navy 4. Spirit V 5- Nations V 6. States FRONT OF STAGE FORMATION FOR MARCHING OFF 10 7 5 1. Uncle Sam 2. Army 3. Navy 4. States 5. France 6. Red Cross 7. Salvation Army 8. La Fayette 9. Prologue 10. Nations 11. Spirit 11 FRONT OF STAGE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS m 017 401 639 2 •