The founders of the Hall of Fame and their successors, whatever else they may have had in mind about fame and greatness, have built but not quite finished a splendid shrine of remembrance of the American past through the twentieth century, a century which may well turn out to be that which saw the United States reach the highest point in its history.
Whether the year 200 will see us on a plateau before another journey upward, or on a descent into inferiority, remains to be seen.
Decency, if nothing else, requires that we should maintain the Hall of Fame intact and in place as long as possible and — that they may judge for themselves — show to our descendants the leaders of the forces that in the shortest time span known to man settled a land and created the most powerful and prosperous democracy in the world.