Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1867-10-11
Editorial Poem.


ny !. L. MccREERy.
The minstrel's tyre, through all tho gloomy
Has echoed little save the bugle's blast;
The muse hath garlanded the warriors brow
Or, worse, inspired the teinpter's syren tongue,
Adorning paths OF sin with flowers Of song.
But wherefore should the poets Tyre be swept
With anthems answering to the cannons
why bid rejoice. where myriads have wept,
Ger death-dimmcd eyes that should rejoice
| The battle-fieid, where hearts OF valor pour
Their life upon the sand In crimson rain,
The hcadless trunk. the yulture screaming
Where scnlls. instead of flowers, bcstrew the
Or lust, with radiant brow and burning
Or wine, that sparkling steals away the brain
Can such themes wake the poets sweetest
B straln7 5aA tgg
Could we but climb TO some far. starry height.
And compass time and man with Godlike
The Past Would seem one drear. discordant
or horrld sounds and fearful fantasies;
But even now, In yondcr eastern skies,
The rosy hours are full OF prophesies
OF that near day, whose peaceful victories
Shall overshine and shame tho deeds Of war
But feebly can we fancy or portray 4
What visionsyet shalt break upon our sight;
The The % treasures watt waiting ~ its its revealing % ray.
Eclipse imaginatfon's Widest flight:
Dutmany o lyric iofticr, more sublime.
Than anght yet written or sung In ihythm or
or that bright day shall be the harbinger--
Not now, nor hore. butwhen that coming time
shall lind it, Ut and true Interpreter.
Such muse-not mine-were worthy Of the task
That from my weak but willing pen ye ask,
To celebrate the purpose which has brought,
From Western slope and Mssissippi's shore,
This noble editorial band once more tft{
This army Of great-souled. high-minded men.
Who WELD that mightier than the sword, the
Though, glancing at your peaceful ranks. for
| see men who erewhiie have welded botht
But now we sing no more of clashing arms.
No longer chant of battles dread alarms: Az
For not as blood warriors do we come,
70 saana Of
Greater than conqacrors from q war-swcpt
Hail. ye Who for your country nobly fought,
Hail. We who battle for q noble thoughti a.
Brave deeds OF heroes would be done i'm vain
DID ye not tell them DER and Ger again: 4 'a
le furnish wings, and send DER all the earth
Grand thoughts, that else hnd fallen into dust,
ie siexe, and rescue from obliyion's rust,
Of truth and beauty, on from age tu age;
Ye plume for endless flight the poets song,
TO wake glad echoes as II speeds along;
ie see through errors cunninkest disguise,
And undermine each edifice OF lies;
March In the van Of every righteous cause,
1oar II Inc
Reflect its glories and iliume the world.
Now I'm embarrassed; for tho written call
Received from your executive committee,
A ~oA HI mot atru, a,xfslff
But-well, without circu umlocution--wftty:
But you re aware the ancient Latins taught
A maxim, "er nihito nihif ff;;"
Or, Ducth-ly, mix cum arouse;' meaning that
Is not in thing can't be got out OF it: ii
i've showed the editorial pen and shears
There has not been a solitary minute ggb.
When could see the least amusement In it!
When young, Ito fortune and to fame un-
You settle In some struggling country town:
For years YOU labor, night as well as day,
And when you've paid tho long outstanding
You ind that type and press are both worn
You mortgage all for nav materia. then, -
Pursuing just the same career again: EH
You fix the price subscribers must return
Two dollars-and get it-in horn! H
For half are men who never pay, and who
But take the paper to encourage you'll"
And half the others never dream of cash,
But pay I'm sorghum, or in succotash,
Corn meal half soured, or bucxwheat full oi
Or wood sll knots and chunks that win not
split,
Or iour the frugal housewife. worldly wise.
Re,sacks M and sends you. when - win not rise.
Or lively cheese, or butter whose incense
Is ranker than een Hamlets dire offense--
All you must take, however poor or small,
or risk not getting anything at all. i1hfi
Or growing tired OF this, perhaps you climb.
Il use the word bat for the rhymeD sEttEs' n
To be city local editor,
A sort OF general item scavenger. aetaat
- G. ., 4e
At last--reward OF constant toil--you .tclimb.,,
again inserted only for the rhymew
TO be yourself the senior editor. z,
The chief Of steif and general manager;
Climbed, the frying- pan into the fire!
For everything amiss that's done or said,
Sarsss are showered on your devoted head
A mutilated, incoherent mess; ~
Into your sharpest joke dire errors creep,
And SO the point In ruined while You sleep:
You wish married couple countless joys.
A stupid setter mnkeslyou wish for "boys" a
maiden lady friend Is taken III, ..s..f h.
You try TO mention that she had u ''chill,"
But by blnndcring typo are beguiled
Into asserting that she had o "ehild;" 8t8
II The devil calls for copy day and night.
When seven or seventy devils al a dash 5st
Each clainor seventy times as loud for cash +
Apa VIII the ssas sfof 70 es Close
s~r~sFg
or pay ior .:'ses.ing up his epitaph:
II these are things to laugh at-you can laugh
a
But kind, forbearing friends. find my song
Has iengthened outalready much too long;
To say that always saddsning word, "fars-
Si %s % .na s T. ess 70 .Es .a as IN .9
Let each be true to self and to the Right,
Flashing Ear radiance Ger tho clouds or night !;
Our country's strongest buiwark in distress;
Bring TO the cabin and the marble hall
"A daily intellectual festival;
The tyKant's bitter foe. the lnborer's friend:
And Oft may we, the Press OF Iowa. asfi
Together meet. a. we have met to-day;
May we up yonder meet to part no more
Where business cares shall ne'er again perpiex,
Nor hunary sdsviis.S > Following everywhere.
With cries Of copy rend the startled air,
Nor stingy merchants, clamorous for a '.pun. =
Nor speakers whom we have not praised
Nor politicians who would run our press
For their own special glory and success,
Demanding Den We shall fatheT ali their iies,
Nor shrewd Subscribers, calling on us. whine
Yes if we editors should ever get
To Heaven, well enjoy it--you may bcti
Opening Address,
OF Hon. Peter Metendy, President Of
the Zotca State Agricultural Society,
at the opening ofthe fourteenth An
nual Fair, held at Clinton, October
1st, I'd, Sd and 4th, 1857.
FELLOw-CITIzENs--I behalf Of the
Iaxxrc Gfafu "A sxHioaal lfaa1ecl E<snfnfsx frr1d<n