The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1874-04-10
sPAsMopIcs.


With the rules, but we want to use
t, and we are not always careful to
,eep rules. We like a little free
iom in the use of words as we do
leeds. We want to use the word
o represent class of persons that
We want some name for and we
can't think of anything better now.
Let us, then, for convenience call
them "Spasmodics." They are a
class of persons who affiict the
world generally. Every trade, |
every profession, every line of bus
mess, has to endure the jerks, the |
bitches and stops, of these persons. |
There are spasmodic politicians, re-
ligonists. lawyers, doctors, preach
ers. mechanics, farmers. Men who
start up by sudden waking, and
strike ont with vim to do some
thing. The start is so sudden, so
seemingly earnest, and the spas
modic so distances his fellows as TO
make them feel that they are piod-
ders indeed. There is a time and a
place for everything. These spas
modes have their mission. Kansas
has its gusts, and we presume the
various trades and businesses of the
world need their storms.
Let us see, did you ever attend an
old field school, where the larger
scholars were permitted to take
their books and go out in the shade
Of the cabin, OF some great spread
ing tree to study 20 their lessons?
Well then, You remember how
much time was wasted in play or
light conversation. The moments
would slip away, and you had about
forgotten that the hour for recita-
ton was at hand, when up springs
some sharp boy or girl and at the
lesson as though it could be taken
by storm. That sudden spring,
that rush, does not accomplish
much, as a rule, for the spasmodic,
but it wakes up the plodders and
they march in with steady thought
and somewhat excited tread, to mas
ter the lesson. The spasmodic works
for others.
1t is so in business, in every
thing. A kind of dullness settles
down oyer the business world oc-
casionalIy, which perhaps would re-
suit in an endless sleep, if some Of
the spasmodics did not spring cut
and rush around among the dream
ers waking them all up to effort sn6
business. He will soon settle down
but he has put other bodies in mo
ton of greater weight, and they
will move on for time, at least.
So in the political world, some
revolutionist has 10 start ont with {
bound and hazza occasionally t.
keep the old carcass from a rotteI
= stinkinguess. The dominant part!
: settles down into a corruption from
| which it would never recover j
some agitator did not spaing up anC
| with q wild rush astonish the who'll
: Country. Your spasmodic is sool
l swept off the stage of action, blu
3 the cord which he struck continue
to vibrate.
, The religious world has to b
A., walked up in the same way. You
old "standbys" would wear dow
! into a groove so deep that tn
= church would be forever beating
circle if the 'Erevivalist did no
break in upon their regularity oc
f casionaily, and stir them all up un
til they loose their places. There
nothing so ruiuous to spirituAlit
, in the church as an old forms
, grind. No matter what kind of
a grind it is, it becomes monOtonous
q and monotony is death. Ever
a church needs a Peter to ''stir up
the ''pure minds" of its members
occasionally. The most of tn
churches need little blessed con
r fusion now and then. 1t takes on
0 of our spasmodics 10 bring it abou
He, poor fellow, may not endur
long, but he gives the whole bod
Q an electric shock which will do last
n ing good. Ou- social meetings ar
cold, formal, uninteresting, beeaus
: the spasmodic does not attend then
. How much more lively and profit
} able they would be if some shout
ing, If you please, ranting, spas
modic would break in upon ther
e occasionally. Anything but
y dead standstilL.
a 1t is often said that "order
C Heavens first law" We shall nc
:. dispute it, if you will allow us (
: say that Heaven delights in variet
e also. We had liked to said confu
f sion. What about the tempes
f earthquake, thunder's roar, etc
c Look at the confusion of hills an
8 plains, rivers and lakes, rocks, tree
a herbs, flowers, every thing. Thi
world is all mixed up. There al
u as many crooked as straight thing
: Does not Heaven like the same cor
: fusion, stir, mixture,- call it wins
# you please, in the worlds business
5 politics and religion? Does til
s Lord not use the spasmodics anon
: men, just as he uses the tempes
: thunder storm aud earthquake
:. among the things material?
e We satdown to give the spasmod
e les a round scolding, and behold
we have praised them. We intend
n cd to hold them up to the scorn {
e the steady, plodding ones, but W
r have glorifed them. That is til
: way. Very often we would do on
, thing, but somehow succeed in dc
J, ing quite another thing. Do nC
s blame US, in this case. The spas
modic, with AL his usefulenss, has
: hard time of it. Very often
: only succeeds in running well fc
Y 4 season. lie is n little too apt (
# fall out by the way; but he doe
Y good to others, and we believe fills
e mission in the world.
a POLITICAL REVIVAL"