The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1881-02-10
OUR WASHINGTON LETTER.
The Consistency of Henry Ward Beeeher.
WASHINGTON. january 25.

WASHINGTON, January %.
The Plymouth orator came down
in our midst yesterday to talk to Us
about the New Profession"
"The new profession? What
pray, does he call the new profes.
sionr" we said to one another.
Precisely at 3 o'clock, in Lincoln
Hall, which the magic of his nam,
had packed to overlooking, netwith
standing Gerster ut the Opera House
and the reception to the delegation
of Ohio editors Ia brilliant affair
by the way, Mr.. Beecher proceeded
to tell us what the "new" profession
is to be; and, very much to our sur
prise, it flashed upon us in a short
time, that Mr.. Beecher was trund.
ling along the same track over which
Judge Tourgee flashed short time
since in the North american Re.
riec, in his "AarOn's Rod" 1t
likewise struck us that both these
gentlemen were aiming arrows al
the heads of our congressional solons
here, with a difference, however
Judge Tourgee shot from a distance
but he shot straight and undis.
guisedly at the mark. Mr.. Beeche.
came right down under the shadow
of the Capitol, but he got behind q
cover to send his shaft.
The new profession then, be ii
known, is the very old one OF teach
ing the "young idea how to shoot.
Do you stare? Do not, for ii would
undoubtedly be a new, a very new
profession if Ca la Mr.. b. we are
to snake the remuneration so high
and the calling so honored and hon.
orable that the very wisest and best
of our men-our geniuses in fact
can afford to go into it, as they now
do, into law, medicine and theology
to make it lite business, and to
look forward to rewards as great
and honors as lasting as these pro-
fessions offer to talent" In plain
words Mr.. Beecher's lecture was u
plea for common schools, for free
and universal education. This, he
SAYS is the only and all-powerful
panacea for the perils that threaten
the commonwealth, the dangers
accruing from the great influx
of foreign emigration and igno-
rance setting toward our shores,
the dangers which menace a
people who put the ballot in
TO ignorant fingers, and the dan
gers arising from the formation OF
classes and castles, which Mr.. Beech
er calls the greatest of all dangers
and which the common schools
alone can prevent. lie says: II
would have the rich mans Ounce sit
right by the side of the poor mans
genius" AS for the emigration
problem which seemed to some far
seeing croakers to present so many
perils, Mr.. Beecher had no fears
about it. The United States was
fully able to assimilate this great ac-
cession and convert il into good
American citizens. "Why," ex-
claimed he, "when a lion eats kid,
the lion doesn't become kid the kid
becomes lion" Another of his apt.
quaint comparisons was in likening
New York to the "Delta of Europe
The waters of great streams like the
Missouri and Mississippi. said he,
gather along their immense courses,
u handful of dirt here, another there,
and bearing it down, deposit it all
in homogeneous mass ut the mouth,
where il forms Delta-very rich,
but very malarious." Then after a
pause which said volumns, and held
laughter quivering in the air, he
said, "New York is the Delta OF
Europew The inference was obvious.
No enlargement was needed. Ii was
received with hilarious applause
This suggestive way of Mr.. Beecher's
table humor. His comparisons, so
wonderfully apt, so original and so
perfectly laconic, are so full of I'M
expected suggestions, one sentence
from his lips strikes dozen kindred
thoughts from his listeners brain
like fire from flint. This attribute OF
Mr.. Beecher is very much in accord
ance with the advice l recently
heard a veteran editor give an as
piring young writer: when you do
get hold of a good subject, pray don't
say everything. Leave something for
the next one to say"
DuC, on, We SnaueS OF Tie greaI
unwashed," for whom, not so very
long ago the, Rev Henry thoEght
bread and water good enough
three times a day, what think
you of his munificent ideas con-
corning the building of these COM
mon schools? He says: go
II denounce this theory of select
ing the plainest building for the
common school, as the most suit
able. / would choose the finest
the state affords, for the children.
| would make it the most beautiful
inside and out-frescoe the walls,
and furnish it as sumptiously as the
rich mans dwelling, that the chill
dren of the poor may see how the
rich man lives, and that they may
love the school"
Think of it. Frescoed walls and
bread and water three times q day,
for the dear people" whom in this
speech the orator apotheosized most
distinctly. Oh, consistency, we
know thou art jewel, but we also
know that thy name is not Henry
Ward. Il.