The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-05-05
Wrsaen for The Arka"'ow 7ra0s'er'
 SIMPSONS SERMONS.
BY S. LEDNUM MYERS.

Centuries ago good man expressed aflesire to be "led in plain path" He was truly in earnest in his desire, and no doubt found the plain paths of lie which come to every mortal who is really sincere in seeking to improve ah old road by plain path.
 Notice, my friends, the words used is "path"-not a broad-gauge turn pike-not hundred foot block street, built by grasping contractors whose faculty for measuring more lineal feet than the city surveyor cares to account for, after taking his hands from behind his back-not long lane in country thinly settled by we'll to-do farmers because of the few improvements offered by few care- full spectators.
 It is often difficult matter to find path leading in the direction we desire to go. Our imagination finds no great difficulty in laying out path for our feet, but it is the various obstacles we meet on these paths that render loco- motion slow and wearisome, and often- times dangerous in the extreme.
 The path of the worthy pound d-mas- ter in rural district may not be rich in honors, but the incumbent is made sensibly alive to the weighty burden on his shoulders, when applied to for relief by the Flannigans, whose pig is in durance vile, and who have not 8 "cint in the world"
 That robust country squire finds thorns and thistles in his pathway, growing out of the higher court de- manding greater care upon his part in sending up his transcripts of the pro- ceedings in the court below, and is amazed at the stupidity of the bench and bar.
 In more densely populated districts, the various paths leading from the ward primaries to the council cham Der, become so choked up with aspir- ing minds, that one would suppose everybody was running for office, when the fact is, with very few ex- captions, nobody is running, and eoery- body stays at home from an earnest desire to "keep in out of the wet" or may be, urgent business requires their services at the office or desk, while the numerous "gas trusts" electric light combinations, elevated railway com- panies, "street- car combines" and va rious other smaU interests, hurl the "hoodlum" element into the ballot box with dexterity which alter wards makes Rome howl with rage. The aldermanic paths in metropoli- tan city are full of richness, else there would not be 80 many worthy CD as- pirants and honest CD endeavors for being ones own successor. It's an office that "pays"-and pays high prices for good goods, hence the peo- pie are never without material to sup ply the demand. We are reminded that the salary of many an honest and hard working alderman is suffi- cient for his needs; that is, if he is at all inclined to be economical, and everybody should practice economy, and aldermen are human, without a desire to oppress the people with bur- densome taxes or depleted treasury.
 By no means does every member of an aldermanic body find "plain path. g Of course it is in his power to draw his three dollars per meeting and live plainly, and keep the network of labyrinthian paths clear of all obsta- cles that would initiate against his being strictly honest. I am justly proud of our city council here in the village of Slushy Gulch Mining Camp.
 The plain path finders in the world who are they?
 It is plain path from the hang mans office to the White House, and we remember traveller who was SO engrossed with the idea of "public trust" while journeyiDg along this path, that twelve hundred men were compelled to give him aid and con- fort in order that a perfect definition could be arrived at of the words "free trade" and "protection," and the world at large has distinct idea as to the true meaning of the requirements of our civil service reform, and yet there are few individuals still living who are so dull of comprehension that these definitions are not clear to them, after four years of solid schooling, and to-day 1t is disputed question whether this same traveller really de- sires to be tied in . plain path" It