The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-10-22

Then suddenly the line ceased moving.
] He looked aboflt surprised. They had
/ turned about, and were pointing in the
direction whence the line had started.
He looked the way they pointed. and saw
a shane coming toward him, more slowly
! than any of the rest had done. He
watched it for moment, then glanced
| at the ghosts that had gone by. The
! head of every one was bowed as if in
utter detection. The single phantom
stalked along. 1t paused before him and
| raised its face.
Il am the ghost of a Peoples prosper
ity. You slew me, and their curse lies
on yeu day and night. No deed in his.
tory will be written down so black as
even the least of yours. Another comes,
whom you have slain. Behold him."
Again he looked and saw phantom
that once had been of wondrous beauty,
Even in its ghostly outlines possessed
somewhat of majesty aud grace. As 1t
approached the whole line of specters
burst forth into tears and lamentations.
1t stopped before him. Il was the
greatness of your nation, but am dead.
You slew me. The world is laughing at
me now, and at you and your people.
Behold me in my ruin, and know what
have been. You laughed at me, you
jeered me, you derided me. l fell by
your strokes, and the pen of history
writes down that American Greatness
died at tie hands of Calamity. Enjoy
your triumph if you can.
The Caianlityite's head had dropped
between his hands, and his body was
trembling as an aspen leaf. When he
heard the last words of the ghost OF Ma
tional Greatness, he raised his head and
once mors looked about him. Only the
one figure remained, that had been
standing by the chair through all the
time.
The congressman's eyes sought its
face and gazed upon it. And were you
too slain by me:" he asked.
II too was slain by you. Your fac
tories, your markets, your liberalism,
you popular education, were all de-
stroyed by you. You struck down your
navIes and marine, the honest money Of
your country, the individuality and ara
bition OF your people and the happiness
of their homes. You denied to the sol !
diers the pittance they received, you
slew prosperity and her offspring, ma
tional greatness, and last of all l fell be-
meath your fatal blows. Our curse is Oh
you, the curse of doomed people fol- I
lows you, and the condemnation of God !
rests upon the man who murdered free
dom. Go quickly to your punishment, I
for the world has no place for pessimism !
and calamity, and drives you out from |
it with bitter hatred. Go quickly to your |
DOOM" And the ghost of freedom point |
ed downward with stern gesture of |
command.
The congressman understood the mo-
ton. ''No. Nor he cried. us there no
forgiveness! thought"
Cor commanded the ghost. $50, !
join the men whose lives have been
whose acts and deeds have been the full |
filling of evil all their days. The man
who destroys a nations happiness and
greatness and brings its people to de-
structi0n is the tool OF evil, and his pun
ishment is there.
He gave one look at the hard features
of specter and felt himself going down,
down, in spite of all that he could do.
He grasped at whatever was nearest, but
nothiag would stay his fall, and he felt
himself sinking into the blackness of a
terrible condemnation. 1t seemed an
iSC OcloIc nc StoppcI. Ddt when lie dAt,
the scene had changed. He rose slowly
to sitting posture. For q mo-
ment he was daZed, but IS his
eyes took in his surroundings he
them. He was ia ms own
room, and the ghosts Were gone. His
and papers were scattered on
he floor, where he had gathered them
n his hands as he slipped from the
chair. He glanced at his watch. 1t was
nearly morning-near the morning Of
he day when he was to deliver his ca
amity speech. The speech lay ON the
able now. the first, as he had planned,
If many that should starte The people of
lis district and the country. lie took 1T
Up, but as he turned the pages he heard
he cry again and again, You slew US,
Tou slew us, and our curse Is on the
and because of you" For moment
lie stood irresolute, then kneit beside his
hair and asked for Divine guidance
When he arose he thrust the manuscript
nto the stove and struck match to it.
HE spoke tine next day, but his
peech denounced calamity and an
iouuced his withdrawal from it's ticket
md his support of the Republican plat
orm and ticket from top TO bottom.
WILSON.