The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1893-04-24
A GREAT DAY IN THE AGRICULTURAL
GROUNDS

The employees of the Agricultural De-
partment at Washington have embraced
the first opportunity to show their
fealty to Secretary Morton by getting
up celebration of Arbor day. on Sat-
urday. and inviting him to deliver an
address. One of the most beautiful
things in life is the profound regard and
intense loyalty which government en-
ployes have for the head of the depart
ment in which they are employed. 1t is
only eQuaIod by the devotion of q dog
to the person who feeds him. q little
while ago tho employees Of tho Agricul-
tural Department were as eager to pros
trate themselves before Secretary Rusk
as they now are before Secretary Nor
ton. Their subserviency is perennial.
As Secretary Morton claims to have
originated Arbor day, it was determined
to honor the day and him by planting
tree in the agricultural grounds. The
grounds are full of trees already. and
but for the circumstance above related
the employees could not have been hired
a
the new Assistant Secretary made
speech. No doubt it was an appropri-
ate speech, and referred in suitable
terms to the founder of Arbor day and
the beautiful custom of tree planting.
The Secretary was present. perhaps by
accident, and being "calied upon for a
speech" responded. Of course he also
had something to say about Arbor day
and the significance of tree planting. In
a solemn and instructive way he in
ing employees of the Agricultural De-
partment, that eff there should be
an intermissiOn of o single sum-
mer's growth, and no foliage. flower
or fruit came to the earth. when autumn
came there would not be one single liv-
ing. breathing animal on all this vast
globe of ours" We incline TO the opin-
ion that the Secretary exercised some
poetic license in this statement, but let
that pass. Pursuing the thought lit
tie further he said: "All the men stand
ing here. all these hearts beating here
to-day only few years since were parts
of the vegetable kingdom, and only a
few years hence we shall again be parts
of flower, forest and FRUIT This is a
solemn and impressive thought, and no
doubt the employees of the Agricultural
Department were duly impressed by it.
The report does not say there was ap-
plause mt this point, but we think likely
there was suppressed emotion. it is
not often that any body of government
employees are privileged to hear such
utterances as these ON Arbor day, and
that. too. from the head of the depart
ment in which they are employed.
At this point the Secretary switched
off on political line. Remarking that
"a tree and truth are the two longest
lived things of which mankind has any
knowledge" he said:
Therefore. IL behooves all men in rural
life, besides planting truths. To plant trees:
it behooves ell men In public life to plant
economic and political truths. and, Az the
tree grows from q small twIg TO grand
overspreading oak, so the smallest eco
nomic truth as we have seen In the United
States even In the last year. can so grow ss
90 revolutionlzo the government OF great
Republic.
Surely the employees must have ap-
plauded at this point. The easy grace
and fine figure of speech by which the
growth of ''the smallest economic
TRUTH" meaning, of course, free trade.
was likened to that of a tree which
! grows from small twig to grand.