Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1896-01-03


opiuionated college presidents and pro.
fessors didn't know al about, and
couldn't settle off hand, the unworthy
doubt has been foTcv-r dissipatcd by the
promptuess with which these gentlemen
have trottei out solutions Of the Vcne-
zuelan difficulty. II any further proof OF
the infallibility Of these great scnoiastic
minds were needed. it could be iouno In
The vehemence with which they nave
asserted the ineffsble asininity OF all VINO
have yentured to differ from them
"while words Of learned length. and thun-
Amaz'd the gazing rustics rang'd around;
And still they gaxed and still the wonder grew
That one small heao could carry all ne Knew"
Mrs Peppersqueezer ignored the aimoss
audible smile that greeted her quotation
and, continuing, declared that there had
been some people foolish enough to sup
pose that Mr.. Olney, himself graduate
OF Harvard University, who had devoted
a large amount Of time to the study OF the
Venezuelan matter and who had had all
the resources Of the State department to
assist him in his Investigations, might pos
sibly have learned something about the
subject that had escaped the attention OF
these college fuminaries. There were
those who were even audacious enough to
imagine that his succe ssful career as a
lawyer, and his experience with practical
affairs, might possibly have qualified
him with a pretty thorough knowledge OF
the facts, to make such an application OF
the Mopros doctrine to the Venezuelan
controversy a. would be consistent with
the honor and welfare of his country. 1t
was painful indeed therefore to learn
from these eminent gentlemen that Mr.
Olney had failed dismally, and, IS a
matter Of fact had not really known, at
any time, what he was talking about.
She also declared ths1it was humilIat-
ing to learn from these great authorities
upon all that is movable, that the Presi-
dent himself had been guilty OF a man.
moth indlscretiOn; that he is, in fact,
lingo! who has even BEEN guilty Of assert
ing American rights to the displeasure of
Great Britain!
Mrs. Carfern declared that it was i'm
possible to avoid the Inference from read
ing the stern diota OF these eminent
members OF the Independent Order OF
Swclledheads that there are really no truly
great minds In Washington; that, as a
matter of fact, about all the unadul-
| terated wisdom, conservative presciencc,
and slnglcess of purpose in this great
land Of ours, IL under contract to few
favored universities and colleges at fixed
salaries! eve llnd," she said, "that
Adams, and Webster, and Marcy and
others, whom we have bedn won't to re-
gard as men of sound Judgment, unql es
toned patriotism, and acknowledged IN
tellectual strength, have really been very
| short sighted in their assertion of the
Monroe doctrine, and that, as II matter OF
| fact, the doctrine itself is an absurd and
| untenable one We cannot refrain from
o feeling of sadness to think that our
national capital is deprived of the ency-
clopacdic wisdom of these great cosmopol-
itan minds. Intellccts that can dispose
of a great question of state in an hour or
so, should not hide themselves in the
stuffy atmospheres of co!h &c lecture
rooms.
| Mrs. Wasp thought it was true that
teachers are liable to become somewhat
dogmatic, and that the custom of impart-
ing knowledge through long series OF
years, occasionally renders men poor
pupils She also thought that it was
equally true that the didactic tone OF the
class room, looks decidedly conceited, and
| is peculiarly nauseating to popular COM
mon sense, when it is applied with ali
assumption OF infallibility to public
measures and public men.
Mrs Hotella Thought that the structure,
upon college professors and college presi-
dents had been little TOO harsh. ami al
together too sweeping. Men who were
called to such positions were these who
had risen to distinction in educational
work, aud, not ipfrequently, in the pro-
LESSONS They We're necessarily men of
character and influence They were also
men of ability and broad culture. To
| her 1t seemed one of the most hopeful
signs of the time that men of this high
stamp should take an active intcress In
national sffAirs. She resented the in
sinuation that such men were represented
at the front by substitutes. The history
of our Civil war had shown that such not
only went to the front in times of war;
but that they also bccam leaders of men
there. She was aware of the fact that a
certain few college presidents and pro-
fessors had been guilty of some very indis-
Greet and conoeited utterances upon the
Venezuelan matter; but, SO far as she had
observed, the comments Of the vast
majority of them bad been characterized
by study patriotism and conservative
common sense.
No ons appeared to have strength
enough left to take issue with these
We've, and, upon motion Of Mrs. Work
late, the meeting adjourned.
| HANNAH HAZARD.
The many In this city who have
watched with interest the reports on the
construction of the Ashland branch of the
Bangor & Aroostook Railroad will be
interested to know that the ballastiDg
| will be completed on Wednesday, IL 10 ex-