The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-06-23
THE DAY WE
CELEBRATE.
"A String Of Fourth o.
July Thoughts.
TEE GHOST AT THE FEAST.

Views Of Statesmen and Eseformers-sec
rotary Morton on Eirecrackers-sentt
ments OF Senators Vest aud Erys-aIrs
Lease on Justiee-Incidont by Professor
Ridpaths Etc.
LCopyright, 1861
Ay::1sSssS ~ ~ z <. ~, s ~
}zSA= yTassgis5s
o. sAgt 81. NIERICANS, have
NklA@" ~ you forgotten your
S@SrH 6GEL. constitution? 4 his
: M III NJ country - my coun-
~/ENA try, your country
~ ~ the republic of exam.
~ y pie and boast, IS los
ing its strength at
home and its hold abroad. Your individual
and selfish aims have most disastrous bear
ing. You allow the spirit Of business to
enter into the holiness Of 1egislatiny for a
pooplei
The men who made and adopted your
glorious constitution in the hour of need
and bravely faced the consequences fail to
recognize their descendants. Time and
again has the agony and responsibility of
that stand for liberty been proclaimed. Yet
you forget
"Peoplo gathering at corners,
Where they whispered each to each,
And the sweat stood o. their temples
With the earncstness Of speech
win they do tt2' Dare they do ssY
Who is spcal1ing?' What's the neyvs2'
what Of Adamss' What Of Sherman
o, God grant they won It refuse}"
and the anniversary What is it? Nc
more than Saturday half holiday. You
are sitting your patriotism, srnOthering
your moral mature, forgetting to do rs you
would be done by, le2vihg the spirit OF re-
mem brancc and the dignity Of celebration
to the childrcni
"Awakel See, I wiring my handsl I
beseech you to attend this day with some
honest, earnest feeling, some circulation OF
thought. BY heaven, if you feel nothing
else put in your pleas of ingratitude, than
which this silence and Indifference could
not be more bitter to the spirit of liberty
that lived here, died here, rose here from
the flames ard is liEe-lilze Americans to
find its doathbed here againr'
The voice ceased. The gray dawn crept
in. On the table lay the remnants Of last
nights delicate viands, tho disconsolate
stray cOr1s, the bottles and the vine stains.
Each man lifted his head from the table to
corroborate the vision in his neighbor's
aI.~ q
young admirers.
You saw hor?"
Yes
"Who was she9"
1.-The ghost Of some daughter of the Rev
olution.
"she looked like the spirit of liberty
her eaFlnents-her brow.
Come, boysl Dream or reality, we
must do as she says. There is no such
thing in this world IS accomplishment and
resting on your laUrels. We must go on "
And the eldest hero Of the past evening
led the way home
The identical party of witnesses and the
identical issue of the seed sOwn by the
ghost at the feast have been lost long since
in the general harvest But here you have
a string of thoughts from people of accom-
plshment. They were secured expressly
as a Fourth of July contribution to this
paper
Senator Frye on Civic Rights and Duties.
In this busy land of ours it is well that
one day in a year should be set apart in
which to commemorate the patriotism of
our fathers and to inculcate its principles
i'm our children Tt is not our privilege to
create a republic but it is our duty to pre-
serve it. Patriotism requires of US not
only a jealous support Of our country s In
terests in international Affairs, but also in
teligent and persistent effort in behalf OF
good government. Every patriot should
be politician in the highest sense Of the
word He who would enjoy civic rights
should not shrink from civic duties Very
truly yours, WM P. FRYE.