The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1897-07-07
PESSIMISTS AND PATRIOTS.

Hundreds of years ago a man wrote,
Hope deferred maketh the heart sick"
1 was reminded Of this today ny some
things l read in paper. One OF them
was this extract from speech recently
made in Philadelphia by President Nc
Kinley:
But let me tell you, my countrymen,
resuscitation will not be promoted
by recrimination. The distrust of the
present will not be removed by distrust
of the future. A patriot makes better
citizen than a pessimist, and We have
got to be patient, for, much as we may
want to move out of the old house, we
cannot do it until the new one is fin
ished
tariff law half made is of no prac-
teal use except to indicate that in
little while a whole tariff law will be
done, and it is making progress. It is
reaching the end, and when the end
comes we will have business confidence
and industrial activity. Let US keep
stout hearts and steady heads.
The country is not going backward,
but forward. American energy has not
been destroyed by the storms of the
past. 1t will yet triumph through wise
and benefcent legisla ion
The same paper which recorded this
speech contained accounts of IL suicides
which had been committed in the i'm
mediate vicinity of New York in less
than two days. What pity that such
of them as were respondent because of
hard times could not have been within
sound of the voice of the apostle of con-
fidence and protection! How much they
needed the exhortation, Let us keep
stout hearts and steady heads" 1t is
perhaps somewhat easier to keep a stout
heart with a S50;00O salary which the
whole people are pledged 10 pay than
it is when tout Of a job and empty of
stomach.
Starved in the street. Mary Brooch,
AGED 10, walked about the city until
she tainted Three days without food. >
| That is another heading in the same
paper with Mr. McKinley's speech. Here
| is still another: "The Sullivans have no
| home. Evicted, he is sent to a hospital,
! but his aged wife and children sleep
| outdoors" We read these things every
day if we read the papers, but they are
/ oJu ioJ Nv iHQp cG
speeches. First it was the election that
| was to restore confidence and prosper
! ity. How utterly that prediction failed
all the world knows. Now 1.-The tariff
| is held up as an Object of hope We
| seem to be in the condition of the don
| key which the farmer, sitting in the
| cart behind kept going all day by fas-
| tening turnip to the end Of lone
stick and holding it Just beyond the
| dOnkey's nose. The poor, patient beast
| trudged on with the turnip held out
| always just so far before him He couG
| never overtake it. So has prosperity
been held for and by the optimists til
hope deferred has made many a hear
| sick.
Governor Bushnell said to Mr. Bryan
few days ago, Every promise tina
was made will be fulfilled if you viii
but give the Republicans tiLlc.' Per
haps so; but, as Lincoln used to say
THAT reminds me of story" a. be
with B. and he could throw him G.
across the river. A. tried it, and B
dropped into the middle OF The river. H
swan to the bank and demanded tn
wager-a large sum. A. refused t,
have it given up. do you suppose
get discouraged with ore trial?" h
asked of his dripping victim. Il do
you don't" replied B. This is only
story, but when the Republicans plea
for "more time" in which to perform
an impossible task while we are buffet
ing the waves Of adversely l think Of il
1t is quite as possible foc one man {
throw another across the Mississippi
river at it's widest part as for the TART
to cure the hard times, and a goo
many people object TO even the "o1
trial. of what is sure to end in disaster
There seems to be a good deal Of
graveyard whistle, keep up your cou1
age sound to Mr.. McKinley's speech
Does he not know in his heart that
tariff law cannot help people crushe
, under the weight of national, state
county, town and individual debts: Dee
he not know, so long as IS per Ger
of the business of the country is don
on credit, that the only ones who ca
prosper are those who draw interes
in one form or another? Can he nc
, see that as long as business is done c
, the buy and sell plan large amour
of money coming to the people withor
| bonds is just as necessary to health
r state of business as "a good supply {
, blood flowing without restrictio
. through the veins and arteries is nece:
sary to keep a man or woman in goo
, health? Until these things are recos
nized and acted on "pessimists" will II
crease faster than patriots" notwitl
standing Mr.. McKinIey's exhortation.
CELIA B. WHITEHEAD.