The record-union., 1897-10-31
SOME RAMBLING THOUGHTS.
By Memo"

| 4-SSAA - d@4N lA4<Sl us OC<lS d1G Iu0 Will
desire for national health and great
ness. Just as We have confidence in
the depth and purity of the great
ocean, though psrhaps only few mud
| dy wavelets come near our feet along
the beach; so do We look in faith down
through the troubled surface of polit-
ical life to the great body in whom We
trust. We must believe in ourselves,
in our possible glory, in our destiny as
a republic, in the peaceful develop
ment of self government by self-gov-
| erning hosts, for can we not detect in
our very geography the tracings of a
mighty purpose, and in our history can
we not hear the actual football of the
Almighty? Without faith in yourself
you individually will become a weak
ling and a nonentity; without faith in
our nation, a weakening element in its
| life-b blood. When belief perishes, we
perish; for the belief of the heart mold
eth the outer life. When the vision OF
nights unattained still stretches before
us, happy are We as a nation. Out OF
obscurity comes voice TO your ear
pleading for Faith, more faith!"
|
But we are in profound danger. From
striving parties and conflicting ideas
No, thousand times! Parties are bal
ance wheels, and parties are safety
valves. Speaking broadly, the party
with an idea, when in is always con-
| servative because of the watchfulness
of the party that is out. The party
out is ever restless for change and ur-
gent to make it; though when power
is placed in its hands, it Immediately
| develops carefulness because it is
! brought face to face with burdens that
are visible only from within. Thus
each party is really engaged in paving
the way for a later triumph Of the 9TH
| er. This action and reaction in ma
tional life. like activity and sleep in the
human body, make us steadily progress
sfve. If no unnatural means are used
TO suppress the expression of the peo-
pies thought this ebbing and flowing
of public opinion is as much to be ex-
pected as the tides of the sea. And in
the ebb and flow is health, for no par
ty ever can or ever will gather into it's
ranks all the good and wise and up
right.
In danger from leaders? No; lead
ers are natural. Men gather more ca
gerly around an idea with a man back
| of it, than they do around a mere
thought standing by itself. At heart
! we are all hero -Worshipers; we cling
to those who embody our thought May
! the Weigher of Nations raise up more
standard bearers! We need not doubt
He WILL for hitherto the seed-time and
harvest of great-hearts and great-souls
have not failed US.
THE LEADER.
Where shall we find the man to guide the
Stale,
Like skiilful mariner who knows the seas.
The rocks. the shoals-and steers his ship
Past dangers that are looming near and
great,
/ Or, like an ambushed foe, in silence wait
! Who holds his constant crew in duty
Nor soares himself to keep his vessel
sound,
But meets with equal mind unequal fate?
A leader such as this must be man
Honest in, purpose, pure in life and
thought
Free from mere party rule; in danger 5
hour
Strong to put forth and furnish all he
can
For others good; not willing to be bought
BY any love of wealth, or praise, or power.
= 4
Y 1eI IiuGT6 Is DO1SOn III lli0 NGiIIS VI
the body polite It threatens the lib
erty for which our fathers fought. 1t
leads US to fear the suppression of the
public fiuctuation of thought that puts
each party on it's guard. It may pre-
cipitate again the conflict that watered
our birthplace with blood when men
demanded their right to be represented
That poison is BOSSISM. Think for
moment what things bosses set out to
accomplish and you will realize how
abhorrent such people are to the Amer
lean instinct. A boss has no genuine
political beliefs; he will as gladly deal
with the boss of a different stamp, as
ne will listen to his own helpers. I'm
like leaders who are called forth by
the compelling voice Of a people who
recognize merit, bosses are the cunning
users of fortuitous circumstances.
Placed in some temporary position of
power, the boss plots to make his hold
permanent and panders to the lowest
| instincts of greed in gathering around
him cringing sycophants ready to do his
will A boss will sit down months be-
| fore a campaign and plot while men Of
upright thought are all unsuspicious.
His followers will ''fix up primaries,
rush through States unbroken,
| pack conventions and SO make our
glorious heritage of free and unbiased
voting a mere farce and mockery.
| Not necessarily himself holding public
| office, the boss places public men un-
| der such obligations to himself that
| they yield him unquestioning obedience.
| Offices will be filled by him with greedy
men who divide with him the spoils,
| for the sake of his continued mainten-
ance Of them in their positions These
are they who have made the stock
gambling of our Senate a possibility, a
shame and a scandal to the nation.
| These are they who have degraded pol
itics until to go into the highways of
| public life tests a mans Drobity of
| character more than to the full These
are they who have affrighted good men,
and before whom voters are dumb, like
sheep before shearers. These are they
who sell legislation to highest bidders
until all law-making is coming under
the ban of suspicion. These are they
in short who are more dangerous than
nihilists; who are driving us forward to
a national outburst. ''The people" are
slow to anger but the day Of reckoning
with perverted justice and purloined
privileges is bound to come unless we
right wrongs, and that right speedily.
The difference between an honorable
coura geous General and a blood thirsty
bandit chief, is the difference between
trusted leader and a self-seeking boss.
Compare Lincoln's solemn recognition
of the horror of the burden which was
upon him, which marred his face with
seams, which bowed his herculean