The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1897-07-15
BETTER THAN SHOTGUNS.

BETTER THAN SHOTGUNS.
Senator Mason, in his Fourth of July
address at Binghamton, N. Y, after
discussing the affairs of the Nation,
and after speaking of the people at
large, made new departure, and, in
taking up the home as the foundation
of government, spoke of wives, hus-
bands, and babies, emphasizing the
point that the man who was lover of
liberty at home was safe citizen. He
made plea, with some humorous ref
erences, for liberty to the wife and hus-
band, but when he spoke of liberty for
the children there was earnestness and
pathos. He would have no room in
the house too good for the children.
He would give them the opportunity
of having plenty of company at home,
all the fun the boys and girls could
bring in, and then have no fear that
they would spend their nights in saloons
or worse places. He had heard men
speak of the expense of rearing chill
dren as though they were raising pigs
for the market instead of developing
souls for eternal life. He would make
the memory of kind, broad, loving,
liberal home so strong that it would
save boy from any temptation.
He made plea for reverence to the
old, urging boys and girls to give to
the father and mother the respect they
are entitled to. Beginning with the
remark, "To me there is no more cer-
tain stamp of true manhood or woman
hood than to see love and devotion to-
ward the parents" Mr. Mason said:
"The President of the United States
has travelled hundreds of miles to be
with his mother on this national day.
His life, from the private soldier to the
chief executive officer of the Nation,
has been one continual act of industry
and bravery, yet in all this life no one
thing speaks palmer of his worth than
his devotion to and pride in his mother.
Surely such man can safely be in
trusted with the affairs of our great
Nation"
In further exalting the home, Senator
Mason said: "There is much that is
beautiful in life besides music and
flowers, but nothing compares with a
baby. The baby, more than anything
else, is the great civilizer and great
humanizer. The baby has more power
in one of its little dimpled fingers than
there is in dozen shotguns"
If Mr.. Mason had said nothing else
in his Fourth of July grafton than this
last sentence he would deserve the
thanks of all the home-makers in
America. He simply gave striking ex-
preston to common sentiment-to
truth that every one has an illustration
of every day-"that there is more
power in baby's dimpled fingers than
in dozen shotguns."
1t is a significant thing that United
States Senator brings into discussion
of public questions the family as the
seat of power, as potent factor in our
public institutions, as the unit, we may
say, in working out the great problems
of American life. The formation of
character the direction of thought, the
training of the person, the shaping of
all things that go to make the citizen,
have their start in the home. Where
there are commonplace, prosy homes
there are commonplace, prosy citizens;
where there is high sentiment in the
home, the proper influence exerted, and
an atmosphere of sympathy and har-
mony prevalent, there are high-grade
citizens who take interest in whatever
is for the good of the people.-Chicago
Inter Ocean.