Evening journal., 1898-03-16

ssmipeace, which is also semiwar It
seems to me absolutely certain that we
shall be in the not remote future forced |
intoa warlike attitude by Spain, forced |
for the purpose of extricating both the |
reigning npuse and tho ruling ministry
from desperate dilemma In that view |
think it is well to remember the ad-
vice of Shakespeare
''Bcware
ofentrance TO quarrel; but, being in,
Bear't thut IN opposer may beware OF thee.
Remembering it / shall vote for this
bill, !, for one, Mr. Speaker, am not go
ing to stand here urging the recognition
Of Cuban helligerency, urging the reoog-
milton of Cnban independence, and when
the time comes when through that sort Of
action relations have been strained and
war has become possible, if not probable,
refuse to give my voice to prepare this
government in the best way possible
for war if it should cone "
A Scholar In Politics.
Occasionally somebody makes q fling
at ''the scholar in politics. as though
there is something in scholarship that
/ depriyes a man of courage industry,
honesty, patriotism and common sense
the qualities most essential to a pub
lie servant AS often as the insinuation
| is made some scholar in politics.
! demonstrates his fitness for oongression-
al life. En- passant will say that there
are more Scholars in politics" than
most people realize. Somebody with u
turn for mathematics has figured it out
that Of the Missouri delegation in house
and senate 81 per cent are college bred
men, which is also said TO be a greater
| percentage than is found in the delega-
tion of any other state-a fact largely
to the credit Of Missouri.
Nobody whose opinion is worthy Of
attention win claim that all scholars
are fit for public life, for a semi-idiot
with phenomenal memory might come
to possess wonderful scholarships but
maintain that, other things being equal,
scholarship makes man Of more service
to his people, If not, why do we spend
millions annually for education? Derid-
ing a man as "a dootrinairen does not
make him fool or crank, sure as you
live.
| Among tho SCHOLARS in politics" in
congress who are gradually forging to
the front as practical business members
as we'll as forceful debaters is Willard
d. Vandiver, a new Missouri member.
He never held any Office until in 1896,
when, from large field, he was nomi-
mated and elected to congress- lie was
for many years professor and president
Of a Missouri normal college.
He looks like scholar. IN manner
Of speaking as well as in his personal
3 appearance he resembles Hon. William
B L. Wilson, for ten years member Of
{ congress, once chairman Of the wayi
and means committee, afterward post
{ master general, and now president Of
Washington and Lee M ieraity, only
the Missourian is taller and more sinewl
! than tho West Virginian
In recognition Of his scholarship
= Speaker Reed assigned Vandiyer to tbs
+ committee on education.
Y Naturally he takes great interest II
educational matters. He participated il
s the debate on the Loud bill, helping la.
o it out in death. he said, in part;
o "By the admission Of these littl
booklets, not trashy novels, as the gen
tleman would have you believe, sent
J.. the schools Of this country, the childre
@ of America have been enabled for th
is last eight or ten years to receive d
d cheap rates the best literature Of ancier
l. and modern times They have put int
their hands the works of Milton, Burke
# Macaulay and the best poets Of Amerlc
# and England.
d "But by this bill you deprive ther
10 of that privilege, you discriminat
If against the best works Of literature an
t. allow the cheap, trashy novels to com
is in simply because they are new. 70
l. have admitted by the rulings of til
r postoffice department. the best literatul
L Of the country to come to these chi
ID dren, and now you propose to strike
II down in order to save a little moro
lr the Dingley deficit. raise my voice
d behalf Of this educational movemen
&c and when do so the gentleman tries
II cover up the question by declaring 1t
re be for the admission Of trashy liter
Id ture. Your bill admits to the pound ia
N of postage the silliest twaddle OF yello
re journalism and the trash of the late
&c and vilest penny page novelist simp
n because it is new. But you have ruli
out tho greatest works Of Macaula
L. Milton and Burke, the best writing
IS the brightest gems Of Dan Chaucer' &
be morning star Of song, whose sweet breai
,h preluded those melodious bursts whi'
CO filled the spacious times Of great Eliz
ee beth with sounds that echo still. "
ie That strikes me as a piece OF trst ra
H. English and contains as much practie
be wisdom as could be packed into SUI
e small space Yandiver is once mo
demonstrating the utilitarian charact
of ''the scholar in politics.
Ie, Republican Kilkenny Cats.
te The other day on a street car met
IN Republican boss with whom l am q
MS quainted, for he lives in my section
lw the country, He dropped wearily III
he his seat as a man utterly exhausted.
SO. inquired sympathetically, "Colon'
", what is the matter?" "Oh, -"