The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1899-06-13

sublimity to feel that in the realm of
thougnt at least you are untrammeled
and are free. The glory to know that
in the mansion of your brain at least
the soul Is sovereign and supreme.
That In spite of wrath and of tyranny
and oppression and all the arts that
man or devil can devise to chain you
down, that the soul lifts triumphant
like Phoenix defiant from the flames.
That in spite of wealth and position
and preferment and power, A mans a
man, for a. that
"MeA have said that no one ever yet
died for principle. They lied. our
forefathers died for individual free
dom, individual liberty, individual in
dependence, that was the principe.
They died that we, their children,
might be able to exclaim: This is my
air; my sunshine; my land. I have
a right to live, to hope, to aspire, to
toll. l am a unit in the economy of
Gods creation; the census of this
earth is not complete unless I am
counted in
years of revolutionary war. Wet with
carnage--crowded with livid counte-
nances. with the vital sword thrust,
with the hand-to-hand struggles with
the murderous steel and bullet in the
heart. With the half cry half shout
OF the wounded; with the softer moan
ing OF the unconscious; with the whole
life times crowded terribly into a
brief moments; then the convulsive
fingers tearing through the stones and
earth, the creeping of the last lethargy
the limbs growing cold in the freez-
ing grip of death. There was book
in every flame flash, a volume in the
crack of every rifle; life tragedy
concentrated in the CLINT of every
n1tr nd
cut feet tracked the earth; how their
limbs We're Shattered; how their eyes
were extinguished until they wept,
and bled, and groaned, and died. Died
in bitches on the hillsides on the open
plain; the birds of prey the only at
tendant on their last obsequies; red
blood on the battlefield and black
crepe on all the land around.
And all for what? For the cause;
for the principle that all men were
born equal. A truth no one ever de-
MED unless he We're tyrant, or
rascal, or wretch. No one. No one!
None; Be he churchman in the pulpit
or knave in the pew
What dragged our civilization glor-
ious and triumphant from the very
Jaws OF barharism? The discoveries
of few;y the brave thought of per-
haps dozen; the heroic utterances
of a man here and there brave enough
to stand out for a principle against
the world. They passed their magic
wand across the sea, and the canoe
of the savage made way for the ar
mored cruiser with her 400 guns,
ploughing the pillows with mighty
PROV. Another pass of that magic
wand and the club of the barbarian
is supplanted by the lannon's shard,
hurting 1000 ponds of missile through
foot and half of solid steel. An
ntG &c
drum of skin, gives way TO the har-
monies of the orchestra Such men
as these it was that led the triumphal
march of civilization up the centu-
ries until each gigantic stride was in
Dictated by a living landmark for the
worlds veal Now A loom; now a reap
err now a steamboat; now a locomo-
tive; the telegraph; the telephone; the
bridled lightning harnessed at our
call; then the schools the universities;
the printing; the sculpture; the poet
ry: the hopes, the loves, the aspira-
lions of the world. These are the men
who fought for light, for air, for OPP
portunity; for Individual independ-
ence Fought, struggled, bled and died
for the principles they maintained.
But In all this be not deceived. 1t
means to suffer, to be maligned; to be
traduced. to be misrepresented; to be
attributed with sordid motives; to be
called fanatic. Let a man once step
upward from the ranks and into the
opening clearing of conviction where he
stands alone, and he makes himself the
target of devils and men. Wise saws
are then repeated and knowing mods
and prophetic Winks; wealth sneers;
fashion giggles and scorn points with
her bony fingers Then the whisperer
projects his venom; the slander-monger
his forked tongue; and the false conser-
va had IN hi y,
cred stump boots his solemn boot All
yes, be not deceived; it means to suf-
fer; you and I, plain citizens that we
are know that 1t means sometimes to
make mistakes-but what of that?
There are some who never make mis-
| takes, / know. The dumb, dull sheep
| that plods hindermost in the flock can
| never be accused of indiscretion; but
| the one who with eyes alert and KEEN
| pioneers to better pastures 1t is he who
| must bear the judgment if mistake be
| made.
"There are those who never are at
fault, / knew; bullet them not be glor-
| flied by the distinction; there are sin
headed animals with two legs who
haven't brains enough to bestow even
| a helpful, generous whole souled mis-
| take upon the world. Why, the very
| mistakes of honest men have been tri-
umphant stepping stones in the worlds
| pitSltSS. 1HSIP are IlleH WI ste no
more value in good, sound conscien-
| ticus error than the Indian sees in the
| gold mine beneath his wigwam. l tell
| you to confer a mistake candidly, good
naturally, sincerely upon the world is
IN itself a notable performance.
f. All yes but be not deceived-it
means to suffer Yet the heroes of the
world have been men who suffered; not
| the drones and the babblers of earth
| but the men who were the opponents CT
| moral earnestness; the idealists if you
| will, ite-heated with the enthusiasm
I of their ideals. I know it means to
| struggle, the enemies of personality are
| on every side. Custom meets us when
we first take breath and leaves us only
at the grave. We are pushed and drag
ged by countless hands along the beat
en- paths of precedent and the tyranny
Of the past. Society offers us great re-
tainers for self betrayal. Politics par
AIDES her glittering glory before our
| eyes. All these things will | give thee
if falling down thou wilt adore We