Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1900-03-30
We Want a Living Org inlsm.

With the approach of every great
political contest in this country men
have gone up and down the land eX-
horting you to organize, ORGANIZE, Or
CAME Unless you felt keen in
terest in the issues to be decided, thef
might as we'll have been beating tina
air with fail. And even IL you did
feel interest enough in the outcome g,
be anxious to see your party succeed,
you have doubtless felt that organ.
ization was much loss important than
these exhorters claimed, and Won
dered why you and other men could
not just go quietly to the polls on
election day and vote your fellows in,
without all the tomfoolery Of political
clubs. torchlight parades, and endless
speeches to men, all but the smallest
fraction Of whom were as impervious
to opposing argument as a duck is to
water.
Never fear; am not going to at
tempt to controvert these ideas with
any of the stereotyped argument
for organization. You all know
how much stronger an army is
than mob; and you realize the force
of all that could be said to demonstrate
the superiority of discipline over dis
order. There is something, however,
better than organization, though 1t
will not render that unnecessary. 1
mean what will perhaps best be un-
derstood il l call it enthusiasm. A
human cadaver is wonderfully or
ganized piece Of physical mech
anism Every nerve and artery
and muscle, every bone and
sinew and tendon in its place, and
perfectly adapted to the ends it was
intended to subserve. But without
the power of life, the body is only u
useless, an unsightly, an offensive
piece Of carrion, rapidly becoming
dangerous and deadly. Well, the
finest political organization, without
the life and soul of earnest conviction
on the part OF its members, Is no bet
ter than corpse. Politicians who
work only on the lower levels and
seek party success only OF chiefly that
it may help them to power and pelf.
are always inclined to put the body b..
fore the soul, 10 insist upon organiza-
ton rather than devotion to principle.
1t is tho safer plan for them. Mora.
enthusiasm is something that can't
always be kept within reasonable
bounds. 1t is liable to upset plans
md defeat schemes. 1t may burst all
carriers, and devastate like flood or
,corch like u fire. But ] set out to
Indicate how enthusiasm $ developed;
low it springs from beginnings AZ
small as grain of mustard see |, and
yet grows until it becomes spread
ing tree reaching up to heaven. A
loble thought, an unset fish aspiri-
ion for human welfare arises in
,ome breast 1t is commc icated to
,thers Each new convert to the idea
becomes thought center from which
'adiate suggestions of gool to DO
accomplished along that line. These
bought waves are reflected and re.
effected. Every new mind in which
hey find lodgment becomes center
force, and the power Of the idea
rows, not ia proportion to the mum
ers who accept it, but lnultip led ~
lch new factor affects all the rest.
he progression is not arithmetical
mt geomctrical The light does not
.)read in Il line nor Il plane merely,
ut upwai DIS, downwards anl in a.!
,rcctions.
Organization will come fast
,ough, when the spiritual forces
II human souls, but it can never
Ike the place of those forces. Where
mans treasure is, there will his
cart be also is the dcclar-
ton of the Old Bible. Is it not
qually true that where mans heart
there will his treasure be? Let
i'm come under the influence of
irresistible convictions; let him
OF only apprehend the truths
hat are essential to his salvation
ON industrial slavery, but let them
.ize hold of him, and sway him as
ne wind sways the forest, and he
ill pour out his substance like water
q promote the oncoming of the king
lom OF brotherhood and love among