Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1900-12-21

ance on a mans head implies Illness of
| The whole body. These estates OF dis
| proportionate size weaken all the body
polite. But the evil is nothing with us
compared with the monopolistic OBJ
preston abroad. Just look at the &C.
clesiastical establishments on the other
side the sea. Look mt those great ca
thedrals, built at fabulous expense and
supported by ecclesiastical machinery,
and sometimes In an audience room
that would hold thousand people 20
or 80 people gather for worship. The
pope's income is Ss.Oo0.0o0 a year. Ca
thedrals OF statuary and braided arch
and walls covered with masterpieces of
Rubens and Raphael and Michael An
gelo. Against all the walls dash seas
OF poverty and crime and filth and
abomination.
Ireland today one vast monopolistic
visitation. About 100000 people In
Great Britain. and yet all the soil
owned by about $4,000. Statistics
enough to make the. earth tremble.
Duke OF Devonshire owning 10000
acres In nerbyshire. Duke of Rich
mond owning 100000 acres around
Gordon castle. Marcus Of Bredalbane
going on journey of 100 miles I'm a
straight line all on his own property.
Duke of Sutherland has an estate wide
as Scotland. which dips into the sea on
both sides. Unfortunate as we have IL
here, IL is great deal worse there.
The majority OF the people of the
United States are on their way to for
tunes. They will either be rich them
selves, or their children will be rich. II
| should put to some men the question,
Would you have fortune and let
your children struggle all through their
lives In the same kind of struggle that
you have had to maker" scores of men
would say: 81 am willing to fight this
battle all the way through. but give
my children chance. do not care so
much about myself. It is only for 10 or
20 years anyhow. Give my children a
chance" If there is anything that stirs
my admiration, It is man without any
education himself sending his sons TO
college and without any opportunity
for luxury himself resolved that though
he Shall have ii bard all the days of his
life his children shall have good
start And 1 tell you that though some
OF our people may have great CONNER
eial struggles there is going to be a
great opening for their sons and dsugh-
tiers as they come on to take their
places in the world.
Continuing this international compar-
ison, have to say to you that we have
better climate than is 70 be found in
any other nation. We do not suffer
from anything like the Scotch mists or
the English fogs or the Russian ice
blast or the typhus of southern Europe
or the Asiatic cholera. Epidemics in
America are exceptional, very excep-
tional. Plenty of wood and coal to
make a roaring fire midwinter. Easy
access to seabeach or mountain ton
when the ardors of summer come
down, Michigan wheat for the bread.
Long Island corn for the meal, Caro-
lima rice for the queen of buildings.
Louisiana sugar to sweeten our bever-
ages, Georgia cotton TO keep us warm,
In our hand all products and all eli
mates. Are your nerves weak? Go
north. Is your throat delicate? Go
south. Do you feel crowded and want
II
this is the best country in all the world
to live in. How DO 1 know it? lave
100000 new reasons for saying It; ESQ.,
600 people in one year came from the
other side OF the Atlantic to live I'm
America, and they came because IL is
the very best country to live in.
Spirit of Ruin.
While making this international COM
parison let us look forward to the time
which VIII surely come when all ma
tons will have as great advantages as
our own. AS surely as the Bible IS true
the whole earth is to he gardenizcd and
set free. Even the climates will change
and the heats be cooled and the fririd-
ity warmed.
Many years ago In this city l gazed
upon scene which for calamity and
grandeur one seldom sees euualed. /
mean the burning OF the Smithsonian
institution. 1t was the pride OF our
country. In IL art had gathered rarest
specimens from all lands and countries.
it was one of those buildings which |
seize you with enchantment as you en-
Ter ana all the rest OF your life holds |
you with a charm. I happened to see
the first glow OF the fires which on that |
cold day looked out from the windows
or the costly pile. saw the angry Gle
ments rear and rave. The shout OF af |
frighted workmen and the assault of |
lire engines only seemed 10 madden the
rage or the monsters that rose I'D TO |
devour all that came within reach of |
their chain. Up along the walls and
through the doors were pushed hands |
That snatched down all they could
reach and hurled it into the abyss of
flame beneath. The windows of the
tower would light up for minute with /
a Wild glare and then darken, as
though hends with streaming locks of
hre had come TO gaze on In laughing
Inockery at all human attempts and
then sunk again into their native dark
ness With crackle and roar and crash
The floors tumbled. The roofs began
here and there to blossom in wreaths
ana vines OF flame. Up and down the
pillars ran serpents of fire. Out from
inc windows great arms and fingers of
name were extended, as though de-
stroyed spirits were begging for de,iv-
,rance. The tower put on a coronet of
lame and staggered and fell, the
sparks hyins, the firemen escaping, the
error accommodating. Books, maps. rare
autographs or kings,
'ostiy diagrams burned to cinder or
for many rood upon the
Wild wind to be picked up by the ex-
'ited multitude. Oh, 1t seemed like
ome great funeral pile In which the
wealth and glory OF our land had leap
a to burn with its consuming treas
Tres. The heavens were blackened
With whirlwinds of smoke, through
which shot the long red shafts OF ca
amity. Destruction waved its fiery
anner from the remaining towers, and
the thunder OF falling beams and In
he roaring surge OF billowing fire / {
card the spirits OF ruin and desnIstfon {