Evening journal., 1902-08-02
BiIlParSOn'SC SCOIumn
Published Now and Then.
The Knights of the coods-box


the people, SO long they put the seal
of approval on the habit of universal
1t has been said that in
every campaign we resolve ourselves
ilto a great debating society in which
all endeavor to be heard, and all are
,ntolerant Of interruption.
IA republican form Of government
debate, that men may be
informed before reaching conclusions,
but the right Of debate may be defended
On higher grounds; not that men are
information, but that so
many hold it their inalienable right TO
give it.
The forces of religion are organized
and directed from the pulpit; our civic
duties are pointed out from therostrum.
Councils, legislatures and congresses
furnish their quota of information,
nd yet all OF these would be made
quato without another factor which is
sually either slighted or forgotten
No picture of the government of the
United States is complete without that
of the orator on the goods-box. He is
both initiatory and referendum. Here
ileas originate, spread and cause poll
ticians to drop their platitudes and take
notice. Here. too, legislation is dis
cussed and the seal Of approval or
condemnation put upon it.
In every village in the United States,
in the towns, and frequently in the
small cities. there are these forums
where no subject is too weighty and
mono too trivial for debate. These So
ieties are not organized, have no dues
and no stated times of meeting yet
there is usually a quorum, and the ses-
EiOns last all day, broken only by
all to meals
The members of these goods-box so
ieties are philosophers in their way,
nd the startling aphorism; Lost, one
golden moment" has little tolerance
n their placid natures. In any coun-
try village there are one or two of
these unorganized organizations. About
8 o'clock on a summer morning
tho members saunter forth from their
places of abode. All has been made
ready. The clerk of some store, for
the meeting place is usually some gro
Gerry store, sets out his boxes, smoothly
polished by the seats of the trousers of
the faithful, and one bg one the phi
loscphers drop into their accustomed
places.
We may talk about our specialization
of knowledge, and of every man know
ing only one thing and knowing it to
the bottom. but such philosophy finds
no response in the breasts of these
placid philosophers.
To them time is not a stream that is
Witty rushing past. Rather, they
choose to contemplate eternity and
they rejoice in the feeling that aught
they may fail to accomplish may be
taken up by another generation and
andled at its leisure.
We could scarcely call this element
q productive class. since there is on
their brows no evidence of that mois-
turo by which it is said we shall eat
our bread. but if it is non-productive,
it is also largely non-consumptive
Their theory if put into words would
he something like this: Man wants
but little here below. If he sits still
most of the time he will not develop
a huge appetite neither will he wear
out his clothes. saving, perhaps, the
seat of his trousers. which may be
patched.
Then frequently he picks up bits of
information which at his leisure he
can turn to account In the course of
his conversation the financial standing
of every inhabitant Of the neighbor-
hood comes up for review; and you
have only to listen to the conversation
on this point TO learn that the informa-
ton is accurate and exhaustive.
There goes Billy Robinson" says
one. Il wonder when he got that
horse?" Then follows a general dis
cussion of Billy, dating back to his
grandfather and leading down through
the collateral and lineal branches, UNI
I'll a student of heredity may form a
pretty shrewd estimate of Billy's char
/ cter. Along with this comes re-
view of his financial standing which
ends only when we know every dollar
he owes; and from his character and
! business qualities we are able to judg'
u MS dDlllN9 anu PulloSt " pay. w ltA
1lis information in hand, these goods
box philosophers keep an eye on Billy
and in time may turn him to theil
financial advantage.
, But it must not be inferred that oul
placid friends are primarily bent on
speculation. That is only a divertinl
Incident. and grows naturally out Of
\ he information which they have
CLEANED. And isn't knowledge wealth
i But there are other topics in which
J they are equally interested and from
which no revenue can possibly be de
rived. Let one start the general topi'
f dogs or horses, and the discussion
will move along all day. From the in
ormation thus gained one could maxi
census OF the animals in the neigh
orhood. together with their traits ant
ilpedigrees.
Another topic is family history, an
, after the topic is exhausted one is lei
with the conclusion that little can b
: lexpected Of the present generation frOI