Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1902-02-21
ON TAP
OLD REPORTER GIVES HIS OPlN-
ION ON DIVERS MATTERS.

Passed in Review-The Basis of Lincoln.
Popularity and the Groundwork of Washing
tons Greatness were Love for Their Neigh
Dor. Man-Some Of the Small Men Of To-
Day-The "Wide. Open Boomerang Begin
ming to Cause Trouble The Accusing Anse
Surveys Our Sidewalks and Refuses to
Prosecute.
II don't 60 much on this Lincoln &
birthday business" remarked the old
reporter the other day as he lounged
into view, "its too close to Washing.
toms day, and we, as Washingtonians,
must stand by the old man. Besides
that, we need to 60 back to first prin-
ciples and 1 don't know any one bet.
ter on that line than George, the
Great. But cay, do you know what
makes old Abe SO popular"
IL can't say that do" was the re.
ply, "unless it was freeing the mig
gers"
"No, sir, nothing of the kind; it
was his closeness to the common PEG.
pie. The more l read OF him, the
better l love him. You see it is not
so much q mans politics or his wis
dom, or eloquence, that makes US love
him. We admire these things, but il
is the man personally, that we love.
You know that Lincoln said God
must have loved the common people
very much, he made 80 many of them.
And in that respect old Abe was very
God-like. Did you ever read Wash.
ington's will?"
AZ think not"
"You ought to read it. / never felt
as near to George in my life as did
after reading that will. Why the old
man remembered everybody - Tom,
Dick and Harry, Aunt Sue and Uncle
Jake, Nephew John and Niece Sarah,
cousins, brothers, comrades, slaves
and old friends. 1t beats the world.
He just seemed to lose himself 10
love, aud forget how great he was.
That's pretty hard to do; why, don't
you know that some of these 2x4 Off.
GERS nowadays are haunted all the
time by their greatness? 1t beats the
ghost in Macbeth or Hamlet-its al
ways with them. There is one of
them rs he goes to bed says to his
wife You ought to be very proud.
You are to repose tonight with the
greatest man in the State In the
morning. he says to the looking. glass
All, there's = face for you. It's q
wonder you don't crack yourself re-.
1ecting 60 much greatness 1 tried
my thinking tube on one of them,
down in Texas of course, and / could
hear his thinker. rafting around like
this: "A great idea man can't make
his own Office hours; want my clerk
to commence on time, in the morning,
and stay until l get through. What
the - do care if the rest do close
at certain houri Isn't q clerk my
personal perquisite? Don't he hang
on my greatnessi II I want to drop
off couple Of hours in the morning
and after lunch and then keep him
two hours overtime, isn't my ME- en-
titled to do as my ME pleasesf'
cit reminds me of an old Irishman
out 10 Indiana, who raised large
family Of boys and girls and made the
whole lot work in the field from day
light till dark-plowing, hoeing, any
thing and everything. Well, one Of
the boys grew up and got into Office.
His training stayed with him. Says
he, Be CAD, I had TO dig, when l was
. lad, and all the lads and gurrels
that works in this offs has to do the
same and begorra they did, all for
the glory of the boss.
"Imagine dear Old Abe or Good Old
George keeping . public servant dang
ling to his autocratic belt just because
be couldf
"How is the wide.open working?"
was . query that set the o. r. off in
this etrain:
swell, you can't please everybody
and, in this matter, II seems We don't
please anybody. First the police
kicked, because its easier to kick than
to do their duty; and then the gsmb.
lers kicked because they could not
have their characters ruined by con.
Tossing; and then the nymphs kicked,
we'll because they are high kickers
anyway, and then the "Great Moral
Reform Club for Preventing Revenue"
kicked because they had the law, and
90 il goee. You can't please every.
BODY said the highwayman, $50 I'll
just please myself. just hand over
your purse. will your
"They do say that the white tiee
aud green cloth have united and, for
once ct least, the lion OF unrighteous-
ness and the lamb Of innocence lie
down in peace together.
"Speaking Of lambs" said the old
boy "reminds me Of Uncle Toby.
You remember Uncle Toby stubbed
his toe on rocking chair just as he
was going to bed and on the first pain.
full impulse he swore, and il is said
that the accusing angel carried the
oath TO heavens chancel, and the re-
cording angel A. he wrote it down
dropped q tear on the page and blot
ted it out forever Well, I happened
along on one Of the few rainy days
that We sometimes have, and heard .
fellow, as he waded through two
inches of water on our plank side
walks, say things that il is unlawful
TO utter. The accusing angel hap
pened along ct the same time. He
listened to the man, he looked 1t the
sidewalk, Well. I'll b jiggered, said
he. sthere 10 no use Of taking that up
10 the recording Office, for if they were
to learn all the facts I'd lose my job
certain
1.-THE man that builds our sidewalks
should get a job in = tub factory.
Tubs somestimes leak but his side.
walks never do. So long. ! must
hunt up that coon and get the two
bits I loaned him."
Unparalleled lieaesty.
The return Of IS cents by Arthur
Callow. over-pay for recording = deed,
has created quite . sensation in the
OueAn CITY. Such An act of Justice