Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1903-11-13
ANGLES LETTER.
SOME CtEANINcS.

realize that his sentiments were the re- ,
suit of favorable circumstances; reared I
in the atmosphere of the higher civiliza- c
ton and never coming into contact with I
the 'seamy side" of life, it is perfectly
natural to "hitch your wagon to a star,
but what difference it makes in the /
sentiments if one has to pile on to the
wagon an actual ton of coal Still we
have need of our poets and preachers;
they are the light to our feet; we love
them for the examples they set before
us; aud if they are sincere in their re.
gard for us, and also live up to their
precepts as Emerson did, We place them
on a pedestal and adore them for all
time.
One writer complains in this wise:
This age has produced no great poet"
Well, what of it since if We attained to
the age of Methuselah we could not fit |
tingly appreciate the grand heritage left
to us by those who worked in less
practical age But who will dare to as
sert that Ella Wheeler Wilcox is not
great since she wrote these lines.
80 many gods. and so many creeds,
So many paths that wind and wind;
While lust the art of being kind
Is all this sad world needs"
-.
The same complainant in another
sentence tells us that also the age is pro-
ducing no great generals. So mnch the
better, since it proves change in pub
lie sentiment. Our heroes of three wars
did not as of old come home pulled up
with conceit to receive the plaudits of
the populace. Sorrow was Juggling at
their hearts for the havoc they had been
forced-in the name of humanity-to
create. Why assume that our men are
inferior to Caesar because they are great
according to higher conception of the
term ? Sherman, Miles, and many other
of the nations heroes who witnessed the
worst that war can do came home deeply
impressed with the iniquity of such a
means of settling differences between a
man and his brother. These sentiments,
coming from men of undoubted
bravery have created widespread intiu.
ence, so that in spite of the enthusiasm
of small minority of arm chair i'm.
perialists, the best intellect of the nation
is devoted to bringing about by peaceful
means the suppression of barbarism. 1t
does no good to drag into light all the
selfish motives that still prevents the CO.
operation of the civilized powers from
becoming moral force sufficiently pow
erful to maintain permanent peace
throughout the world. There are, how
ever, cheering indications that the fierce
old god of war is giving place as the
, popular idol to the Goddess of Peace
, o Nv
l In another doleful tale we find the as
v sertion that the American Statesmen O.
{ today are far below the standard attain
s ed to by our ''makers of history" This
idea, like the measles, was better out
s than in, since it was in all probability
/ relief to the patient. But the injustict
: of it ! Consider, oh pessimist, the diff
!. culties presented by the unique condi
: tions. Here we have a population O
\. sixty millions of peoples representing
S about every nation on the face of tn
= globe, with all their varied characters
e tics, and in many cases with an ute
y misconception of the responsibilities o
il the freedom of speech and the franchise
That fairly good government is mali
IS tanned is proof that we have still som
e great men. The people will exercis
n their prerogative and make an exper
e ment here and there, but every evil re
d sulting therefrom will be but an adde
V strength to the "moral force"
~.
y, Those who watched with complacenc,
n the departure from their shores of thol
e sands who were forced to emigrat
If through the wretched living afforded b
|, their own country. are now sayinl
lie things over the results of the election il
% New York. They predict that the den
If ocratic form of government is bound t
,r prove failure. But this republic is il
|. no more danger of disruption than tn
d wave beaten rocks of her shores.
re Secretary Hay in his manage ment {
Of international affairs has proved himse
a diplomat of superior ability he will
of course, some day, be called upon t
Or fiji tina hiuhaSt offica in tho rift of III