The mirror. (Stillwater, Minn.) 1894-1925, 1903-07-23

nor more than century and a.
X quarter, the people of this (dare
say it?) great commonwealth
hugged to their bosoms, with a |
passionate fervor that amounted almost
to idolatry, the fond delusion that in
commemorating their nations. birth,
they were, in measure at least, honor
ing the memory of the little band who
pledged their lives, their liberties and
their sacred honor, that the Union
might have existence. They believed
that they were paying tribute to the
glorious lives of such men as Washing
ton, Jefferson, Franklin, Adams and
Lincoln. They labored under the hal
lucination that brave and noble deed,
unselfshly performed in the interest
of ones country, was worthy of ap-
plause; and, therefore, ever since that
memorable day in 1776, we have Joined
in a grand celebration Of our nations
birth in distinctly American manner.
But alas! the spell is broken. A
Moses has arisen to lead 1893, ,999, ,(my
estimate is based on the presumption
that the present population of the
United States is 75,000,OO0) people out
of the wilderness of Ignorance.
The awful fat has gone forth, and
henceforth and forever the Fourth of
July will simply be an ocherous men,
ory. "The blatant patriot" will shave
ceased to impinge" the delicate tym-
panum of the veIvety cared person who
doesn't "ahpweve this hawwid Noise"
This Moses, who sails under the eu-
phonious nom de plume OF 5000, after
entering into lengthy disquisition up
on the subject of love and patriotism,
exudes few phials of double-distilled
extract of Solomonesque wisdom like
the following: ~The true patriot sell
dom proclaims his own or his country's
greatness. He knows that if there is
anything either good or great in him.
self or his country, his neighbors will
not be long to discover it, and in time
will give full credit for whatsoever he,
or his country has worthily DONE"
Surely nothing less than dozy
10x1Ox1O block, occupying the position
where anyone but Our Moses is gener-
ally supposed to carry mental faculties,
could give birth to such vaporings.
Are we to understand that we are
not to proclaim the excellencies of our
country or our friend even tho we hear
its or his good name assailed?
Are we to understand, that, when we
knoao we have good thing, we are to
keep the matter Uery quiet lest we be
considered egotistical? Are we to sup
pose, that, altho our country offers SUI
perior homes, under superior laws
with superior economic conditions, to
our foreign neighbors, that we are to
observe absolute silence on that theme
This Moses, in his great knowledge
assumes to be teacher of ::altruistie
wisdom, when in fact he seems not to
know the meaning of the word. His
statements are egolsm personified. He
would keep the good things of.this life
to himself, letting his brethren seek
for the good in this world while he
stands in the light, too egotistical tt
move, lest they discover some of hi'
secrets
This sage, who dips his virile pei
into gall and wormwood, sticks us OF
the spit and proceeds to roast us owe
the fire of his caustic sarcasm, woult
have us believe that merchant shoult
not advertise the excellencies of hi
wares, because the people will learn o
their excellence themselves. The.edito
should not prate about the.up-to-dat
and newsy features of his paper becaus
the people will find it out forl them
selves. And so on, in all lines, whethe
in the fields of manufacture, commerce
science or religion. In fact he woul
turn the wheels of our present bushes
and economic system backward an
have them revolve in the opposite d
rection from that in which the:greates
minds of all ages have set them
turning. OF course he does not say s
in so many words, but his course {