The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-10-15

in the garb of inlmutable faith in th'
inyulnerability OF our national great
ness. it invites our admiring gaze TO the
! flight of the American eagle. and assures
/ Us that no tempestuous weather can evel
} tire his wing. Thus many good anC
, honest men are approached through then
/ patriotic trust in our free institutions
! and immense national resources, and are
/ insidiously ledt to a condition of mind
which will not permit them to harbor the
uncomfortable thought that any omis
sion on their part can check American
progress or endanger our country's con-
tinued development. Have we not lived
as a nation more than "a century? and
have We not exhibited growth and
achievement in every direction that dis
credit all parallels in history? After us
the deluge. Why then need we bestir
ourselves and why disturb ourselves with
public affairs.
Those of our citizens who are deluded
by these notions and who allow them
selves to be brought to such frame of
mind. may well be reminded of the good
old lady who was won to impressively
declare that she had always noticed if
lived all the rest of the year 1t is
quite likely she built a theory upon this
experience which induced her with the
passing of each of these fateful days, to
I defy coughs, colds and consumption, and
the attacks of germs and microbes in q
million forms. However, this may be so,
we know that with no design or inten-
ton on her part, there came first day
of March which passed without her earth
ly notice.
The withdrawal of wholesale sentiment
and patriotic activity from political ac-
tion on the part of those who are indif-
ferent to their duty, or foolishly in their
optimism, open the way for a ruthless
and unrelenting enemy of our free institu
lions. The abandonment of our country's
watch towers by those who should be
on guard and the slumber of the senti-
nels who should never sleep, directly in
vite the stealthy approach and the pillage
and loot of the forces of selfshness and
greed. These baleful enemies of patriotic
effort will Turk everywhere as long, a
human nature remains unregenerate, but
nowhere IN the world can they create
nowhere can they so cruelty destroy mans
highest and best aspirations for self
government. 1t is useless for US to blink
the fact that our scheme of government
is based upon close interdependence of
interest and purpose among those who
make up the body of our people. Let us
be honest with ourselves. If our nation
was built too much upon sentiment and
if the rules of patriotism and benignity
that were followed in its construction have
proved too impractical let us frankly
admit it. But if love Of country, equal
opportunity. and genuine brotherhood in
citizenship. are worth the pains and trials
that gave them birth, and if We still be-
lieve them to be worth preservation and
that they have the inherent yiSor and
beneficence to make our republic lasting
and our people happy. let us strongly hold
them in love and devotion. Then it shall
be q ven US to plainly see that nothing is
more unfriendly TO the motives that I'M
derlie our nationtl edifice than the selfish
ness and cupidity that look upon freedom.
and law, and order, only as so many agen-
cies in aid of their designs Our govern
ment was made by patriotic, unselfsh,
sober-minded men. for the control of pro-
lection of a patriotic. unselhsh and sober
minded people 1t is suited to such
people; but for those who are selfish, cor
rupt and unpatriotic. it is the worst gov
eminent on earth. 1t is so constructed
that il needs, for its successful operation,
the constant care and guiding hand of the
peoples abiding faith and love; and not
only in this unren;itting guidance neces-
sary TO keep our national mechanism true
10 its work. but the faith and love which
prompt it are the best SAFE guards against
selfish citizenship. Give to our peorle
something that will concentrate their
common affection and coIcitous care-and
let that be their countrys gbod; give
them a purpose that stimulates them TO
unite in lofty endeavor-a and le that pur-
pose be demonstration of the sufficiency
and benefcence Of our popular rule. and
we shall find that in their political
thought there will be no place for the
suggestions of sordiness and pelf.
Who Will say that this IS now happy
condition Is not our public life saturated
with the indecent demands of selfshness?
More than this can any Of us doubt the
existence OF stin more odious and detesti-
bic evils which. with steady conkering
growth. are more directly than all others.
threatening our safety and national life?
| speak of the corruption Of our suffrage
open and notorious. Of The buying and sell
ing of political places for money. the pur-
chase of political favors and privileges
and the traffic in official duty for per
sonal gain. These things are confessedly
common. Every intelligent man knows
that they have gown from small begin
nings until they have reached frishtful
of malevolence; and yet re-
specialize citizens by the thousands and
hundreds OF thousands have looked on
with perfect calmness, and with hypo-
critical can't have declared they are not
politicians or with silly pretensions of
faith in our strength and luck. have Ian
suidly claimed that the country was pros
porous equal 10 any emergency and proof
against all hangers
Resulting from these conditions in a
not difficult TO trace. wholesome
national sentiment is threatened with ut
ter perversion. All sorts OF nisconcep-
lions pervade the public thought and
jealousies happily taking on the com
plexion Of class hatred. are found in
every corner Of the land. new mean
ing has been given - rational prosperity,
With a harlihood that savors of inso-
ence, an old preteNt. which has preceded
the doom Of ancient experiments in poou-
lar role. is daily and hourly dinnel IN
orr ears. We a~e told that the national
spiendor we have built upon the snowy
ventures of speculative wealth is q badgi
% Our success. Unshariag conteutraent
: enjoined rpon the masses OF their scan
y homes. re periodically rejoice in ihei1
,ountry's prosperity. This j. unsubStsn-