The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1903-05-27
IDEAL IN PUBLIC LIFE.
Address of Henry Watterson at Emer-
son Centennial BANQUET,

New York. May 27.-At the Emerson
centennial banquet given by the Society
of Authors at the Waldorf-Astoria, May
y. in response TO the toast. The Ideal
in Public Life" Mr.. Watterson spoke
substantially as follows:
y verile old friend of mine-he was
not a Kentuckian-he lived in Texas.
though he went there from Rhode Island
used to declare, with sententious en-
phasis that war is the state Of man. Sir
he was wont to observe. addressing me as
if / We're personally accountable, you are
enaasculating the human species. You
are changing men into women and women
into men. You are teaching everybody 10
read. nobody TO think. and do you know
where you will end, SIR Exterminatiou.
REORGANIZATION, on the north side II
the North Pole there is another world
peopled by giants; ten thousand millions
at the very least; every giant OF them
a hundred feet high. Now about the
time you have reduced your universe to
complete eGeuinacv. some fool with a
pick-ax will break through the thin par
tition-the mere ice curtain-Separati
these giants from us then they viii
sweep through and swoop down and swal-
low you. Sir. and The likes OF YOU. with
your topsy- turvy civilization, your boast
ed literature and science and art,''
This old friend Of mine had a sure re-
cipe for success in public life. when
ever you get UP to make q speech. said
he. begin by proclaimirg yourself he
purest. the most disiuterested of living
men. ard end by int mating that you are
the bravcst." and then, With the charm
ing inconsistency Of the dreamer Re would
add. II there be anything on this earth
thai I do hyhom!nate il i hypocrisy.
Decidedly he was not a dsciple OF En-
erson. Yet he. 100. ia his wa, was an
idealist and for al MS odiit,-. man q
Intellectual integrity tr.Ge exsgserat-
cd. perhaps il its methods ard illustra-
tiors tuc true 70 MS convictions Ct right
ard duty. as Emerson would have had
him be- For was IL nor Emerson Who
exclaimed we viiI walk CD err own fes-.
Ne WI work NH o~r cwn hanas; W
WI speak cur own riG5s
Taksne nsnc srcul tie vhi.nsscles %
this archaic phHasor her. M- Chairman.
I sh5u begia by q repgdsuou q tie se7ti-
nen1 you have Just read. There Is 10
such Thing IS the ideal in public life. con-
strmag public lfe % refer g. political
transactions. The sdesl nay exist Il art
ard letters. and sometimes ve-y -oc1g
men Imagine that = exists 20 veTy yang
women Bat here We must draw The line
As society : constituted III .dsal has 10
place. not even standing room. ~ the
arena Of ciylcs i we would make A
place cor 81. We must begin ty realiz.ag
rh.s IRE painter IKE the over. IS a
.aw unto hirssif-zifh his little r.ciure-
the poet; $3.50 WIKI his little gceH2-h!s
aJelic7. his Universe rs BARNARD. as
reld sf batue-hss weapons. the Utensils
az his craf;-hc himself. MS owu Provt-
dence. II $ nor - IN the world = acton.
where The conditions sre directly r.
versed-where TIE one player conten5s
against many payers. seen and unseen
where each move IS met ~ some counter
rnove-whsre the finest touches are oftea
unnotod 81 men. OF rudeiy biotted out ~
= mysterious hand stretched forth rem
the darkness. 4 wish / could be as sure
OF anything, said Melbourne. as Tom