The daily sentinel., 1904-12-20
"THE SIMPLE LIFE"


much but about the best answer
we have read, which proves that
President Roosevelt does not prac
tice what he breaches, is the arti-
Gle below from a Colorado Springs
woman.
To the Rocky Mountain News:
AS an American / seek admission
to the forum; to enter my protest
against the simple life as set forth
in the opening chapters of Mr.. Wag-
ners book.
We are told Mr.. Wagner is not
an American. He could hardly be
accuied, though our peculiar so
cial conditions" have produced
queer combinations. But we are
told also, He has an American
mind" which, if true, is to be re-
gretted, as he does not represent
the type of mind we have been wont
to accept as American, but rather
bears a distinctly foreign brand.
1t is said the reception of this
book has been a marvel, even to
himself This is easy of belief, and
doubtless due in large measure to
the unique advertising President
Roosevelt has given the author. We
are so apt to accept offhand any
thing that bears the stamp of au-
thority.
Can it be that autocracy has al
ready gained such a hold on our
president that from an apostle of
the strenuous life he becomes a dis
ciple of Mr.. Wagners. or is it mere
ly for the common people he would
recommend this soporifc? The sim
pie life! Does not this change. com
ing at this time. smack of the false
prophets of Israel, who cried:
Peace, peace. when there was no
peace" and should have been none
while idolatry and mlscegenation
were undermining the very founda-
tions of their nation. Should peo-
; pie be content in bondage. though
there may be ample means for sim
ply living?
Would we now be citizens of a
republic had our forefathers been
content with the simple life? No!
They would have remained under
giving their blood to establish the
new order of things. which in a di-
vine discomfort they had conceived
possible And shall we, the inher-
itors of this dearly purchased es-
tate? The right to progress, the
right to aspire. the ability to grow
out of the rut of the commonplace,
the privilege to forget the things be-
hind our humble beginnings-shall
we. the great mass of Americans, re-
sign this, our birthright, and be con-
tent with something to eat, place
to sleep. chance. perhaps. to toll.
and revert to the mere animal MANI
Every drop of my American blood
cries no. Let us not forget our first
and greatest fundamental principle,
the very cornerstone, which our
wise master builders did not despise
nor reject: "All men are creaetd free
and equal" All have the right to
aspire; all may hope to become
greater, If not greatest, in the king
dom of liberty. Let us be wise and
not partake of this 'pottage." :"
though 1t may seem the way of
present agreement. Once we accept
the understandings place, we would
find no easy way out of the false po-
sition. though we sought 1t, like one
of old. carefully with tears" Be
sure the way out of bondage is not
merely the way of tears; but it is
through the angry, red sea of blood.
Remember how the Pharaoh hard
ened his heart and would not let
the people go.
If we are to be content with the
simple life, why our costly system
of education, Offering every stimu-
lus to men and women to aspire. and
not to rest content where they be-
gan?
am a believer in the simple life
to the extent of living within ones
income and avoiding that straining
after the appearance of riches we
do not possess. But | also believe
in that divine discomfort which is
ever unsatisfied with what is at
l tanned. That element Milton points
in Lucifer and his followers. who
preferred the unknown state of cha
os to a dead level where there was
nothing to achieve. Or. using a more
modern instance, the same spirit as
\ embodied in Columbus, pushing him
out from the ease of court life to
wander the unmapped waste of wa
4 ters in search of broader fields for
development. Is it not to this same
i spirit of discomfort We owe much of
the worlds progress? Have we not
4 been taught it by precept and ex-
I ample all along the way? Would our
country have reached its present
state of development in century
had our people been content with
/ tha 81 1ffan