The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-02-05
THIS DEAD REPUBLIC
SPEAKS TO THE LlVING>~<
Ky CICERO ". HARRIS

znswzEaS q ssxsxEeersshas eassnzHzza3sD U@ %
he American people 10 let well enough
alone to mind their own business at
home have no entanglemcntS abroad,
cultivate the arts of peace, secure the
safeguards of freedom, confidc in one
another but not altogether in any of
their public servants, TO liberty, 10 the
human race through American citi-
zonhGod in it's highest estate. Abe :
All, the people of this country shot
not encourage the growth Of vast corr
porate wealth as q menace to popular
rights and q source Of moral and So
cial decay. The syndicated wealth or
this country is. just ut present its
greatest menace. The laws should not
protect the powerful but the weak
they should give equal, not unequal
opportunities. Wherever their opera
tion builds up monopoly The laws
should be repealed. II is time for the
people OF moderate means 10 reflect
upon the bearings Of things. But the
question Is too great for Lucid treat
ment in one article. on some other
occasion may recur 10 the subject.
There is an old man in the employ
ment Of Congress who deserves TO be
recorded in the archives Of gravity"
fIis name is Yearger and he balls
from the old keystone State. This
venerable PENNSYLVANIA first s;ruck
my notice many years ago when he
was engaged around the CAPITOL as d
sort OF tinker mending CRANES and
walls and what not rs his beard ~as
long and bushy, his clothes rather the
worse for wear, his air quiet. his
movements deliberate and his general
manner respoctable, l observed kim
with this mental note: Il have seen
thiS man in thought at least in two
very different tuaUionS at two epOchs
in my life--once when a boy, q mere
child ] read McGuTeys second reader
ind was blessed with the narrative Of
Mr.. Post, the benevolent man; again,
many years aftcrward, when / read
Auna karanina's dream and how il
came true in her horrible death by
suicide urder the railway coach
wheels. This busIy- bearded person,
this ancient tinker with his molten
cad and hammer, was the old man,
the fated, misled Auna, unfa thful
aiie Of the Russian statesman, saw in
I prophetic vision foreshadowing her
terrible end. The romancer, Tolstoi,
Mound UP her destiny SO that nothing
vas left to her but to act out an old
frcek tragedy, fates-compelled to the
Otter death. She was all ground to
pieces by The reVolvng wheels just as
INC recognized the figure OF the tinker
Of her dream. Auna karanina is a
powerful, but a Verv reVo!ting story.
Ihe old tinker is a good and most
liberal man. He is at once. / believe
Mr. Post of The second reader, Tru-
man Flint of the Lamplightcr Maria
CummiGs' beautiful story). and Tom
Flint of Mart n ChuzZlcWit. Since ]
Knew him first the venerable but ro-
bust pennsy lyania nutcnman has de-
scendcd from tinker TO sweeper of the
grounds He told me the other week
that he was SO years of age. He
sweeps checrily. keeping busy from
4. m. till late in the gloOmiest after
noon. and he always has a pleasant
word for passers. Usually his greet
ini- is Good moving, brother; fine
daN." 1t may be raining. The snow
may be almost ready to fall. The
wind may be blowing great gusts. No
mind. The old man. without overcCat,
with apparently poor clothing on, only
his coat buttoned up, smiles his vel
come and utters his words Of simple
cheer. This is truly the simple Life,
SO ZealOuSly urged With beauty and
power by Rev Charles Wagner. 1
never. saw the old fellow when he
pIamed. Even when others talked
OF the terrors of the season--a winter
Of unusual severity and length, he
would reply. "Oh, it's all right
We've got TO take our share of il. -
Tn cheerful philosopher of the
the Capitol grounds, laboring so as TO
shame many younger men: ct an age
long past the period when men toll
hard and continuously with their
hands, is an insp ration. / have been
crten stimulated to my own labors by
his looks. bis speech, his faith, his
sturdy confidence in God and devotion
10 daily duty. Just Il day or two ago,
after the late blizzard, he remarked,
as / paused a single moment on my
way that this life was simply the pre-
paratiCn for another Clothed in
more OF literary style but having no
greater sincerity. | read The same
thought yesterday In Pascal. Thus
the loftiest and purest mind ever pro-
duced by France could give express
sion to nothing very truer or simpler
or more impressive than this aged
American voyaging calmly on 20 the
cterna! ocean, sublime in this trust,
performing his duties as citizen ana aus
Christian and awaiting Gods ever
lasting reward
Among the historic families of the
Old North State none have impressed
ne more favorably for ability. char
a.cter and popularity than the Wad-
dell family. identified largely with
the Cape Fear region, they are like
wise associated with the town and
vicinity Of H;llsboro. / knew when l
lived there very intimately two dis
tinguished members of The branch re-
siding in Wilmington The sire, Hon.
Hugh Waddel bore with honor the
Christian name of q hero and states
man of the Revolution. At the time
Of which l speak he had entirely
withdrawn from contact with public