The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1905-06-21
possess

9 Just a little timidly did they conn
mence on the initial lines NY coun-
try tbs of thee, sweet land of liberty
But as a few took courage, more found
the full strength of their voices and
at the end of the first stanza. the vol
ume was full, strong and ringing.
Ny native country thee, land of the
noble free" they sang the second
verse. BY that time the audience had
caught the stride the spirit, and they
fairly ratified the electric light sun
flower which adorns the center of the
Auditorium ceiling. Open window
sashes were almost shaken down, the
doors began tOVibrate as if i'm an earth
quake, the iron FIRE shutters which
connect with the city building began
to clang and clatter-but all ObliViouS
were those singers-they were in the
heyday of happiness and patriotism
Let music swell the breeze" began
the third verse. Typical is that line
of the way i'm which volcanic bursts
of melody rent that hall ShOrey,
Wanamaker, Pauline. Tecumseh, all
the suburbs of Topeka heard it. How
some of those Staid. elderly ladies and
men. threw back their heads, swelled
up their chests, let loose their voices
i'm full acclaim, just as 1usty In tneir
intonauons as the young, bright and
fresh faced youths and maidens about
them.
Oh. they sang. They put to shame
any attempt at singing the famous old
song which has ever been made in
this city. The Kansas State Teach
ers' association has held the record in
times past. but the school ma ans must
go to the rear. and give way to the
young and old women and men who
wear the red and white badge, fasten-
ed with the crossed &C. and e
Opened with Success.
The first gathering of the eighteenth
annual convention of the State Christian
Endeavor union Tuesday night was a
great success. Almost 1000 people were
in the great hall, practically all of the
Z members of the famous religious organ
ization Many of the out of town visi-
tors and delegates did not arrive until
this morning
The premier attraction at Tuesday
evening sl meeting was naturally, Rev. F.
IT. Cowan. who was sent here from
Boston to supply the place OF Rev.
Francis f. Clark, the international pres
ident Of the Christian EndeaVOr unions
and the founder of the organization. Mr..
Clark is recovering from an attack of
the grippe and was not strong enough
to make the journey.
Mr.. COwan, who says, by the way.
that he is not a doctor, is editor of the
Christian Fndeavor World. He is an
exceedingly brilliant man. He tells
stories and tells them well. He makes
a speech by telling stories His ad-
dresses are "unreportable," for that rea-
son. He must be heard to be really en-
His theme was that Christian En-
deavorers should put more energy,
brains and personality into their religi-
GUS work, aprOpos of which he said.
Some years ago you had a governor
who said that the laws of the state
could not be enforced. Some newspa-
per writer suggested that q t. be ad-
ded between the m and first s., so that
st become Kant-sas. I am glad now
that the word is again pronounced Kan
sas. / am proud that you have a gov
ernOr who says and believes that the
laws of your commonwealth can be en-
forced.
The need Of Christian Endeavor un-
ions is that we mix more of our brains
with our work. We want to put the
same mind energy into our religious en-
deavors as we put into our more secu-
lar callings. We should realize how
much it is worth to have a good Chris
tian Endeavor-how much it is worth
in influence and force in building up a
community. Put brains into your En-
deavOr unions. and you viii quickly no
tice i'm the results the difference be-
tween haphazard and carefully calcula-
ted work. We go through motions, inn
promptu, with plans but half made, and
our work then shows no sparkle, shows
no life or animation. We should have