The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1908-05-03
The Meaning OF the Times.

me meaning or the Times.
A collection of the speeches of Senator
Albert j. Beverage, senior Senator from
Indiana, has been published under the
appropriate title 1.-The Meaning of the
Times" appropriate, because the speeches
included in the volume are those that
have peculiar relation to certain gov
ernmental and political problems which
are particularly an outgrowth of our
present age. One of the youngest men in
the Senate of the United States Senator
Beverage is, like his speeches. a product
of his time; alert, up TO date, keenly OBJ
servant. insistent for the truth and
BEAUTIFULLY optimistic The speeches in
cluded in the volume are some Of those
made by Senator Beveridge within the
past two years, and each of them is an
attempt to interpret for the people some
phase Of life or conduct. There is an
Introduction to the book by MIR. Albert
Shaw, who takes occasion TO say that
this collection Of addresses has unity in
that it reveals the intellectual quality
and the public personality of the speaker.
and shows what his attitude is toward
the social and political problems that
have occupied our attention in the past
decade. Mr.. Shaw goes on to say;
A statesman must have large views and he must
have sense Of the processes Of history de must
distinguish the permanent from the TRANSIENT ne
must keiy upOn public opinion rather than upon
manipulation IN politics. and there must be no
doubt about his sincerity. Those who read these
addresses vii feel that they have before them the
utterances az a man entitled TO be placed IL the
rlaz hey have So nVet Is
public career they viii not be In any doubt, but
will include him with q few Others IN group OF
our public men not 50 large as We cogld wish 10
have it, These arc the whose public careers
have turned upon the constructive tasks and the
great opportunities afforded IN the period immediate
y following the between the United states and
Spain
This volume of addresses is notable
because most of the addresses are on
subjects which Senator Beverage has
made peculiarly his own by reason of
special qualifications, either interest, In
vestigation, or study Among the ad-
dresses included in the book are: Vital
ity of the American Constitution, Fore
fathers Day. Lincoln. the Conserv-
ative" Grant the Practical THE
March of tho Flag. Our Philippine
Policy" Morton, the Nationalist, In
stitutlOnal Law" The Star Of the EN-
pire," Trusts, a Development" Con
servatism. the Spirit Of National Re
straint." The Organization Of American
Business, 80 The Command Of the Pacific,
and many others.
Not all deals with politics. for there is |
the speech OF Senator Beverage made
with James Whitcomb Riley as its sub
ject, the occasion being tribute to the
Hoosier poet from the teachers of Ind
lana Then there is the stirring speech
he made on the child-labor question, and
there are tributes TO Frances A. Willard,
the Hon. Marcus A. Hanna, and others.
These speeches. al possessing hne
rhetorical quality, which were good TO
listen To- and which have that unusual
quality in speeches of being good also,
to read, have a fine, manly and honest
ring about them. They are sincere, that
are inspiring and hopeful. and the note
that runs through all OF them is call
10 duty and 10 the highest citizenship,
The Senator struck a chord on which he
has often PLAYED when he addressed the
students at Yale yet this call is eQualed
in many other Of the speeches. Thus he
spoke at Yale:
With us in Amo1ica the fight IS between interests
which do not want fair play, on the one hand ana
the people who mean that everybody shall play falr
IN the other. Here and now eveTywhers and at
III times the people are winning and VIII completely
in But il il a hard fight Every man Is needed
Especially young men like yourselves are needed Il
.he nation were at War-and il may be var before
many years-evsTy Of Us would gladly give MS
rood and his life for il on the field Of battle. But
ais Is not enough; eveTy one Of rs must give hls
line and strength 70 the nation in the field OF
rolitics The man who will rot do this does not
deserve those rights which bis indifference eoRpels
lthers 10 win for him The young man who VIII I
at take mart in the nations civil struggles for hon
stv and righteousness is unworthy Of his fathers,
sho gave Their blood and lives on wars red fields
ior the same great purpose.
This is a volume that should be a
hearty and fine inspiration 10 young men.
indianapolis: The BO0bs-MeTriH Coz,