The Topeka state journal., 1908-04-22

other editors. And this great fact is,
or some de-- will be, admitted every
where. By the law of centrifugal and
centripetal force, you perhaps main
tain an equilibrium in the realm of
IDEAS even as every planet and satel-
lite moves through space. at a safe
and regular distance from the Others
instead of colliding with one of them,
or, still worse, falling into itself, as
the sun is now doing, ACCORDING to
Prof. Poor of Columbia university
1t is an old figure of speech which
calls the Press the Archimedean lever
that moves the world. But it may we'll
be feared that sometimes the hand that
grasps the lever is not quite adequate
to guide it with absolute correctness.
Strangely enough, the minds of editors
reach opposite conclusions upon the
very same facts; which shows does it
not, that we ought to look with char
table eyes upon those who have other
views than ours? How the perennial
QueS ton of the tariff divides us, and
erects barriers higher and stronger
than mountain ranges. Pers sonally, I
do not feel that a tariff revisionist is
traitor. nor that a stand patter is
necessarily a robber, and yet I might
be blamed and denounced by both of
those patriotic people for such views.
The mechanism of civilization is very
complicated. 1t aims in a large sense,
to carry out the views of those who
have views. And as views differ from
views in the best regulated families, it
follows that you can not be absolutely
sure of anything until after it has hap
pened. So it is that the wheels of
clogged and choked at times. and then
| stop utterly. What comes of all this?
Nothing-for little while, and then
!! they revolve again, urged forward by
sentiment. And what is public senti-
| ment? 1t is the residuum, after many
shakings and STRINGS, of the thoughts
| of men, uttered and unuttered.
And, you, gentlemen of the press
| are the men who shake and stir: and
also collect the liquid extract that
| flows from the shaking and the stir
ring. And that, f1guratively speaking,
is public sentiment; a rather indeter-
inmate thing, but of tremendous
strength and power. though of course,
! like all human things. lacking the as
| surance of immortality. A public
| spasm is very different thing from a
public sentiment One is the bubble,
the other the rock. And Kansas. dear
| mother of us all, has known them
| both. If in her occasional spells she
has been somewhat skittish and way
ward, how can we ever forget the ma
1estic beauty of her face, when she
looks serenely out upon the darkening
| storm, in the assured faith that after
1t has passed, another will come-and
she will be in it? How often has
|
not all familiar with the rum mblings
which signify an elemental disturb
| ance reaching to the center of the
earth! And, are we not
thankful that Cup to date) we have
| always seen the sun come out on the
morrow morn, smiling and sweet
bringing that glad-to-be-alive feeling
which, L think, is stronger in Kansas
than anywhere in the world? Where
else does the sunrise come as here
kissing with golden face the meadows
green.
Gliding pale streams with heavenly
| alchemy
1t Is an old story; old and very true,
| that no one who has ever lived in
Kansas can cease to love her.
When you asked me to come here.
| you Deckoned an exile back to his
home. Do you think I can ever forget
the old familiar faces?'' One must
| needs have some image in his heart
| and why should 1 not wear Kansas in
mine? Indeed I do, and ever shall.
| When L first came to Kansas and
pitched my shelter-tent in Montgomery
county. I had reached the age of 2S.
Looking back upon those days and
scenes 1 wonde If it was all a dream.
Yes. 1t was, in the same high spiritual
sense that all things, in certain of their
| aspects, are dreams. AS the stagecoach
rolled over the bridge that spanned the
| Verdigrfs at Independence, I remember
my uppermost thought was that they
had no right to give so beautiful a
stream such a name, when nothing
short of liquid emerald could properly
describe its beauty. 1t is many years
since have seen it, but, God willing, l
shall look upon it again before 1 say
goodbye to Kansas.
All! those early days! No language
can picture them as we gazed up the
sun-lit slopes to heights which were
ours to win-if We could.
May linger a moment over old faces
familiar to me, though perhaps not to
you? There was Colonel A. NJ York
of the South Tribune, my dear friend
man of high ideas, whose career end
ed tragically-which is the fate of such
men. He made the mistake Of great
souls. He aimed at
'+The high that proved too high, the
heroic for earth too hard
He was a. partner of Lyman U Hum
phrey an able and very sensible man
who served the state in various high
offices, and always faithfully-roundins
out an honorable career as governor
He was and always will be very dear
to me, as a friend under all circum-
stances. We were little more than boys
} in the days which welded US together
but time and it's corrosions never sep
| arated us.
| Independence was remarkable place
- in those days. Time does not suffice