The Falls City tribune., 1909-08-13
The Year.ts6o.

nation. none were more fatefully
eventful than that year of grace 1860.
What | have to say of 1t in these
personal recollections will be large
ly. If not entirely, confined TO the
little of its mighty history that was
made in my immediate presence in
Richardson county. 1t does not lie
in my way to recount, If | possessed
the ability and was properly equipped
for the task, the events precedent In
time that laad up TO the result OF
the popular election held that year
for president. II is sufficient TO say
that, not only the life of this govern
ment, but all others of like constituent
elements possible among men, was de-
ment (for the American Union was
scarcely anything else in its first in
ception) failed. the age of superior
rule by the people of a government
by themselves. IN their collective ca
paoity, would have been indefinitely
postponed at least, though probably
not defeated forever, for that is a
very long time. Besides, the time to
write that history has not come.
When ii does, the writer will come
with 1t. and the great story will be
told comprehensively, and correctly.
The most that any historian, writing
concurrently with the events he Is
n~arrating can do, is to record the
fact of their occurrence as they appea
to him, but it is only after the storm
has passed and reaction, SO to speak,
has taken place in the orderly oper-
ations of things. that effects can be
i%ntelligently measured and logically
understood.
Cause and effect are very different
things, yet both must be considered
TO understand either. Effects are
Like poison laid to work a long
time after" but until their work Is
done any story told of them would
be incomplete and therefore Of doubt
full value. The French Revolution Is
a hundred and twenty years old In
its violent and bloody occurrence, but
the ultimate effects flowing from and
out of it have not yet wholly trans
pired. The inimitable English clas-
sic put the proposition In u nutshell
when he wrote his aphorism of
''poison laid to work a long time
after"
AS heretofore recorded in these
"reminiscences we signalized the
opening of this eventful year by
having an act passed by the legisla-
lure locating the county seat at Fails
City, and providing for a series of
elections by the people to determine
the question of its ultimate and per
history of those elections has already
been recited-all that would be OF
interest to the people Of the current
generation. though If l were writing
for old-timers only, | might amust
them somewhat in the relation of IA
miliar things in those days, in which
only those actually participating
would care to hear of. Maybe | will
mention some of them anyhow,
Following the last election cam'
the final legal contest to ascertain
in a judicial way, which of the TIVE
contending towns had received a ma
jority of the votes cast by the dull,
qualified voters of the county. Tn
contest extended far into the summe
and as stated in a former paper, ende
in the triumph of Falls City. Their
have been some spasmodic efforts a
intervals since to reopen the yeXe
question. but time, which is said {
set all things even, finally wore OF
the desire to keep the county in
constant turmoil over a matter upo
which the people had so decisivel
passed, and it ceased from the puI
lie mind entirely. Too much of al
thing is not relished by anybod
which has led me to think sometime
that too much glorious happiness
another state of which we have hea'
SO much, would ultimately pecon
mo~notonous, and unless changed
our nature so as to become supsta
TALLY somebody else, we would IN I
course of such an existence, want
go back to earth, wake up some
the old boys and have another OF o
monkey and parrot times of
long ago. when we were actively
gagged in the agricultural business
sowing a fantastic cereal cal
s'oats,'' of the untamed variety. II
is mere fancy, but it has beer In
mind, and now and again ha
thought about it not a little.