The Washington herald., 1909-03-07
By JAMES b. MORROW.

into a vase filed with mountain laurel /
and again fussing with the fire on his
long. thing cigar, vigorosuly walked the
hool Of the parlor in his house and tenn
DOrarily vanished at about every third
turn IN the dim caverns OF the room be-
yond.
Then the birds would begin to warble
or the anecdotal fence. the sun OF a |
quaint phrase would shine upon the mists. |
and the twinkling gray eyes Of the Sena- |
Tor from Michigan would laugh the clouds |
across the far edges Of his picture.
And yet" said, the journey through /
the thorns and over the rocks has left you |
q sound and unwearied optimist?"
"Oh. yes: a rational optimist person |
ally I would not have lasted had been /
q pessimist. Why, I was even ehnerant |
and hopeful in the sugar bush, where, /
with a neckyoke and two buckets over
my shoulders, I followed my father and |
gathered maple sap from one tree to an |
other. The cold wind whistled through |
the grove, and the mud, softened to an /
icy dough by the warmth OF the weather. |
clung in obstinate chunks TO my cowhide /
boots. but I was full Of Joy. notwlthstand- /
ing At night would sleep a little and /
then get up TO stir the sap and to rub the
kettle with fat pork 10 keep It from boil |
ing over
II was always cold and always hungry, !
and always sleepy. and my eyes were al /
ways full of smoke. but I was confident /
and happy. The boys who have slept and /
worked in the sugar bush, year in and /
year out. many days at a time. are pre-
pared for the shocks which are before /
them when. with carpetbags in their !
hands OF bundles on their backs, they go /
down the road 10 the bend, and turning |
before the hill shuts II out of sight bid /
farewell to the little old house, with the I
1olks standing on the porch and the /
friendly orchard stretching back 1 have
struggled all my life and thank God that /
7 didn't have rich father. A million dol !
lars and an automobile IS the sure road TO /
the devil nowadays for almost any young |
fellow
"Opumists,' said. believe, Of course. !
that the world is steadily growing better /
Do you share in that feeling?'
You have brought great question in |
10 our conversation Senator Burrows (
answered. The world is more intelligent /
than ever. but when you ask me II It is |
growing better I'm conscience and at heart 1
I hesitate 10 answer. We are mad about |
money IN this country. Nearly every man |
IS battling TO get more than his ueighbor. !
The fight for riches has become alto
gether a matter Of selhshneSs and vanity, !
contest for personal power. personal /
nOtoriety. and, incidentally, for the en-
JOyment and vulgar display OF luxury In I
dividual integrity can have little place in /
such a Wretched policy
we have been amazed by the crimes I
which have been done in the name Of |
business. To speak OF them specifically 1
would be useless. Recently we have con-
soled ourselves with the reflection that /
practices once common have been aban- I
doned. But were they put away volun- /
tarlly or under compulsion? Men who are /
willing 10 do anything for money are very /
greedy to keep II. Nor would they relish |
vacation IN the penitentiary Just now 1
past offenders seem TO be pretty decent. !
] should like to know. however. II their /
piety Is the fruit Of the spirit or simply a /
pretense, until public opinion shall again !
become qUiescent
TT seems 70 me-" Senator Burrows
said, emerging from the shadows Of the /
room beyond. digniied. anable, and court
eOus. as usual, that the man who wears !
out his tired body, his little mind. and
his poor soul for the mere possession Of /
money is deficient both in ordinary COM
mon sense and philosophy. What differ
ence does Il make whether he Is worth |
$1,000 or Slo000o000? He is here on this /
bubble. which we call the earth for a |
fleeting breath. and then he IS gone; gone |
10 face the real problem that called him /
into being-the eternal and inexorable /
hereafter. We know there is no pocket |
in his shroud And dead. he will not care
If his weary bones return to dust in !
pOtter's field or under the vaulted roof Of /
a marble mausoleum."
And are there many grafters in public /
nfe2' I asked
No. doomed the answer. in the deep |
tones which many campaigns on the \
stump have made nationally familiar /
Public men, with but few exceptions. are /
honest. and are conscientiously trying TO !
serve the public interest. II there are any
dishonest men in Congress. they were !
dishonest before they came here. and the 4
blame for their being in Washington rests
with their constituents. who should have /
kept them at home. I deny the statement |
that public life is full of special or un- l
usual temptations. When an honest man 4
is elected 10 Congress he viii continue 10 /
he honest; \ dishonest man. however. viii I
perform the same in one place as he viii /
IN another"
DO any dangers threaten the country?" |
None that cannot be averted. We are /
moving slowly. perhaps. but surely. as /
see st, toward complete democracy. I
Naturally. the demagogue finds the time /
most propitious for his business He Is |
shrewder and wears better clothes than |
he used 20. and consequently he IS a good /
deal more dangerous. As has always been
the case with persons of his trade and /
character. he IS INSCRIPTIONS and entire /
" selfish Men skilled in the work of /
legislation and experienced in public mat
te-s-cautious, patriotic and hOnest-are |
being displaced here and there 10y those \
who are without training and who are ac-
tuated by no better motive than TO get /
Jobs from the government The country /
has passed into a tremendously important ]
period Of It's political Development. and /
its need for the wisdom and active direc- 4
tion Of its best and ablest men is most 4
imperative. We should rot put the coun-
try In jeopardy at such a time as this by /
experimenting with unjried and preten- |
tiOus seekers after office"
You came here thirty-five years ago" /
] said, and have been a member OF Con-
gress pretty steadily ever since What /
has the result been upon yOurself?
Financially, the result has been disas- 4
tTous. No honest man can serve in Con-
gress and obtain competency. However.
my life in Washington has been immense
" advantageous bOtn edUcatiOnally and |
socially. 1 have had the pleasure Of know
ing the foremost men of the nation. More
over, If one believes he has done some