The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1909-06-16
THE, NATIONS PAWN
BY ROY NORTON
RRcA DAG
BY ROY MORT
CONTINUED FROM PAGE ls)

was going to be pulled OH right there
ten how to guess.
Before Dick and he had had time to
accession themselves to the Washington
the way of fuhllment. Looking back
over the country's history, it was not
hard to foresee possibilities. In less than
one hundred and fifty years of existence
as independent nation, it had faced
four crises in which resort to arms
was threatened, or had eventuated with
disastrous and monrnful results. The
Hayes Tildcn episode was still remem-
bered by patriarchs and the fact that.
for many days when the decision hung
in the balance, thousands of men good
and true, survivors of the civil war. had
looked sorrowfully at their rusted arms
and feared an eXigency where they
might be taken from the walls. oiled
and brought to further deadly use. 1t
had been believed that legislation imme
diately following the events of 1887 had
forever put aside the possibility of a
similar occurrences; but even the wisdom
of the law makers of that day had not
foresecn the possibility of an entangle-
ment when the country itself expanded
to the point where it might have an out
lying state ten days distant from the
seat of national government. Thus 1t
was that in the present difficulty old
men tore open ancient wounds, and stern
ly decided according to the individual
views that justice should be done: and
their lead was followed by the younger
men The country had enjoyed long
season of exceptional prosperity, despite
the disputes. which had from time to
time arisen between employer and en-
ploye. between the producer and the
laton of markets. There were hundreds
of thousands of men adequately able 10
act independently in obedience to the
dictates OF their sense of right and
wrong. The long period of anxiety and
suspense between the dates of the nomi-
nation, election and final decision had
been done, in accordance with individual
viewpoints. There was terrific cutlery
from the liberal press; there We're in
flammatory speeches by indignant PARTS
ans: and there was, too. Il persuasive
sense of personal injury among myriads
of men in scattered sections who, while
they made no declaration of rebellion,
decided, nevertheless. that they would
visit the national capitol and be present
on the day of Inauguration. 1t only
natural that members of the conservative
faith, also, holding equal belief in
the justice of their cause. should move
forward.
TN the week following the official an
nouncement that Morgan Lester had
been chosen as president of the United
states, there was not a train running in
the direction of Washington that did not
carry thoughtful, undemonstrative men,
many of whom carried rifles in worn
cases, showing that their owners had
familiarized themselves with their wea-
now prepared to use them in support of
their convictions. In smoking room dis
putes, they led each other out by de-
grees to expressions of opinion, divided
into lotteries, and constantly added to
the bitterness which had already TO-
mented. They arrived at Washington,
they overfiowed the hotels, the lodging
houses, and the places where shelter
might be obtained, and, on the tenth day
after the president of the senate had de-
liVered his historic ultimatum, two en-
campments of tents had sprung up with
mushroom CELEBRITY on opposite sides of
rapid dissemination of news through
spirited journals, and by the intermedi-
airy OF GOSSIP which flies. with incon-
celvable speed, other incoming men knew
which way to turn the moment they set
foot in the city. They separated on the
station pavement without bidding one
coldly, realizing that when next they
faced it might be across the menacing
embellishments of rifle trenches
One ne, and nd all. they were orderly. If
lutely replied that they We're not bent
on any unlawful mission that. on the
contrary, they came to uphold the peace,
welfare and constitution of their com
mon country. Ilarrassed to the point of
endurance, the Washington guardians of
the law invoked forgotten statute. and
inquired of those who openly
armed whether they had ammunition for
the weapons they carried. In some in
stances this WAS denied the chambers of
the niles were exposed. and found to
be empty. Or, i'll other cases, the law
took arbitrary course ana .conscated
small stores. of ammunition. lsut whctll-
er or not prepared to fire these men
found their way to the camps OF their
choice, where they were speedily en-
rolled and uhmurmnrngly began n course
Of arm AT which, under less patriotic
1eryor, they would have rebelled
The tuteElge of retired military men
and of those who were trained technical
~ was not wanting either side, and
outlying fields were troddcn To areas of
dust by moving feet which marched
night and day to attnin military pro
hclenry. Hour by hour and day by day