The Columbus journal. (Columbus, Neb.) 1874-1911, 1910-05-18

y . var for Q principle. Q var wassl
BY each side for an ideal. and while fault,
and shortcomings were plentiful amonl
| the ccmbatants. there was Comparatively
!! little sordidness Of motive or conduct II
such giant struggle. where across TIN
warn OF SO many interests 10 shot thu
1 woof OF 30 many purposes. dark strands
and bright. strands somber and brilhad1
are always intertwined: Inevitably there
| WAS corruption here and there In the Civil
! war: but all the leaders on both sides,
and the great majority Of the enormous
masses OF fighting men. wholly d!sre-
| gardcd. and were wholly uninfiuenced b..
pecuniary considerations.
Wealth and Politics.
Another striking contrast In the course
OF modern civilization n compared with
the later stages Of the Graeco-Roman OF
relations OF wealth and politics. In claS-
SIC times: a the civilization advanced u.
ward it, senith. politics became . reco4-
nized means OF accommodating great
wealth. Caesar was again and again On
the verge Of Bankruptcy: he spent a.
enormous fortune: and he recouped him.
self BY the money which he made out At
uSS C3tcct. Au8OStOS -
tablished imperial Rome on arm foundae
lions BY the use he made Of the huge
fortune he had acquired BY plumber. What
q contrast % offered BY the careers OF
Washington and Lincoln! There were .
few exceptions In ancient days: but the
immense majority OF the Greeks and tie
Romans. n their civilizations illuminated.
accepted n,oney-makinG on . large scale
~ one OF the Incidents Of . successful
public career. Now all OF this b In share
contrast to what has happened withiH
the last two or three centuries. During
this time there has been Q steady growth
away from the theory that money-makinS
- permissible In IN honorable public CO.
reer.
In this respect the standard has been
constantly elevated. and things which
three centuries or two centuries ago. and
which did not seriously hurt . public CO.
reer even . century ago. are now utterly
impossible. Wealthy men still exercise .
large. and sometimes an improper. inf'u.
ence In politics. but N - apt to be an In
direct influence: and In the advanced
states the mere suspicion that the wealth
Of public men Is obtained or added to -
IN incident OF their public careers will
bar them from public life. Speaking
generally. wealth may very greatly iniu-
ence modern political life. but IL - not @.
Quired In political life.
Optimistic for the Future.
Mr.. Roosevelt called attention to
the fact that hitherto every civiliza.
ton that has arisen has been able To
develop only a few activities. its field
OF endeavor being limited in kind an
we'll as in locality. and each Of thesa
civilizations has fallen. What Is the
lesson to Us Of today? he asked. Will
the crash come. and be all the moro
terrible because Of the immense in
crease in activities and area! To this
he replied:
Personally. do not believe that our
will fall. ! think that on the
whole We have grown better and not
worse. I think that on the whole the fu.
ture holds more for us than even the
great past has held. But. assuredly. the !
dreams OF golden glory in the future will
not come true unless. high Of heart and
strong OF hand. by our own mighty deeds
We make them come true. We cannot at. /
ford TO develop anv one set Of qualities. (
any one set OF activities. at the cost Of
% cling others. equally necessary. afro.
phied. Neither the military efficiency OF
the MonEol. the extraordinary business
ability Of the Phoenician. nor the subtle .
and polished intellect Of the Greek availed
to avert destruction
We. the men Of today and Of the IN.
lure. need many qualities II We are to do
our work we'll We need first Of all and
most important Of all. the qualities which
stand al the base Of Individual Of family
life. the fundamental and essential quail.
tes-the homely. everyday. all-important
virtues. II the average man will not
work. II he has not in him the will and
he power to be a good husband and IA.
her: II the average woman Is not O good
good mother Of many
healthy children. then the state will top.
Die. will 20 down. no matter what may
be its brillianoe Of artistic development
v material achievement. Put these home.
y qualities are not enough. There must,
n addition. BE- that power Of ryanization,
hat power Of working In common for q
COMMON end. which the German people
ave shown In such signal fashion during
he last half-century. Moreover. the
hings OF the sp'ri; are even more impor.
ant than the things Of the body We can
vell do without the hard intolerance and
rid intellectual tarrcr,ess If what was
worst In the theological systems Of the
last. but there has never been a greater
eed OF "A high and fine religious spirit
han at tho present time. So. while We
an laugh good-humnredly at some Of
he pretensions Of modern philosophy IN
IS various branches. II would be worse
han folly on our part to ignore our need
intellectual leadership.
Must Steer Middle Course.
Never has philanthropy. humanitarian.
'm. seen such development as now and
houEh We must all beware Of the folly
nd the viciousness no worse than folly,
'hirh marks the believer In the perfec.
bility OF man when his heart runs away
18th his head. or when vanity usurps the
lace OF conscience. yet we must remem.
er also that II Is only by working alon9
,e lines laid down by the philan:hrop'sts,
v the lovers of ma nEiDd thar va can