The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1910-06-03

wooden leg fame and first picturing in
my imagination the early scenes wher
he stamped about town exhorting the
their whiting and their loafng and
90 with him to help save the little
town of New Amsterdam, | would then
let time take flight again, and read
insted TO the ever powerful present,
would dig up old Peter Stuyvesant, peg
leg and all; put his pipe in his mouth,
! fill it with tobacco, light it and take
him mp Broadway the great White
Way. | would give him enough money
for the tobacco which he had left ili
his old tobacco pouch when he died
/ To buy him dinner at down town
cafe OF everything in vegetables and
! fruit of every country and cline of
the civilized and uncivilized world; /
! would take him for ride on the elc-
waited. the underground, the cycle, the
motor the auto, the acceptance; |
would take him up Fifth avenue and
show him the palaces of the Van.
derbilts. the AstOrs and the Stewards
and the hundreds of celebrities of
finance of America. | would let him
gaze upon those gilded and sculptured
walls as they stand like so uneasy
dream of glory wealth and luxury. like
echoes of ripping Venice, like cathe-
drals of ancient German towns, like
pasteboard towers of Il melodrama. I'M
real spectacular. theatrical. Then
would take old Peter back down Broad
way to the battery and let him gaze
ont into the harhor bearing vessels fly
ing the flags of nations of which he
had never dreamed and let him see the
statue OF liberty as she stands holding
her flame of freedom aloft and not
afraid to wear her crown in the very
eyes of the sun.
Spirit of the Metropolis.
The life spirit of the metropolis is.
while more virile. more virulent and
concentrated than in other parts of the
country. but the life spirit of all of
America today. This spirit is but the
first and more striking indication of
that powerful. daring and gigantic
temperament which is the tempera
ment of all of America today. 1t is
the spirit of Il nation at once larger
and newer and richer than any nation
that ever existed.
I'VE are living today in a age of
splendor-a golden era. Never in any
two decades of history have scientists
and inventors so astOunded men, and
never has any period been fraught
with such startling events, marvellous
discoveries, and wonderful Improvement
and advancement in science and COM
mercial achievements as the last de
cade of the past century and the first
of the present.
And in this time America has more
than claimed her share Today Amer
lean made shoes trOd the plains of ST
IBERIA. American made steel is sold in
Sheffield; American made machinery is
reaping the worlds crop in India, Aus
tralia and Argentine; great American
steel 2irders span the great streams
of China, and the second hand rails
of great American railroads are skirt
ing the shores of the sea of Galilee
bearing the Scranton made locomotive
past the sacred scenes of Nazareth and
Bethlehem, up to the sacred precincts
of Jerusalem.
1T is an age of achievement, of
invention, of organization, of cOnstruc-
ton, of material advancement. 1t is
IN age of things and devices. Things
calculated to furnish luxury and com
fort and happiness derived from SEN
sual enjoyment. 1t is an age OF edu
cation. systematic, uniform dissemina-
ton of learning for each and every
man and woman alike in equal guam
titles to prepare them as integral parts
in the gigantic system which makes
up the great commercial force on earth. |
chanical development, of system, of ad
ministration.
The achievement of the individual |
is his ability to make men work, to !,
harness men and forces, to drive the |
machinery of manufacture production
and government. The personal and in
dviduai achievements of Jay Gould. |
Tiffany and Vanderbilt, are today rival |
ed by the corporations of United |
States Steel Standard Oil and crea- !
lions of men called systems. The
achievements of Grant Sheridan. Han !
cock, Lon9streat. jackson. Lee and Sher
man in the field were but duplicated
in 1898 by the navy, the war depart
ment and the administration.
And the Wilmont proviso, the Mis-
souri, compromise, the bred Scott de-
cision. and the forsenic debates of Web
ster. Sumner, Clay and Calhoun have
given way to party votes on committee
reported bills upon messages of admin
proposing legislation carrying
out. or partially carrying out, platform
pledges.
Turning Point in Legislation.
My mind turns at this juncture to
one scene which stands out distinct and
vivid on the canvas of the immediate
past. 1t marks the turning point in
the method of national legislation and
the forces bearing on the sane. To-
lay legislation is but the assemblage
If strength on committee reported bills.
In the days of Webster and Summer it
vas the outcome of fOrsenic debate
Today the public debate is but by
play, having no effect upon Inc ont