The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1910-09-22
KANSAS COMAENT
GREATER sTRENGTH NEEDED.


In dying when he was most needed
Mr. Hallam, president of the Abilene
bank. did the ordinary thing. It seems
TO pc human nature for us to be able
TO DO least when most is needed. When
you think the matter over seriously
we can understand to a large degree
why this is SO. With most boys when
| lney start in life they will dodge the
dlff1cult propositions. If a job seems
hard they will avoid it, or if obstacles
get IN their way they wait for another
to remove them rather than buckle
down to overcome them. In this way
the boy instead of gaining strength
TO conquer gradually grows weaker and
develops into plan, ordinary, weak
sort of a man. Watch the boy who
does things, the one who never gives
up SO long as he is able to make
progress and you will find man who
When the time comes is ready to arise
to the emergency. Hallam was physi-
cally weak and half sick and the strain
killed him because he didn't know how
to get under the burden and sustain it.
With many men, even in his condition,
the needs of the present, the depend
ence OF family and friends would have
developed a strength that would have
held him UP until the work was ac-
compllshed' even though a collapse
should follow. Not one parent in
hundred seems to realize what it means
to their children to make them sue
SOOA Ii lIllI1S. w IlSIl Lie Ivy
comes home with his complaints, in
stead of stimulating him to greater
efforts, they sympathize with him in his
troubles and kill the germs of man
hood which might be encouraged to
grow into that spirit of accomplish
ment which brooks no ordinary oppo-
sition. The trouble is undoubtedly
with the parents, but it is the old
case of the sins of the father being
passed on to the children, for you can
not expect spiritless man or woman
to bring forth children of the sterner
sort.-Lawrence World.
TOO MUCH LAW?
Oregon is claimed by many to have
the best government of any state in the
Union 1t has the initiative and refer
endun1, the direct primary, an excel
lent corrupt practices act intended to
keep money out of politics as much
as possible, and comes as near choos-
ing senators by direct vote as is pos
chile under the constitution. Yet Ore
gon has progressed slowly. 1t has been
state for sixty years, and isn't as
we'll settled today as Oklahoma, which
hasn't been a state one-tenth as long
Oregon claims to be capable of sup
porting a population of several mil
lions, yet it has less than half a mil
lion; less than Rhode Island, which is
no larger than an Oregon county. No
state boasts more of its climate and
natural resources and if these boasts
are exaggerated, they are not without
foundation; surely, much of the state
is undeveloped. This undevelopment
Oregonians will tell you, is due to lack
of railroads. This is quite likely, but
railroads are practical rather than
prejudiced. If capital shuns Oregon,
there must be a reason. and that rea-
son may lie in the plethora of laws and
isms which, taken as whole endanger
profits on money invested in the state.
Oregon seems to be getting ahead in
theory while it runs behind in prac-
teal results.-Atchison Globe.