The Marion daily mirror. (Marion, Ohio) 1892-1912, 1910-08-31

chip Of Railroads, He Says During
4osswston,is (kan.) speeeh--Finsn-
eisI systems Should Be investigated
st Once
osawatomie, Kan. Aug. 3l.-There
have been two great crises in our
countrys history frst when IL was
formed and then again when IL was
perpetuated. The formative period In.
claded not merely the Revolutionary
war. but the creation aud adoption OF
the constitution and the first dozen
years Of work under It, Then came
sixty years during which we spread
across the continent--years OF vital
growth. but of growth without rather
than growth within.
Then came the time OF stress aud
strain which eliminated in the civil
war. the period of terrible struggle
upon the issue OF which depended the
Justification of all that we had done
earlier and which marked the second
great period OF growth aud develop.
ment within
The name of John Brown will be
forever associated with this second
period Of the nations history, and
Kansas was the theater upon which
the first act OF the second OF our great
national life dramas was played.
IL was the result OF the struggle In
Kansas which determined that our
country should be In deed as well as
in name devoted to both union and
freedom, that the great experiment Of
democratic government on national
scale should succeed and not fail,
II was heroic struggle, and. as is
inevitable with all such struggles, II
had also dark aud terrible side. Very
much was done OF good and much also
OF evil, and, as was Inevitable In such
a period OF revolution. often the same
man did both good evil.
For our great good fortune as a ma
ton we. the people OF the United
States as a whole, can now afford to
forget the evil or at least To remember
Il without bitterness and to Elk our
eyes with pride on the good that was
accomplished.
49,. Pr, blsns Of Life.
Even In ordinary times there are
very few OF us who do not see the
problems OF life as through glass
darkiy, and when the glass Is clouded
by. The murk of furious popular pas
sion the vision OF the best and the
bravest is dimmed.
Looking back. we are all Of us now
able 10 do justice TO he valOr aud the
dlslnterestedness and the love OF the
right as 10 each II was given to see the
right. shown both by the men of the
north and the men Of the south in that
contest which was finally decided by
the attitude Of the west
We can admire the heroic valor, the
sincerity. the self devotion shown
alike by the men who wore the blue
and the men who wore the gray. and
our sadness that such men should have
had TO light one another ls tempted by
the glad knowledge that ever hereafter
their descendants shall be found fight
ing side by side, struggling In peace
as well az IN war for the upllft of their
common country, all alike resolute to
raise to the highest pitch OF honor and
usefulness the nation to which they all
belong.
A. for the veterans OF the Grand
Army of the Republic, they deserve
honor and recognition such as are paid
TO no other citizens OF the republic,
for TO them the republic owes Its all,
for to them II owes its very existence.
do not speak OF this struggle Of the
past merely from the historic stand
point Our interest Is primarily in the
application today OF the lessons taught
by the contest Of half century ago.
II Is OF little use for us to pay lip
loyalty TO the mighty men Of the past
unless we sincerely endeayOr TO apply
to the problems OF the present pre-
cisely the qualities which In other
crises enabled the men Of those days 10
meet those crises.
IL Is half melancholy and half anus
ing to see the way in which well mean.
ing people gather to do honor 10 the
men who In company with John Brown
and under the lead OF Abraham Lin
coin faced and solved the great prob
lens OF the nineteenth century, while
at the same time these same good peO-
pie nervously shrink from or frantical-
ly denounce those who are trying to
meet the problems of the twentieth In
the spirit which was accountable for
the successful solution Of the problems
Of Lincoln's time.
LineoIn's Forecast.
or that generation of men TO whom
we owe so much the man 10 whom we
eve the most is, OF course. Lincoln.
Part Of our debt TO him Is because he
forecast our present struggle and saw
the way out. lie said:
II hold that while man exists 1t is
Mis- duty TO improve not only his own
condition, but TO assist in amellorating
n,rnkind.' And again: Labor Is prior
10 aud independent of capital. Capital
N only the fruit Of labor and could
perer have existed but for labor La
bor Is the superior OF capital and de-
serves much the higher consideration
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