The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1911-02-18

lock of which had been taken off for
that purpose. The young man puts
wooden bench against the door. peeks
through a gimlet hole that he had
made behind Abraham Lincoln. An
other moment and the door opened,
sharp, whip-like crack of a revolver,
a shrek of mortal agony, the slash of
a knife. and the assassin leaps to the
stage. and there went up that awful
cry that the world will never forget,
'"The president is murdered And
that cry drove the American people to
their knees; that cry made the glad
Easter put off its beautiful garments
and put on the heaviest of sackc1oth.
That cry made strong men walk the
streets Of our cities with bowed heads,
with eyes too dry for tears. That aw-
full cry was supposed to be the death
kneH of the American republic, but
instead it rather became the cry of
a. new born world, like unto that which
sprang from Calvarys hill when He
said, ''It is finished"
Old Flag an Ayenger.
The assassin leaped over to the
stage, and though there was no
hand there to stop him. the old flag
that was draped around the picture of
George Washington in front of that
box rose like the old python of myth
ology and grappled with the murderer,
and you well understand that John
Wilkes Booth would have escaped had
he not caught his spur in the flag and
broke his leg and so was brought to
justice. You tell me it was an acct
dent. Why, Plato. the old heather
philosopher, tells us that rocks have
souls, and do you suppose that this
old flag that you boys had carried from
the Potomac to the Rio Grande, with
your powder blackened hands you had
planted on Lookout mountain above
the clouds, that you had floated over
Chickamauga with old Pap Thomas,
that you had carried with cheers like
the roar of a mountain storm as you
followed Sheridan up the Shenandoah
that that flag was not an avenger =?
Gentlemen, I believe the old flag was
the emblem of God to avenge the
death of Abraham Lincoln.
Just word in conclusion. Thought
full people tell US that America is in
danger, that this old flag may yet be
torn and tattered by the fierce winds
that blow from the caverns of human
greed and selfishness and cruelty. De
Tocqueville, the French statesman
says that our American democracy is
as yet an experiment; that we have yet
to solve the problem of a liberated
race. James Bryce says that any man
that says that America is not in dan
ger has not kept his ear down and lis
tened to the seethfng and kissing OF
the Subterranean forces that are just
beneath the thin crust of our civiliza-
ton. We need to listen to the wisdom
of that old Russian philosopher who
has but recently passed away, Count
Tolstoi, who said that America he
feared was going to enter another
cataclysm, making a swift descent into
the valley of the dark ages, unless the
common people of America shall rule
and hold aloft- the principles which
were laid down and maintained by
George Washington and Abraham Lin
coln
Gentlemen, I don't believe this -coun-
try will ever fall at the hands of wick
ed war, but social and political fire
damp can smother US, and corruption
and greed for gold can rot our bones
and make us a prey to the diseases OF
national senility Therefore, this Sab
bath afternoon, in the presence of this
great figure, under the shadow of thai
great flag. I appeal to the youth OF
America to come to their feet and
swear eternal allegiance to that flag
and to that history, and say that what
these men fought for and their broth
ers died for, that this government sol
the people, by the people and for the
people shall not perish from the face
| Of the earth.