Omaha daily bee. (Omaha [Neb.]) 187?-1922, 1912-05-21
Measure of a Man
kfplinx In q Poem Uncon-
5ciously Pictures n Phase
of American Politics.


Springfield Nass.) Republican.
The recent writings ~ Rudyard Kipling
have been for the most part q trial and
sffliction to his earlier admirers, He has
written poetry. or doggerel, than which
even Alfred Austin himself might find IL
difficult TO do worse. But within two
years at least one poem has come from
Kplings pen which. though cast In homely
phrases. gives q flash OF him at his
best and strikes T." It Is called III
and has been reprinted In the volume
entitled Rewards and Fairies" On Its
first appearance in one Of the magazines
II was seized upon At once as being
peculiarly descriptive Of President Taft.
although that Kipllng could have had
Mr.. Taft in mind when he wrote 1t is
doubtful yet not impossible. Since then
1t has been applied to Mr.. Taft on more
than one occasion. one of the most signal
tributes to the republican president be-
ing its reproduction under the title
Taft" with q brief introduction. as
an editorial In southern democratic
newspaper, the Richmond Times-Dis-
H8LCn Vi O&tQptF AtlU. but III tliC
interval its appropriateness, as will be
seen. has been remarkably increased
by the trend Of events. Here it Is:
II you can keep your head when all
about you
Are losing theirs and blaming it on
to you;
II you can trust yourself when all men
But make allowance for their doubling.
too,
II you can walt and not be tired of
Or being lied about don't deal in lies.
And yet don't look too good, nor talk
too wise.
10 you can dream and not make dreams
your master
II you can think-and not make thought
II you can meet with Triumph and Dis
aster
And treat those two impOstors just the
same,
II you can bear to hear the truth you've
Twisted BY knayes to make trap for
or watch the things you've given your
life TO, broken,
And stop and build EN- up with worn
II you can make one heap OF all your
nnhss a. , =, n,,,h ga
toss,
And lose and start again az your be-
Ara s naunr sr.a,h. uora aho,, vo,r
loss;
Il you can force your heart and, nerve
To ssrv. s'n n.,,,r ,,,n ,ons .,,.r ,h.v ~.
gone,
And % mold on when there Is nothing
Exesp. ~ m. win which saws to than
saold on
- - -. -. - -.
sy your virtue VIZ" ' "'' "'ep
Or walk with kinss-nor lose the COM
mon touch;
hurt YOU: ~ ~ M
too much: S"' VIVA ''S' ' "O"'
With sixty seconds worth Of distance
run,
in ID ~ @"1 s'"s '"@'
Ana--~nich is more-you1l be q Man,
my SON
Al the time this poem appeared Mr..
Taft was facing the early attacks o. Mr..
Rccseveits disappointed fayorites: the
Bsllinger affair was not finished. New.
however, the country has heard Mr.. Taft
mako the perfectly true statement that
ours Is . government not by ALI the
people-sinee women do not yet vote in
most states and children In -none-but by
"a representative part OF the people and
forthwith has been treated to the
spectacle Of man. formerly honored with
the prrsidencv. falsely twisting that state
'ne"e Aishi psa'sos" a.'e' -
iyins EFFORT 70 prove tnat Mr' isl' meant
TO uphold government by an ohgafehy'
and an oligarchy OF bosses al tnat
How apt therefore becomes the passage
II YOU can bear TO hear the truth you've
poseh t,a,.s an MAY. a tran for
fools