The Ward County independent. [volume] (Minot, Ward County, N.D.) 1902-1965, 1912-02-08
anniversary Of ...
.. E.. :. ROBERT BURNS
(By Col. Scarcity
nut och! mankind are unco weak
An little to be trusted;
IT self the waverfng balance shake,
Ms rarely right adjusted" ga.r.
~ al su.. l.rf .. -BurGe


n ,u,N. l..f Burns
The occurrence on Thursday Of last
week Of the 1881 anniversary Of his
birthday, when a blast O. Jan war
win blew han'sel In on Robin" again
devolves upon us the pleasant duty
OF expressing a few random thoughts
on ROBERT Burns, Scotland's nation
al bard, and that Of humanity at
large. They are sure to be apprecfa-
tory, as we yield to none in our ad'
nairation and love for Burns and his
works We believe not only that his
writings are immortal but that due
credit will yet he given to them as
having been among the greatest pro
moters of civilization the world has
produced. When in some epoch OF
the world is much nearer the tatked
tho still far distant future
tho world Is much nearer the talked
OF millennium than 1t yet is-some
impartial writer in tracing the his
tory Of civilization the world over
will perceive standing out prominent
ly and potently among its great caus-
es the works OF their two great
Scotchmen, Robert Burns and Andrew
CARNEGIE, different though they be IN
their nature, and in their way OF DO
ing good. Civilization is but IN us
infancy, and it is difficult to conceive
to what perfection it may yet attain
but it is fast becoming evident that
it will be little founded on present re-
ligious beliefs or dogmas, though
their influence in helping to promote
civilization will be acknowledged.
In the course of ten OF the brief
thirty seven years Burns enriched
the world by his presence in it he
wrote $50 poems and verses, 2O5 bal
lads and songs, $50 letters and re-
marks on old Scottish songs, and it is
impossible for person to read any
OF these without deriving benefits
from so DOING Books generally
were not SO plentiful nor yet so much
read IN his day (there being no popu-
lar cheap editions then and no free
Abraries), yet his poems. were more
widely known and more read than
they are today But it must be con-
fessed that one may we'll doubt II the
enthusiasm that Is now manifest wa1
then very keen for Burns. Apparent
ly it was not so, Judging from the
humble monument erected to his
memory on a prominent site In SEQ
tia's capital and comparing it with
the magnificent and world wide Scott
monument In Princess street there
But then. as a writer well remarks,
Burns belonged to and so moved In
tho upper and wealthy classes The
explanation clearly is, that the former
clsss being poor had not the money
to erect a more imposing monument
to his memory, whereas with the
latter it was the reverse. Had the
monuments been in proportion TO the
love and admiration of the people
they would have been no proportion
between them. At same time we
,would not deny that Scott is also q
credit, an honor, to Scotland, and
well worthy Of his monument; but
not more worthy than Burns, though
they cannot be well compared. They
wore in no sense rivals, but in paral.
lei grooves both won the love and ad'
mfration Of their countrymen and Of
the world. &a j3'.@@9t1 -
It is thought that even in our day
tho dtfic,1lty experienced IN obtain
Ing money to rebuild the Aud Brig
at Ayr is only a further illustration
Of the fact Of Burns being considered
the poet of the poor; besides, thu
New Brig still serves the purpose fol
which it was built, and cannie Scott
will not readily give money towards
anything where sentiment alone i