The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1913-07-07
FOOD FOR THOUGHT.

Henry Watterson, editor of the
Louisville Courier-Journal, and dean OF
| American newspaper men, delivered
the chief address at the Perry Cen
tenary celebration which was held at
Put-In-Bay on the Fourth of July.
''Marse Henry characterized it as his
swan song. the last public address that
he intends to deliver. 1t is regrettable,
indeed, and an unfortunate thing for
the people of the nation, that the toll
of age makes il incumbent for Mr..
watterson to retire from the forensic
arena. For his last message from the
platform is one that should be shouted
from the housetops all over the land.
And although it has been printed in
the news columns of most of the papers
recently, there are portions of it that
will bear repetition now. In fact the
oftener they are repeated and present.
ed to the public. the better it will be.
They follow:
I'VE are told and most of us believe,
that those are best governed who are
least governed. Yet We have one big
congress in the nations capital, and
forty Eight little congresses in the sew
eral state capitals, constantly in ses-
sion, to make and unmake laws to vex
the people and confuse the courts. In
evitabIy, respect for law is lowered,
and here. as elsewhere, familiarity
breeds contempt.
r THE danger is admitted. Clearly see
ing the evils of too much legislation, we
call for more Through chance ma
jorities, stable in nothing. we would
lie "a hits
of the people by act of assembly.
"Perennially reproaching congress,
we would nevertheless augment the
powers of congress. We are creating
a system of centralized bureaucracy
and supplementing the civil service
with multifarious commissions. We
have a standing army of officials. Col
lectivism, robbing man of his individ-
uality, trusts nothing to the force of
nature, the genius of our institutions
and the providence of God.
yet we disdain alike experience and
forecast. We are threatened with gov
eminent by hysteria, displaying it's ex-
cess on the one hand by the vainglori-
Gus assertion of our grandeur, pu1s-
sance, on the other hand, expressing
its humanity through the exploitation
of visionary schemes of impossible re-
lief.
DO I overpaint the picture? Is it !
but the mocking effigy of an old mans
pessimism? Let US not be too sure of
ourselves. If we preserve that which
and Franklin and Jeffer-
son contemplated; that which Jones
and Perry, Harrison and Shelby fought
for: that which each side in the war
of sections claims it aimed at-intelli- |
gent freedom we shall have done well. |
I'VE have not been so web governed, |
that We may not be better governed. |
But 1 would summon reform through |
rea son. not emotion. I would have re- |
genera ton come by growth. not by |
spasm; and so. despite the impatient
and unthinking, I look for them to
come in their own good time and Or
Ter: because have faith in that peo-
1le who seem chosen of God; in that
"a brio which seems ordained of God;
n the destiny of that land under the
blessing of God. who in its darkest
lour raised up Washington to defend,
md Lincoln to save for His own all
wise purpose and will never suffer the
,mpiric or the sacrilegious to undo the
work of His hand"