Decorah public opinion. (Decorah, Winneshiek County [Iowa]) 1895-1928, 1914-03-18


whom became very jealous of him,
that they had no show with the
girls when Harmon was around" 1t
is hardly to be wondered at therefore
that with all this alteration he should
never find it possible to make choice
of life companion.
Always he was confronted with
the problem of the eligibility of his
admirers. On which one of them
, should he permit his affections to
rest where all were so adorable. How
could he prefer one above another
. when he himself was the one man in
all the world for each of them For
neither he nor they were mormons.
To complicate the problem he be-
, came firmly convinced that choose
, whom he might, all the others would
keenly feel the slight put upon them
and make it the source of constant
!, irritation in the community. This,
|, Mr. Harmon could never consent to,
), leaning of the lawyer as a peace
maker among neighbors, his natur-
all tender, affectionate heart would
never permit him to become the oc-
casion of extended contention among
the lovely creatures who, he Justly
argued might not for years recover
: from their disappointment So at
the time of his introduction to the
reader he was still an unmarried
= man.
Mr.. Harmon arose and concisely
stated the case for the state. He was
| followed by the Honorable Frank
Y Sayre, attorney for the defense. Now
e Mr.. Sayre was a gentleman of recog-
4 nized ability, not only in his profess
/ sion, where he excelled, but also in
J, other ways. Possessed of literary
8 turn he had given considerable at
: tention to belle-lettres and had won
, distinction as an author whose works
S were being extensively read and
:, were receiving much favorable COM
4 ment.
tt Also in addition to the attention
: required by his profession and 9th
4 er things, he had found time for en-
e quiry into some of the problems of
political economy. 1t was his well
S digested studies of these difficult
: problems, formulated into articles
f for the magazines and widely circu-
/; lated that had directed attention 10
e him and stamped him as one of the
!, coming statesmen of the Northwest
# 1t was then the eyes of his fellow
l. townsmen were opened to the fact
h that they had in their midst a mar
l. whose genius was being recognized
If in distant cities while they were eth
l. er unconscious of the honor of his
J. residence among them or what ii
n more likely, Indifferent to it, for il
d is not till after our best possession.
k are gone from us that we come tC
s value them as we should.
n However, genius may not be cam
ed like oysters or hidden away in
II some garrett to be lost sight of and
covered with the dust of years, II
y will not down. 1t is like the spring
|, plant it pushes Up through and over
every obstacle and makes it's presence
: known under the most adverse con.
e ditions Mr.. Sayre was elected to the
d House of Representatives, at Wash.
r ington, where, among men of COM
e handing ability, he speedily gained
g standing; beginning a career which
t eventually won for him a conspicu-
n Gus place in the ranks of American
S statesmen.
:, From the first he had affiliated
t, with the Democratic party, but he
y was in no sense, narrow partisan,
n his extensive reading, habits OF
IS thinking and observation had broad
d ened his views and enlarged his vi
:. sion. While his sympathies were ev-
n cry bit as comprehensive as his
IS huOW lcuSt Vi 6ACltlHS economical
u conditions in the United States. II
e was no wonder therefore that when
e congress had under consideration
= questions of nationwide Importance
It he should view them from the broad
r er standpoint of their relation to the
l. whole country rather than that of a
l. small section.
l. He was 1.-The gentleman from
d Iowa" yes; because he had been sent
d to Washington by Iowa people who
o had made him their representative
/; after he had been discovered by the
n United States. But he was more
# than the gentleman from Iowa; he
IS was United States man, and that
was why when it was proposed by
d men whose sympathies Were mar
n rowed to the limits of Congression-
l. al district, to increase or decrease
e the duty on sugar or wool or catnip;
n he never stopped to ask what the in