The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1916-04-28
Cassandra.
Chicago Tribune)


richer than the myths of the Greeks,
and no myth more significant for us at
this time than the story of Cassandra.
Ages have rolled by since it was first
told, nations and civilizations have
lowered and fallen, but the tragic
truth of Cassandra's fate is truth to-
day. The printing press and the rail,
road, the telephone and the X-ray, all
the complicated paraphernalia OF our
modern life has left the deep springs
of human nature what they were when
the Inflated prophecies prophesied in
vain.
Men will not listen willingly to what
displeases them. Too often they will
not listen at all. The Trojans shut
their ears to the warnings of Cassan-
dra and Troy met its doom. There
are times when it seems that whole
nation turns deaf and blind to truth
of fatal meaning. All England must
have seen the onrushing tempest of
the present war. One of her great
men spent the last years Of his life in
passionate appeals. He was covered
with ridicule. He won no better hear
ing in the enlightened twentieth cen
fury than Cassandra did in the shad
owy days of primitive Greece.
What better hope have we in Ameri-
ca? There is nowhere i'll the world
today and never has been a people
more impatient of evil tidings, more
determined to be optimistic regard
less of logic or fact, than our Ameri-
can people Optimism is our shibbo-
leth, our religion, and our vice; not
the optimism of courage and determin-
alton, but the optimism which resents
discomfort and pain, the optimism
of the fools paradise.
The European war, though it shakes
the world, has hardly shaken this
American optimism. We think we are
immune to the misfortnues and perils
which every other tribe and people
have suffered since the world began
1t is unpleasant to think of war. Let
us not think of it. Many of us even
cling to the belief that if we do not
think of misfortune it will not come
as superstitious man refused to make
will for fear it will bring his death.
The worst enemy of defense is not
aggressive pacihcism, but this deep
sloth of mind and will, this vast, vague
refusal to be disquieted. Our tale
must have happy ending. The mex
orable laws of reality must break up
on our unique destiny Even our owr
past calls to us in vain and the fate
of other people is meaningless to II:
even while their blood flows to ou
feet.
What hope is there that Americ;
will wake until it is too late? Fo
months now we have been on tn,
brink of war. The most terrible strug
gle of human history is going on be
fore us. Treaties have disappeared
like wisps of paper in the blast. Ma
tons have been trampled down, PEG
pie almost wiped out. The bitter les
sons of endless centuries are bein
written again in blood and fire. TIL
whole structure of national relation
is wracked and tottering. We balanc
on the rim of this unspeakable castro
phe and argue, bubble, and delay. TIL
President leaves the capital and goe
: forth solemnly to the people, declar
ing that we are surrounded by danger
infinite and constant. and that we car
not know what day or an hour ma
bring forth. We pass from one crisi
to another in which war hangs on
, thread of chance. Couds darken O
the West and men of knowledge an
devotion throughout the country al
putting every essential fact and aspe,
of our condition before the people.
: Yet our great legislative body in tn
: national capital plows heavily throug
its routine of politics, holding stupid
, back, entangling itself in argumel
and compromise, grudging and pos
! poning, shutting its eyes and ears I
the roar of onsweeping events, viii
millions of Americans doze and shir
and namely wait for fortune to tur
disaster away.
We have learned nothing from o,
own past. We have refused the wi
I dom of our great men. We have n,
r reused ourselves to the great effo
9 of will and brain necessary to face ar
deal with the staggering warnings
the present. What eloquence can hoI
: to move us from our luxurious foil,
What Cassandra can hope to rever
, her fate in this land of fat content?
The role of Cassandra is Meth
happy nor profitable. 1t brings on
n hatred and contempt. But those VIII
n loving this country of ours, yet S,
& the truth which hangs like a max,
sword above us, must play that 70
from conscience sake, if hopelessly