The Hays free press. [volume] (Hays, Kan.) 1908-1924, 1919-05-15
CHAPTER XVIII.
On the Summit

On Lne summit
My mental assets would give me a
poor rating, I presume, in the CON-
merce of modern scholarship when 1
went to Washington that autumn with
Senator and Mrs. Wright. Still It was
no smattering that had, but rather a
few broad areas of knowledge which
were firmly in my possession. My best
asset was not mental but spiritual, If
may be allowed to say it, in all mod
esty, for, therein I claim no special ad-
vantage, saving, possibly, an unusual
strength of character in my aunt and
uncle. Those days the candles were
lighting the best trails of knowledge
ali over the land. Never has the gen
eral spirit OF this republic been so
high and admi2 able as then and a little
later. 1t was to speak, presently, in
the immortal voices of Whittier, Emer-
son, Whitman, Greeley and Lincoln.
The dim glow of the candles had en-
tered their souls and out of them came
light that filed the land and was
seen of all men.
The railroads on which we travelled
from Utica, the great cities through
which we passed, were a wonder and
an inspiration to me. I was awed by
the grandeur of Washington itself.
took lodgings with the senator and his
wife.
''NOw, Bart" said he, when we had
arrived, "Tm going to turn you loose
here for little while before 1 put har-
ness on you. Go about for a week or
SO and get the lay of the land and the
feel of it. Mrs. Wright will be your
guide until the general situation has
worked its waT into your conscious
ness"
1t seemed to me that there was not
room enough in my consciousness for
the great public buildings and the pic
lures and the statues and the vast ma
chinery of the government Beauty
and magnitude have a wonderful eff
feet when they spring fresh upon the
vision Of youth out of the back eoun-
try. sang of the look of them in nv
letters and soon began to think about
them and imperfectly to understand
them. They had their epic, lyric and
dramatic stages in - consciousness.
One afternoon we went to hear Sen
ator Wright speak. He was to an
swer Calhoun on a detail OF the bank
ing laws. The floor and galleries were
filed. With what emotion I saw him
rise and begin his argument as all ears
bent to hear him He aimed not 1T
popular sentiments in highly finished
rhetoric, as did Webster, to be quoted
in the school books and repeated on
every platform. But no words of mine
and have used many in the effort
are able to convey a notion OF the
masterful ease and charm of his man.
ner on the floor OF the senate or OF the
singular modesty, courtesy, aptness
and simplicity Of his words as they
fell from his lips. There were the
thunderous Webster, the grandeur of
whose sentences no American has
equaIed the agiIe-minded Clay, whose
voice was like a silver clarion; the far
seeing, fiery Calhoun, Of 'fthe swift
swOrd"-most formidable in debate
but was soon to learn that neither
nor all Of these men-gifted of heaven
so highly-cOuld cope with the suaYe.
incisive, conversational sentences OF
Wright, going straight to the heart of
the subject and laying 1t bare to his
hearers. That was what people were
saying as we left the senate chamber.
late in the evening; that. indeed, was
what they were always saying after
they had heard him answer an adj
versary.
ITO BE CONTINUED