The daily Gate City and constitution-Democrat. (Keokuk, Iowa) 1916-1922, 1919-08-02

Iu0 dlleScu witches III CdlcH SuOuAu
be prosecuted with the utmost rigor
Of the law. Wise in well-reasoned
pamphlet contended that such a
course was indefesible Some of
the general principles enunciated In
the declaration Of Independence were
anticipated by him. He wrote in one
of his pamphlets-for he wrote sever
al: "All men are born free" and
mo man can be servant or In sub
lection without inequality" Evil
IDENTIFY he would have abolished the
word "servant"-a mistake due to re-
publican pride. for we are all SER
wants of somebody. He died in 1925,
and. although many in our densely
populated republic have, fear.
never even heard his name, he is
the true father of American de-
mocracy New England at least
should honor his memory.
In literature New England has .
splendid record. Although she can
not claim to have given birth to q
poet of the first rank, her poets have
all produced delightful and exquisite
ly artistic verse. Whittier, Longfel-
low, Holmes and Lowell, were men
Of rare talent, IL not of genius.
Emerson, highly endowed as writer
OF both prose and verse, although
too much addicted to loose general
cation. was a true philosopher Tho
reau as a literary hermit has inter
ested the old world as well as the
new. His wonderful book. Walden"
is something unique in literature.
Hawthorne Is one of the kings Of
fiction. His lack OF red blood has
discouraged some readers of our day
from becoming acquainted with his
beautiful tales. But in depicting the
spiritual side of human life, the
struggle against temptation, the
pangs of conscience, and the pain
full glory of repentance, he is un-
equalled
The psychology of New England is
not entirely free from self-contra-
dictoriness. The New Highlander is
guided by reason and of this fact we
have shining Illustration in Benja-
min Franklin. But he Is also impas-
stoned in his devotion.
What New England most lacks is
Imagination. That mighty faculty is
distrusted by the descendants Of the
Puritans. The heart with its reach
towards the Infinite is not allowed
sufficient atmosphere where the ten
dency is to regulate everything The
New Englander strives to master q
subject. to solve problem, to arrive
at definite conclusion. But mystery
surrounds us in this earthly life
from which in "the twinkling of an
eye" death may remove us.
Intellect was deeply respected in
Yrr1n p,r$ ftvQ rvyoo
scarcely appreciated. Poe is now
circles as the greatest American
man of letters. But I doubt whether
the average Bosonian accepts this
of being devoid Of self-control, and
Boston would. venture to say. con.
slider him not exactly respectable"
more honor in Oxford than in Cam
bridge, Mass.
Enthusiasm, sentiment and revolu-
tionary innovation cannot to-day be
with New England.
But we may be sure that anarch-
ism, bolshevism, communism-all the
poisonous "isms' of our tinle-find
no liberation among the sturdy popu- |
lation in whose veins run the blood !
Of the Pilgrims. The philosophy of !
New England is philosophy of COM
mon sense. The leaven of such a i
will save the American /
people from being demoralized by /
the demagogues who would rob t
them of the ordered freedom be-
queathed to them by the fathers Of /
the republic.