Evening star., 1919-07-20
\ HE Rambler came to the cross
ing Of two old dirt roads.
Neither was travelled much.

condition and It's setting seemed to
indicate that II once had been a plan
tation lane. and had been at some
time dedicated to the convenience Of
su0h wayfarers as chose to use It,
but that 1t had never attained promi-
nence and popularity in the world OF
roads. 1t was narrow, and its un-
even roadbed, slanting hrst this way
and then to the other side. and being
nearly level with the face Of the
country 1t passed through. indicated
that 1t had not been worn by traffic
and neglected, but that not much
thought and effort had been put forth
In making 1t. 1t seemed to be a
road that had not been made with
deliberation and malice aforethought,
but had just come to be a road be-
cause somebody happened to pass
that way and make a track which
.other people followed when duty or
desire called them in that direction.
Then from the lay of the land it
required no keen eye to discern that
on both sides of the road the land
had been for a great many years
parts of the same tract, or OF the
same farm. How man can know
this by simply looking at the ground
Is not easy to explain, and the
Rambler is not going to attempt to
do 1t in this narrative, but almost
anybody bred in the country, and who
has IAN eye for country"-and which,
by the way. not all country people
have-can draw the boundary be-
o. ool
looking for signs Of an old fence
line or survey markers.
The other road, though very still
and quiet. told its story. 1t was very
old and had once been an important
road. The mightiest people in the
county had passed and repassed that
way. Tho humblest people In the
county had trooped to and fro along
its course, and the Rambler uses these
words humble people" not in the
sense that there was any humility"
in these people. There was very
little humility in the humble people
who passed along that road many
years before. my reader. you were
born. Perhaps the Rambler passed
that way before your grandmother
was . little girl.
The humble" people in that part of
the country a century or more ago
were people who had a great deal of
pride. The pioneer blood in them had
not been tanned: They were hardy
and self-reliant. They lived simply,
ate heartily. slept soundly, hunted
great deal. worked not too hard and
drank just as much liquor as the
members Of the upper class. Most of
them were devoted Jefferson repub-
1icans. Later some of them evolved
into wings and others into Jackson
democrats. Later they came to be
either plain republicans or democrat.
&c democrats. Now many of their de.
scendants are of the peculiarly par
tisan or political breeds which defy
definition. Some of the republicans
are for strict construction of the
Constitution. and some Of the demo-
Gratis are for the most liberal, most
off-hand or loosest construction of
the Constitution. and seem to stand
for the strictest Limitation of state
rights or for the abolition of those
rights. Republicans talk of economy
and Of the usurpation Of authority by
the President. while democrats talk
OF lavish expenditures for internal
improvements, obliteration of state
lines. sumptuary laws and the ma
tionalization" Of this and the fed
eralization" of that. Republicans
talk of defending" the Constitution
against encroachments and democrats
talk of the Constitution as an out
grown instrument which should be
made over to fit the exigencies Of to-
day. 1t is perplexing situation
which Is apt to give old-fashioned
Americans the headache. The Ram
bier feels himself, as most old men
do in a very muddled state of mind.
The Rambler is no prophet, for the
line dividing prophets, smart Alecks
and jackasses is very thin and is
easily crossed. But he feels that If
the tendency toward liberalization
or Capitalization proceeds in the next
nifty years as it has progressed in
the past nifty the governors of states
will be appointed by the President for
faithful service in political cam