The Brookings register. [volume] (Brookings, Brookings County, S.D.) 1903-1971, 1919-04-24

for the change Of q dollar, queried:
"Well Bart, what do you think we
had better do about itF'
IL was hOping--yOu-yOu would
take It," i stammered.
That's because the excitement Of
the convention Is on you" he an.
swered. "Let us look at the compass.
They have refused to nominate Mr..
Van Buren, because he Is opposed to
the annexation Of Texas. ON that sub
iect the will of the convention is now
clear. It is possible that they would
nominate me. We don't know about
that we never shall know. If they
did, and I accepted. what would be ex'
pected of me is also clear. They
would expect me to abandon my prin-
ciples and that curse of conduct
which | conceive to be best for the
country. Therefore l should ave to
accept IL under false pretenses and
take their yoke upon me. Would you
think the needle pointed that wayT
mo" answered.
Immediately he turned to his desk
and wrote the telegram which fixed
his place in history. AZ said no.
Into the lives Of few men has such
u moment fallen. | looked nj him with
u feeling of awe. What sublime calm
EeSs and serenity was in his face! AS
if it were n mere detail in the work OF
the day, and without a moments fall
tering, he had declined a crown. for he
would surely have been nominated and
elected. He rose and stood looking
out of the open window. Always |
think OF him standing there with the
morning sunlight falling upon his face
and shoulders. He had observed my
emotion and / think it had touched
him Il little. There was a moment of
silence. A curious illusion came TO me
then, for it seemed as if ! heard the
sound of distant music. Looking
th0ughtfully out of the window he
asked:
Bart, do you know when u first
fathers turned out of the trail of the
beast and found the long road of hui
manity? l think 1t was when they dis
covered the compass In their hearts"
So now at last we have come to that
high and lonely place, where we may
look back upon the toilsome, adven-
turous way we have travelled with the
aid Of the candle and the compass.
Now let us stop a moment TO rest and
to think. How sweet the air Is here !!
The night Is falling. l see the stars In
the sky.
Just below me Is the valley Of Eter-
nal silence. You will understand my
haste now. l have sought only to do
Justice to my friend and to give my
country a name, long neglected, but
equal In glory to those Of Washington
and Lincoln.
Come, let us take n last look to-
gether down the road, we have trav-
eled, now dim in the evening shad-
ows. Scattered along 1t are the little
houses of the poor Of which l have
written. See the lights In the win
dows-.he lights that are shining into
the souls Of the young-the eager,
open. expectant, welcoming souls of
the young-and the light carries many
things, but best Of all a respect for the
old. unchanging way of the compass.
| After all that Is the end and aim Of
the whole matter-believe me.
My life has heightened into these
days when most Of III tasks are &C
compllshed by machinery. We try to
make men by the thousand, in vast
educational machines, and no longer
by the one as of old. 1t was the Low.
Ing, forgiving. forbearing, patient,
ceaseless toll Of mother and father on
the tender soul of childhood which
quickened that inextingulshable sense
Of responsibility to God and man In
these people whom l now leave to the
Judgment Of my countrymen.
I have lived to see the ancient plan
Of kingcraft, for self-protection, com.
Ing back into the world. 1t demands
that the will and conscience Of every
individual shall be regulated and con.
trolled by some conceited prince
backed by an army. 1t cannot fail. ]
foresee. to accomplish such devasta'
ton In the human spirit as shall i'm
peril the dearest possession of man.
II m Is to follow the compass hi
can have but one king-his God.
I am near the end. I rode back t
Baltimore that forenoon. They haC
nominated Mr.. Polk Of Tennessee fol
president and Silas Wright for vic,
president, the latter by reclamation.
knew that Wright would decline tn,
honor, as he did.
I hurried northward to keep my an
pointment with Sally. The boats wer,
slowed by fog. AT Albany l was a da,
behind my schedule. l should hav,
only an hours leeway IL the boats Of
the upper lakes and the stage from
Plattsburg were on time. l feared I
trust them. So l caught the west
bound train and reached Utica thre
hours late. There l bought q goo
horse and his saddle and bride an
hurried up the north road. When h
was near spent I traded him for a wei
knit MoryaU mora nm In tho IttkJo ~,