South Bend news-times. (South Bend, Ind.) 1913-1938, 1922-07-23
Sunday M0rnimg Breakfast Talk
By Reu. Elmer " ard Cole

By Reu. Elm.
The books Of history are filed with
the names OF exceptional men. These
men stand out as Beacon Lights in
the history OF the world. as noun
tain peaks IN the great range OF hu-
mainly. but they are supported by
vast number OF COMMON MEN or
their work could never have been
accomplished II is the COMMON
NAN whose praises I am anxious to
sing. Abraham Lincoln said, God
must have loved the common man
or he would not have made so many
OF them" It IL James Russell Low
ell who sings OF the common soldier
in the following language:
But then think I. at any rate
there's glory to be had,
That's an investment after all, that
mayn't turn out so bad.
But somehow Wen we'd At and lick
ed. I alters found the thanks
Got kin o lodged afore they come as
low ez the ranks;
The Ginera,s got the biggest sheer,
the Cunnels next and so on.
We never got a blessed mite o
glory as know on;
An spose we had. I wonder how
you're goin' 70 contrive
Its division SOS 10 give piece to
twenty thousand privits:
You wouldn't git more'n half enough
to speak OF on a grave stone"
Kipnng has continued the thought
with his praises OF the unknown ser.
geant:
Said England unto Phareah, must
make a man of you.
Who will stand upon his feet and
play the game.
Who Will maxim his oppressor as
Christian ought to do;
And so she sent him Sergeant What's
his Manner"
He came unheralded and went about
his work with little pomp and
circumstances.
1T was not big brass general that
came,
But a man IN Khaki Kit
Who could handle men a BIT,
And his bedding labeled Sergeant
What's his Name7"
England had forgotten that she
had sent him and when the big
Brass General came he won his
honors from Parliament and Crown,
but the man who made it possible
was forgotten.
Tho he drilled the black men
white
And he'd make a dummy fight.
He continued only Sergeant What's
his Name?"
II is a temptation with all OF US TO
overlook the great body OF COMMON
MEN, who in times of peril rise TO
divine heights Of a heroism before
unknown. Not only have all our
wars been fought by the ordinary
man. but the heroism manifested in
events such as the Iroquois fire. the
sinking Of the Slocum, the Titanic,
/ the Lusitania and many other disas-
| tiers of such nature have revealed the
divinity Of the COMMON MAN. Per-
haps many OF my readers will re-
member the sinking OF the Pere
| Marquette IN the lake between Lud-
dington and Sheboygan. 1t will be
remembered that all the passengeSs
were rescued but two, but most Of
the crew vent down 10 heroic graves.
Not an officer was saved. and the
wireless operator, who had flashed
over the lake his terse cries for help
went down with the rest. Just as
the boat plunged 10 the bottom her
sister ship, the Pere Marquette No
It, raced up. but 1t was too late. To
the crew OF this gallant ship there
was stiH hope. for struggling upon
the surface OF the lake, was a score
and a half OF men who had not been
sucked down into the vortex OF the
sinking hulk. but for aid TO be eff
fective IL must come TO them quick
". To launch a life-bOat before they
cut down the speed with which they
had run to the rescue, that would
be suicide everybody knew, but four
brave men OF the crew, who were on
their own ship made the attempt. II
was a dash for their imperiled
krothers. helpless and drowning be
fore their own eyes. They lowered
their frail life-boats over the side:
Of No. Il, and they well knew tha'
only miracle could save them from
the mad waves. but there was nc
miracle. Their tiny craft wa:
crushed like an egg she'll Two oil
the heroes were saved. Their name;
the newspapers never gave, and the
names Of the two men who sacrificed
their lives for their fellow creatures
were only known as Joe Patterson
Waterman, and r Jacobsen, Scrub
Der, but they went down TO grave:
of honor. They were COMMON
MEN. but they rose 10 the heights Of
divinity when they gave their live:
in loving sacrifice to help their Eel
lows.
Too many times we are deluded By
the heresay Of the headlines on the
front page OF a newspaper We edu
cate ourselves 10 an excess OF faith
in the exceptional man, and do no
give sufficient honor to the ordinary
man who lives a great life in the
sight OF God. We 900 often forget
the man with two talents who uses
them TO as great an advantage as
the man OF 10. In this day and ag'
when so many are trying TO dlscredi
democracy because we cannot truA
the common people. it would dc
well TO remember that the voice o,
the people Is the voice Of God"
The great Master, the Prophet o.
Nazareth. WAS a common man. H