Evening star., 1923-04-02
CAPITAL KEYNOTES
BY PAUL Y. COLLINS

our uprisings, have wisely decided
that they went too far in denouncing
all fences and hedges in our front
yards. SO now they will recognize
! that what is one mans hedge is an
others landscape gardening. Lord
chesterfield was never a member Of
! the District Commissioners board, but
he saw the matter in the right light
when he said: "One man may better
steal horse than another look over
the hedge"
1t all depends on whose hedge is
| clipped.
Liberty means the right TO eN-
press oneself" says Senator Borah.
referring 70 the fifty three sIackers
still serving prison sentences for cS-
pressing themselves treasonably dur
| ing the war. He adds: "If mar
! thinks war is unjust or improvldent
1t is his absolute right to say 50"
II a crank thinks that a senator
should be slugged and killed-if that
be his honest, cranky opinion-haS he
a right to proclaim ii in public
places? If a man thinks that q can
Of gasoline would help along a CON
| natural liberty to stop him before
he persuades a thousand others 10
agree with his incipient incendiarisIn
| and begin organizing gasoline
squads?
Liberty for the individual does not
and ought never exist" declares
patriot, except subordinate to the
welfare of tho whole community.
Such liberty is not civilized-it is
barbarous license, beyond the rights
or protection by organized justice
There is much rant about the al
legged misca rriage of liberty" when
ii is applied to men who plotted de-
struction to. the American Army and
Navy. fighting that the world might
be safe for democracy.
:: !: x :.
The power Of art TO mold public
events and public sentiment is not
always understood and appreciated.
1t is the language Of the soul, and
in great art, technique must ever
play a most subordinate part. Cal2
it literary art" if you will. but therA
never has been great art which diA
not carry message from heart toy
heart.
Three illustrations:
There is today in Paris group Of
sculpture, of French soldier shaking
hands with an American veteran, but
because the artist had left gloves
upon the hand of the doughboy. the
demanded that the sculptor cut ots
the gloves The gloves indicated q
coldness which did not exist between
the poilu and the dough boy-con-
rades In cause. Perhaps only an
art-saturated public, like that Of
France. could have risen go promptly
TO such jarring in the art-message.
Second: In Berlin is now on eI-
hibition large oil painting. An old
couple are sitting beside a. meagerlyJ
nd "a 10 whit
reading letter from their daughter
from far-off America. Beside her
lies an American five-dollar bill, and
tho letter is addressed. MY dear
parents" and signed. Katie"
Does it not tell the heart-to-hear-
story of loving faithfulness, and is
II not tie that binds even enemy
countries through family relations
No wonder the window in which II is
displayed is constantly faced by tear
stained countenances.
Third: This comes close TO Wash
ington-so close that J shall mentioi!
no names. A national hero who had
justly won the highest praise OF his
country then made a misstep-no.
dishonorabie nor intentional-which
resulted in popular fury against the
previous idol
The disapproval cut to the quick.
but there seemed no chance to re
trieve. A famous cartoonist turned
y
attitude toward the great man, and
later that cartoouist came TO Wash
inEton and was brought face to face
with the subject of his picture His
tory will not record how the hero,
who had faced cannon and shell.
claSped both hands of the artist, in
wordless thanks. and broke down in
tears. nor how his wife told that. on
| the day before that cartoon appeared
they had finished packing their
trunks with the view to fleeing to
Switzerland, never to return to their
ungrateful and cruel country. The
cartoon had not only demonstrated
that the condemnation Of the mis-
take had not been SO universal as il
appeared in the fury OF its wave, but
it had started a public reaction.
All the written words Of literature
could not have accomplished what
that cartoon had done so effectively.
Copyright 1923. BIZ P Y. ColIinsl