The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1928-07-04
WEDNESDAY, JULY A, 1928.
A CONVENTION STORY.

CONVENTION STORY.
A MERICANS may be kind under stress
n but they are seldom courteous. Four
years ago, at the Republican national
convention at Cleveland a dear old man who had
really known and talked with Abraham Lincoln,
asked to appear on the platform and give
talk on the greatest American" as he remember
ed him. We imagine what weeks of patient
and hard work went into the preparation Of that
little speech" and with what anticipation the old
man made the trip to Cleveland and how keen
was his pleasure as he mounted the platform
Here at last was his opportunity to tell great
and eager public of his marvellous Lincoln.
But the little old man reckoned without con-
sidering the haste and hurry of great conven-
tion and its great distaste for anything except
the blurb and splurge of its own times and it's
own voice. Hardly had the little old man spoken
his first faltering sentences-indeed before he
had come to his Lincoln at all-the officious pro-
gram chairman plucked at his sleeve and told
him his time was up. By actual count of the tick
of seconds he was permitted only scanty matter
of less than five minutes. He took his seat, dis
appointed, chagrin and startled confusion writ
large on his patient, gray-framed face. And no.
body cared much, except Haywood Broun, who
writing for one of the eastern papers, scored
people who would heap such nconsiderate and
unnecessary discourtesy upon one whom the whole
convention, founded it prated to be upon a
love for Lincoln, should have delighted to rever-
ence.
Last week the Democratic convention at
Houston was guilty of an even greater discount
esq when it "snubbed" ESQ the headlines said) the
of Sam Houston, in the service dedicating
the hall named for the illustrious father. The
son, Colonel Andrew Jackson Houston, had been
invited to speak, had prepared his speech and
was allowed to give the first few sentences. Then
he too, was told his time was up. The most
picturesque and the most reverent figure in the
whole gathering he pushed aside, to his own
chagrin and humiliation, that the mechanics of
the program might go forward undisturbed-
that some speaker of note might have little
more leeway of time perchance. "Why did the
bishop shut me off," he asked an interviewer
plaintively after it was over. 81 think the peo-
pie would have liked my 'peroration'
Personally we, too, think the people would
have liked his quaint personal reminesence, and
perhaps have gotten from them something of
the spirit of American which they fail to get ev
en- from the longest and most platformish "key-
note" speech ever written.
= But that is aside from the point If the
present generation of politicians hasn't the time
to listen to the best citizens of the former gen.
Grafton, it has no right to put these citizens on
for single moment, and then to force them to
its program, to parade them out for public view
retire in shamed confusion. To suppress speech
that has become unreasonably long is one thing
TO "snub" instead of venerate those who have ev-
cry right to expect respect is something else.
Americans may be kind, upon occasion, but
they are also dscourteous-upon occasion.
V*0
DO YOUR OWN THINKING.
AVE you ever had experience with some
II one in the back seat who insisted on do
ing the driving? No matter how care
fully you drove, at what speed, there was
constant whine and complaint, interspersed with
helpful suggestions for the improvement of the
service.
Are we becoming nation of back seat driv-
ers? We are not asking the question facetious-
ly but in all seriousness. In these hectic DAYS
OF jazz and radio we rush headlong into any,
thing that comes along Time was when folks
refused to commit themselves on matters on
which they were not we'll informed, but we are
no longer handicapped with such scruples Now
we love to congregate and pass resolutions on
each and every question that arises and the less
we happen to know about it the more fervent we
become.
AS result of this condition, we now have
with US the skilful and highly paid propaganda
who seizes upon this modern weakness to help
in putting stuff over" Plausible speakers 90
about the country addressing groups of well
meaning people who, while laboring under the
spell that has been cast about them, pass resolu-
tions the meaning of which they know little or
nothing. The weakness for signing petitions
without taking the trouble to read them, is even
more prevalent.
Resolve not to sign petition or endorse q
resolution, until you have read it with under
standing and approve its contents. In other