if
OCTOBER 27, 1905
The 'Comnioner.
3
STAKING THE MYSTIC CHORDS OF MEMORY 1
Did it ever occur .to you that music will most
effectively recall memorleo of other days? "A
, Vong will outlive all sermons in the memory" be
cause "we Ipv.e music for the .burled hopes, the
'Mi-nered recollections, the tender feelings it can
ftuminon at a touch"
Search your own heart and 'see whether hid
dm there is not some' memory tender and true
th.it needs but a note. of, the music with which,
ii is indissolubly associated to bring it almost to
life. '
The no(e that has power to revive these
moniories varies, 'of course, with different ruem
Hut it is of' these, even as -it was with the men
of Bayard Taylor's time: "They sang of love
mid not of fame; forgot was Britain's glory; each
luuirt recalled -a different name, but all sang
"Annie Laurie.'"
What a mighty panorama of memories the
Mnging of some of these old songs unfolds. How,
uhile they quicken the pulses they take us back
to the days of long ago!
See the panorama passing in review!
"A Mighty Fortress . is our God!" And
w see again the powerful figure of a
fine old preacher long ago gathered to his fath
ersone with whom .that song was a favorite
and to whom it was not a mere compilation of
words and' music; a man who served God as
faithfully in every day deeds as Le praised him
in Sabbath day ceremony.
"Jesus, Lover of My Soul!" And we recall
thtf death scene of a brave old chieftain in the
Southern. Confederacy, a fine old soldier of the
cross who had expressed the wish and whose
wish was fulfilled to die to tne music of that
splendid hymn.
"Rock of Ages, Cleft for me, let me hide
myself in'" Thee!" And. we remember that dear'
old woman who, though a mother of six children
of her own served as the mother of the eight
children of her dead sisters; a dear old woman,
who left the imprint of her perfect charity upon
the hearts of those who were tlie beneficiaries
nJ ' fSJ nl?ne8s Ven as 8l,e lmd carefully provid-,
ed for their current necessities. -,.-'
T,nZrnm fG2;en,and'8 Icy Mountains, From
Indian Coral Strands!" And wo see again a
IZZ nnf d m,hor of th0 8xtIos' lowing in her
arms and soothing to sweetest sleep the babe of
war-time birth.
"His Loving Kindness, oh, how Great!" And
we recall what was an epoch in one family life
when the elder brother was led to the baptismal
font by a gray haired priest of God.-
Nearer, My God, to Thee!" And we stand
at the bier of a faithful father concerning whom
tne officiating clergyman, speaking ; in perfect
truth, said: "Ho gave to the world considerably
more than the world gave to him."
"Faintly Flow Thou Falling River!"' And
wo stand at the death bed of one of the world's
grandest women. To fame and' fortune she was
unknown. She seemed destined for grief and
trouble, and if fidelity and patience are consid
ered in the selection of the burden-bearers of
the world, the assignment in this instance was
well made. As a maiden "none knew her but to
love her, fcnor named her but to praise;" as a
wife she was constant and true; as a mother she
so impressed her personality upon her children
that, .although she has been dead for many, many
years, she still stands ever at their side, the
recollections of her loving kindness, her self
sacrificing devotion and her superb example serv
ing as an inspiration to those who have the proud
privilege of calling her "mother." What a mem
ory chord the sweet notes or "Faintly Flow
Tliou Falling River" strike in the hearts of some
men and women now growing gray!
"Safe in the Arms of Jesus!" And we stand
at the open door of a chamber where a little life
has just gone out. Within that, room there are
no tears, there are no sobs the pain is too acute,
for that. Even "great griefs are voiceless," and''
in this, the greatest of all the griefs which Provi
dence in its infinite and inscrutable wisdom has,
inflicted upon men, there is no sound but the
mighty throobing of the parents' troubled heart;
.and that the heart of mere man can withstand
such tumult is one of the wonders of tho
-world.
Tho . shadows of nfght had fullon soVcrnl
years ago in u homo whcro, for a weolc gone by,
no ono had slept. Tho baby or the household
was dying. The father and mothor knelt at the
bedside and besido thorn stood a flno old neigh
bor a gray hairod woman, herself tho mothor
of many children living and dead. During her
wholo life It seemed as though she had been
commissioned to bo a comforter Tor troublod mon.
When tho end came it was this good woman
who, with infinite tenderness, folded the tiny
hands over tho little breast. Then, placing hor
arms affectionately around the grief stricken par
ents, tills good woman said, simply: "You noodn't
worry any moro, now. He's safe In the arms of
Jesus." ,
Do you wonder that oven now mo notes of
that sweet song stir a tondor memory within
the hearts of that father and mother?
Whon the call: "Pass Under tho Rod" comes
to the parent, who loves his child better than life
itself, there is one story of lovo upon which ho
delights to dwell. It is the story of the Naza
rone's concern for (tho children, As He carod for
them, so, instinctively, they turned to Him. It
is an oft told tnle, but grows sweeter with the
tolling; and nowhero has it bden hotter told than
when, in vagrant verso, it was written:
They brought Him their -babes and besought Him,
Half kneeling, with suppliant air,
To bless the brown cherubs they brought Him
With Holy hands laid on their hair.
Then, reaching His hands, He said, lowly: -v
"Of such is the kingdom of Heaven," and th
Took thp brown little babos In the Holy
White hands of the Savior ot men;
then
Held thom close to his heart, ana caressed them;
Put his face down to theirs, as in prayer;
Put their bands to His neck, and so blessed thom,
. With baby hands hid in His hair.
,. RICHARD L. METCALFE.
)
I
"UNDER FIRE"
Washington dispatches say that George B.
Cortelyou -will hot resign the chairmanship of the
republican national committee, explaining that
Mr. Cortelyou does not wish to retire from, the
position "while there is even a suspicion of the
smoke of fire in the air."
It is auite common for men whose names
have been connected with discreditable .transac
tions to assert that they will not "resign under
fire." So far as public interests are concerned
Mr. Cortelyou's retention of the chairmanship of
the republican committee is not altogether
important. It has been admitted by Mr. McCall
that he paid to the republican national campaign
fund during the time when Mr. Cortelyou was
chairman $48,000. Another insurance official has
said that he contributed $40,000. as chairman of
the republican national committee Mr. Cortelyou
might 8i.y that other republican chairmen ac
cepted similar contributions in their campaigns,
and that the fact that the money was stolen
from the policyholders is of no moment in the
light of the fact that it was contributed for tho
success of "the party of God and morality." But
Mr. Cortelyou is a member of the president's
cabinet. Whatever justification he may be able
to presentf-in the way of precedent in the office of
republican chairmen, he can hardly cite to -advantage
in the office of postmaster general. If
Mr. Cortelyou does not care to retire from the
chairmanship "under fire" he might retire from
the president's cabinet At all events so long as
Mr. Cortelyou has no explanation for the dis
creditable affair with which his name has been
Associated his friends will do well to refrain from
hoast and bombast in his behalf.
JJJ
AVENUES OF USEFULNESSJOURNALISM
Few avocations offer a larger field for use
fulness than journalism and few are more broad
ening, Like the lawyer the journalist is con
stantly engaged in intellectual combats and his
"wits are sharpened by the keenness of his ad
versary. The journalist deals with every ques
tion that affects humanity and is trained to look
upon all sides of a subject. The business side
of Journalism offers large rewards for recognized
capacity; the reportorial side is furnishing mental
discipline as well as remuneration to an army
of young men and tho editorial department is
still more fasciuating where the editor is permit
ted to write what he thinks. But nothing is
more pitiable than to see a strong mind grinding
out editorials which offend, against tho con
science of the writer. No one should consent to
write against his conviction.
The greatest trouble with the largo dailies
is that they are huge business enterprises and
the policy of such papers on political questions
is too often controlled by the counting room. As
nearly all the great dailies are published by cor
porations, the public is often ignorant of the real
owner and sometimes those who desire to ex
ploit the publio take advantage of this fact and
secure control of papers for the purpose . of ad
vancing their enterprises.
The weeklies require less expensive plants,
and' a much larger proportion of them are edited
by the owners. For the reason, that it speaks the
convictions of one who can be identified, and has
back of it a character and a conscience tho week
ly exerts far greater political influence, in pro
portion to its, circulation, than the impersonal
daily. It is likely that the daily will become
more and more exclusively a newspaper, leaving
the editorial discussion of political questions to
the weeklies which are edited by their owners.
There ought to be in every state a weekly
paper devoted to the advocacy of the principles
of each of tho" great parties and applying those
principles to state questions. The Commoner
endeavors to apply democratic principles to na
tional questions and to important state questions
having a national bearing, but ft can not possibly
perform the functions of a state paper.
To one who desires to contribute to the ad
vancement of his fellows by the improvement of
economic, sociological and political conditions,
journalism offers a most inviting field and the
higher the ideal of those who enter journalism
the m6re service they can render to the public.
yv
THE GRAIN TRUST EXPOSED
Tom Worrall, a grain dealer of Nebraska, has
just published a book entitled "The Grain Trust
Exposed," and in it he presents an array of facts
to show tho existence In Nebraska of a crim
inal conspiracy among a number of grain dealers
to keep down the price paid to tho farmers for
their grain and to otherwise control the mar
ket. Mr. Worrall begins by showing how ho
was frustrated in his efforts to coil duct an In
dependent grain business and compelled to bo
come a member of the "association." After
several years connection with this "association,"
and after having been elected to Its lirectorate,
he withdrew and undertook the work of expos
ing the criminal nature of the combine. Mr.
. Worrall does not mince his words, but proceo.'s
to lay bare a state of things in tho grain trade
that should Impel the attorney general of Ne
braska to immediately institute criminal proceed
ings against a number of men whose names are
mentioned in the book and connected by seem
ingly direct . evidence with this criminal con
spiracy. He gives attested copies of contracts
and agreements, and his reports or some of the
meetings of the men interested in the conspiracy
show intimate acquaintance with its inside work
ings. Farmers have known for years that they were
being made tho victims of a combination of grain
buyers, but Mr. Worrall's book will bo a revela
tion even to them. His story of the legislative
fight against the bill to compel railroads to give
sites for independent elevators, and his expose
of tho smooth but dishonest methods that wore
used to emasculate the bill before it missed, tells
nothing new to those acquainted with the tways
of the professional lobbyist, but it will be an
eye-opener to thousands of farmers who have
been made tho victims of such tacMcs. Mr.
Worrall has conferred a' favor upon the people
by publishing this book, and It Is now the du.y
of the attorney general to proceed upon the evi
dence and land a few of these "respectable"
criminals behind the bars.
JJJ
'
y , A' GENTLE REMINDER' .f.
- ?The,fact that' Miss Roosevelt must pay, 'a
heavy duty on those valuable presents or give
they, up may serve, to remind her distinguished
father of the time when he was a prominent
-member of the Free Trade League.
&. .it&itm. i . ",v
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