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The Commoner.
10
VOLUME 4, NUMBER 10.
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B!-
1 AteN iCjVP
TWO MONUMENTS.
(Read at the Arbor Day Exercises at Cotner University, Bethany
April 23, 1904.)
Neb.,
a
!A Tlch man workod, and schemed and
Ilanncd
To garner wealth In golden store;
Ho crushed and robbed on ov'ry hand
And ground the faces of the poor.
With lust for gold and solflsh greed,
To others' rights ho gave no heed;
But arrogant, and rich, and strong,
Ho crushed, though hearts were made
to bleed
Because he used his great strength
wrong. ,
lie built a mansion fair to see
Atwi flllwi if wlHi nrh lrnnmirpcj rnio:
Yet still no comfort sweet found ho
For neither lovo nor trust was there.
Uulovod and shunned he sat alor.o
.Whero all his gathered splendors
' shone;
And only schemed to gather more
Of gold and dross that he might own
Of earthly wealth the greatest stoie.
Beneath his roof no children sang
In happy glee as hours wore sped;
Tho halls with laughter never rang;
In nursery rooms no prayers were
said.
But envy stalked through room and
hall
And loft their scent of bitter gall.
Though well bred men and women
fair
Responded to .his banquet call,
No lovo nor trust was entered there.
Bowed down by weight of addod days
Tho rich man sat amidst his wealth,
And lot his oyos with greed' gaze
Feast on tho riches gained by
stealth.
He dreamed of days of dreary toil
That heaped his pile of golden spoil;
And thought again with cruel sneors
Of ov'ry cast of tightening coil
Ho wound 'round men in other years.
And dreaming thus ho lost his hold
And passed from earth to shadows
dim:
And of his wondrous store of gold
No yellow grain he took with him.
J-Ils mortal dust to dust consigned
And all his wealth was left behind
For those who hated him to spend
In lavish waste, nor call to mind
The maker's sad and lonesome end.
t
!A poor man paused on Arbor Day
To turn the soil with loving care;
'And close beside tho broad highway
A tender sapling planted there.
.Through heat and cold, through rain
and snow.
Ho watched the tender sapling grow
Until beneatu us cooling Bnauo
'Midst summer sunshine's fiercest glow
The happy cb'ldren met and played.
Day after day Jn childish glee
The little ones would meet and play
Beneath tho tall and stately tree ,
That stood beside the broad high-
Avay;
And free from ev'ry toil and rare
j, null luiiQinui juiijj ujjuu mu uu.
From morn till stars begin to peep;
And after each sweet lisping prayer
Tho rustling leaves sang them to
sleep.
Bowed down by years a feeble man
Sat day by day beside his gate,
And smiled with joy while children
ran
Beneath the tree from morn till
late.
Ho dreamed of days of long ago
When watching it unfold and grow.
Ho heard again through misty tears
Of joy Its whispers soft and low
Of old-time friends of bygone years.
And dreaming thus he passed away
From worldly scones of toil and
care,
To wake in realms of endless day
In God's own city, over there.
His mortal dust was gently laid
Beneath the. old tree's loving -shade;
Ana signing winds through leaf
and limb
With tender, loving touches played
A solemn requiem for him.
Tho rich man sleeps 'neath polished
stone
That reaches upwards to the sky.
Tis name, carved deep, is thus made
known
To ov'ry idle passerby.
But not an one of all tho throng
That passes by remembers long
The name or stoneboth are forgot
j-s wim a snaicn or idle song
The passerby has left the spot.
The poor man sleeps beneath the tree
Pie planted with a father's care-
And travelers rejoice to see
The welcome shade awaiting there
And resting 'neath its shade they sa"-'
God bless the man, be who ho maV
WhQ planted it long years ago
Beside the hot and dusty way
To shelter from the summer glow."
Which monunvmt is best, think ye
Tho marble shaft or stately tree?
A P&rftllel.
"But," protested the victim of ben
evolent assimilation, "you do not treat
your people in your own country as
you treat us."
"That only exposes your ignorance,"
retorted tho uniformed gentleman
wielding the water bottle and funnel
to offect a "water cure
"But I have been informed to tho
contrary," insisted the benevolently as
similated. "That shows the folly of not going
to hoadquartors for information," said
the uniformed gentleman.
"Alas, I cannot understand it,"
wailed the benevolently assimilated.
"That is ourgain," said the uni
formed gontloman. "Neither can the
worklngmon of my ow,n country who
result in armed interfdronco in bohalf
of property and cold neglect of human
life together with federal injunctions
that never. take into account the
rights of employes."
Explained.
"I hear that Mr. and Mrs. Mobi'e
who took their honeymoon In an au o
have been divorced." '
"Yes, the sparker gave out bnfn
they finished the round trip."
Foxy.
"You are not making any speeches
plieTther:8 Ut f raIr'" re
"However," continued he, "I am tid
ing a substitute." ' am Ua
As he spoke the senator toyed ner
vously with his check book. Q
Spring.
The leaves are green upon the trees,
The sun is shining clear; ,
And with tho balmy southern breeze
The iceman doth appear.
With mirth and joy he hustles out
And makes his daily rounds,
To leave a damp spot on the porch
And charge for 60 pounds."
Porhtxps.
"But we don't know where your
candidate stands," protested the vocer
who trierl to vote for principle.
"Hush-h-h!" whispered the cam
paign manager. "That's where our
candidate is strong. "If he don't stand
perhaps he can run."
In & Summer Gordon.
"I wish 1 could raise my celery,"
mused the bleached out vegetable.
"I can raise it a scent,"' said the
onion.
"That fills my eyes with tears,"
said the potato.
"JVhereupon the corn wriggled its
ears.
Drain Loaks.
Ever' man is a hero to. his dog.
A good book never produced a bad
boy.
A vote in the box is Worth a mile of
parade.
Plan Well is a good friend, but Do
Well is a brother.'
A man is growing old when he be
gins to wonder if he looks his age.
The brightness of the future de
pends largely upon the Tightness of
the past.
God does not take note of the
amount 5011 give, but of the spirit in
which it is given.
Our idea of'a stern will is beincable
to leave a warm bed on a cold morn
ing without regret.
It's a happy home when its heart
leaves his business troubles outside
of the cottage door.
The man who has a message" and
really wants to deliver it, never has
trouble in finding listeners.
Did you ever notice how easy it is
to find an excuse for not going to
church on Sunday morning?
We have seen men take prizes for
fine stock who couldn't take a prize
of any kind for fine ebtldren.
Genuine optimism is looking for
ward .With pleasure to a visit to the
dentist when one has a toothache.
Tho children's mud nlo n f
good eating, but nothing looks prettier
If they are made by your own chil
dren. We have our suspicions of the man
who does not feel a tingle of "that
fishing feeling" at this time of the
the longer it will be ere you have oc
porgtunity to rejoice over youTsuc-
If wo wanted a real E. Z Mark w
would pick out the man who belief
papeiu War nGWS he sees In e $
We have often wishod that we .i.m
S edhrKhrni? " fl! w 22
folders U th raiIroad advertising
H??ena man is elected to somp lit
tie Jim Crow office he usually 1"
big as a country town tw 1 ! M
captured the county seal lm jUSt
Anarchy in Colorado.
Colorado tol I 3 , I censorship of
M. - m m
law is 'despised nd dethroned by the
very officials sworn to uphold it.
The governor of the state has be
come a dictator, the commander of tho
militfa is the leader of a mob.
Union miners arid their families are
either "bull penned" or driven out
for no other reason than that they aro
union minors.
Legal protection and redress are de
nied them, for the courts are as rot
ten with anarchy as are the executive
and the militia. t ,
The other day ten strikers and their
families, including a number of small
babies, were ordered from their homes
during a Tiowling blizzard, marched to
the depot, placed on cars and ordered
never to return.
It is but an incident in a lone chain
of cruel events which mark the com
plete nullification of law, state and
national.
But since tho law of the state is
paralyzed at its head, what is the mat
ter with the federal law? Why tho
inactivity and unconcern at Wash
ington? Were American citizens treated with
a tenth, such injustice in any foreign
land there would be diplomatic rep
resentations and a naval demonstra
tion. Is it oniy abroad that American
citizens can horje for national pro
tection? The federal government has ever
been ready enough to take a hand in
strikes when the. property of great
corporations is supposed to be en
dangered. How long will it hold off
while the sacredest human rights are
being outraged under a state govern
ment rotten with .anarchy? Nashvillo
Inows.
A Scientific Agriculturist.
Professor Wiley, chief' of the bureau
of chemistry of the agricultural de
partment, and something of a humor
ist, was before the house agricultural
committee.
"What is a scientific agriculturist?"
inCIUired One Of thA riirnl rnnmlipra rlo.
sirous of enlightenment and also of
drawing the professor out.
"A scientific agriculturist," replied
Professor Wiley, eagerly, "is a gentle
man in the employ of the government
who can make ?2 grow on an appro
priation bill whero only SI grew be
fore." Pittsburg Dispatch.
Are Wo Honest?
I believe you are, and I am willing
to let you judgn me.. I honestly be
lieve I have a book, worth a dollar to
you, and I believe you will think so
artcr you see the bookt The book is
one I published myself, and it is made
"P of the poems and sketches that
nave appeared in the "Whether Com
mon or Not" department of The Com
moner, apd In other publications. I
wrote them all myself. Tho book is
cloth bound, gold side and back
stamps, foreword by Mr, W. J. Bryan,
and has 277 pages. The price is One
A FAIR PROPOSITION.
If you say so I'll send you the book
on suspicion. If you think it is worth
a dollar, send me the money. If you
do not think so send the book back
in good condition natural wear and
tear expected and we'll call It square.
I make this offer for two reasons one
is I think, the book is worth the dol
lar, and secqndly, I think you will
think so and send me the money.
AN OPEN CONFESSION.
Pcihaps you would like to know
why I am so anxious to sell my book.
I'll tell you I need the money. Now
drop me a card and say you'd like
receive my book on suspicion. I'll
take it for granted you are willing to
pay for it if you like "it and think it
worth the monoy, and I'll send it to
yoii by, the next mail.
WIUL IVCIVIIPN,
2022 South. 17th St. Lincoln, Neb.