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The Commoner.
5'
OCTOBER 20, 1911
Christian country without coming to regard the
Bible as the word of God has already repudiated
its authority. Tho young: man or young woman
Who postpones until grown the acccntanco of
Christ as Savior, Teacher and Examplo has already
rejected him, Thoso who completo their educa
tion without forming or desiring a connection with
some church enter upon tho work of life with
prejudice against the church and Its activities.
"It Is Doctor Iceland's business, as It will bo his
pleasure, to counsel students in matters of reli
gion, rfo will, as far as possible, represent tho
parent In deep personal Interest in tho student's
welfare; ho will bear the responsibilities of tho
shepherd, adding the spiritual enthusiasm of tho
pastor. Ho will point out and warn against tho
perils which the student may encounter; he will
answer tho questions that may arlso in tho
student's mind; ho will build up tho student's faith
and strengthen him for the work of life.
If any are perplexed about tho theories of crea
tion he can show them that all theories of creation
must begin with something and that no one has
yet advanced a moro rational theory of creation
than that presented in Genesis: 'In the beginning
God created tho heaven and tho earth.'
If any aro disturbed by attacks on tho Bible ho
can show them that the critics who reject the Biblo
can not, with all the advantages of modern civili
zation, produce a book equal to it as a moral
guide; he can show them that the BIblo's miraclos
do not surpass in mystery tho miracles that aro
dtail3.P,orf.orm,ed through tho Instrumentality of
tnHTBLVl0 ,n the regeneration of hearts and lives.
"If they question tho divinity of Christ ho can
spread before them the proof that Justifies Christ's
claim that He was not a man, aspiring to bo a god,
but God, condescending to be a man; he can show
how Christ's code of morals fits Into every human
need, how tho Savior's measure of greatness Is
revolutionizing tho world and how the meek and
lowly Nazarene is becoming tho commanding flguro
of all time.
"If the students lack appreciation of the church
and underestimate tho valuo of membership in it,
ho can teach them how co-operation multiplies
strength and make them understand how un
grateful It is in one to borrow his morals from tho
church and then throw his influence against it by
remaining outside.
"Dr. Lcland takes upon himself an exacting task
and deserves our cordial support. I feel suro that
he will continue to merit commendation from those
who come Into contact with his work, but his
greater reward will be found In tho gratitude of
the students and their parents and in tho con
sciousness that he Is ennobling tho lives of men
and women and, through thorn, leaving upon the
world an impression for good."
WHAT PROGRESSIVE DEMOCRACY WANTS
To the Editor of the Columbus O, Dispatch:
Sir If Attorney General Hogah and Allen W.
Thurman will examine the election returns of
1896, 1900 and 1908, and compare them with
the vote that Palmer and Bucknor received in
1896, and also compare the votes received by
Parker and Davis in 1904, with the number of
votes received by Mr. Bryan in the three elec
tions mentioned above, they will probably dis
cover that the Bryan democrats are in the ma
jority in the democratic party, and that the
clique of reactionary Grover Cleveland demo
crats are very much in the minority. If the aim
of the democratic party is to secure some offices
at the sacrifice of principles, it ought to be
defeated in 1912, and if the party nominates
Harmon or any other Wall street reactionary
democrat, he will meet the fate that Alton B.
Parker met In 1904. The Ryans, Belmonts,
Rayners, Underwoods, Baileys and Martins of
the democratic party, who represent plutocracy,
would like to see Bryan eliminated, but they
know deep down in their hearts that this wish
is not going to be fulfilled.
Wall street secured the nomination of Alton
B. Parker in 1904, and contributed its money
to secure the election of Roosevelt, and Wall
street wants Harmon nominated in 1912. That
is one reason why he shouldn't be nominated,
and the other reasons are, first, that he is not
a progressive democrat, and has never been
allied with any progressive movement, but on
the other hand he has been allied with the
worst elements of the democratic party In
Hamilton county and elsewhere; second, he
deserted to the enemy in 1896, and showed
that he favored plutocracy rather than democ
racy; and third, he was a party to the scheme
In 1908 whereby Bryan was to be traded for
Taft and Harris for Harmon in other words,
Taft for president and Harmon for governor.
In several places in the northern part of tho
state, photos of Taft and Harmon appeared side
by side. Unless the democratic party nominates
a progressive in 1912 it will go down to defeat,
as it did in 1904, for Harmon does not fill the
bill. He has been weighed in the balance and
found wanting. Progressive Democrat, Colum
bus, O., Aug. 16, 1911.
Mr. Bryan's Speech at the Conservation Congress
PIPPA'S SONG
The year's at the spring, and the day's at, the
f- morn;
Morning's at seven; the hill-side's dew-pearl'd;
The lark's on the wing; the snail's on the thorn;
God's in His heaven all's right with the world!
Robert Browning.
Mr. Bryan: Mr. Chairman, Ladles and Gentle
men I am sure that whatever you may think
of my speech you will agree with mo that I was
justified in asking you to liston to theso other
speakers. I bellevo in the conservation con
gress. Tho good that it does is difficult to cal
culate. How many of the thousands who aro
assembled tonight have given to the subject of
conservation the thought or study that it de
serves. Tho arguments that aro presented at
such a meeting as this help to make up tho
public opinion that controls our governments,
state and national. A largo number of sub
jects are brought before a congress for Its at
tention. The speeches made present the subject
from different points of view, and each ono
turns upon the subject tho light of his intelli
gence, and the warmth of his heart. When wo
go from such a meeting wo go enlightened, and
with our views enlarged. Wo go prepared to
communicate to others something of tho in
formation that we have received, and to Impart
to them something of the zeal that wo feel. A
number of subjects have been presented hero,
and I am sure that this meeting will bo
worth all that it has cost thoso who havo
brought it about or participated in it. Take tho
thought, for instance, that has been presented
by Senator Owen. I am so glad that I insisted
upon his speaking, for his ability and public
spirit are only equalled by his modesty, and if
I had not insisted, I am afraid you would havo
lost the benefit of the speech that ho has de
livered. And yet what ono of us will forget tho
splendid illustration that ho has given us in
the story told of tho difference we make between
the human being with a priceless soul and tho
animal that can be converted Into dollars and
cents on demand? We need to have this matter
brought to our attention, and I venture tho
assertion that there is not one present in this
audience that will not go from this meeting
tonight with the conviction that our natipn
could afford to subtract a little from Its ap
propriations intended to prepare us to kill
people, and spend money in tho preservation
of human life.
Is it not strange how much more interest wo
can feel in the battleship and in tho now gun
than we feel in the preservation of the life and
health of those about us? We need a speech
like this to wako our consciences to our own
neglect, and to give us a better Idea of propor
tion when we look at things about us.
You heard last night a speech upon public
health from one who has done so much to
arouse the nation to the unspeakable Iniquity
of the adulteration of food. Who will esti
mate the benefit of such a speech as that de
livered to an audience with such Intelligence as
this audience represents?
Tho president presented, as I understand It, a
thought that has been emphasized today. Tho
idea .that there should be In every agricultural
county of the nation a representative of tho
government, an expert on agriculture, to assist
the people of that community to a better and
more Intelligent production of the crops to which
the soil and climate are adapted. An idea liko
that needs only to be presented in order to be
accepted and approved. The fact Is that what
we need is instruction. In Leeds, England, a
year ago, I was speaking at a dinner in tho
mayor's office. I was emphasizing the fact that
our difficulties and controversies are largely duo
to misunderstandings and that misunderstand
ings are largely due to a lack of acquaintance
with each other, and there flashed into my mind
that quotation from Holy Writ, tho last prayer
of our Savior: "Father, forgive them, for they
know not what they do." And I was impressed,
as I had never been before, with the fact that
ignorance is a large cause of sin. It is Ignorance
tbat we have to combat; when the people are
once enlightened and understand a subject, you
can trust their patriotism, their good intent, and
their sense of justice. These meetings help by
instructing, and we go from them not only with
larger information, but with a stronger determi
nation to do our part in the correction of evils
that need a remedy. As I sat tonight and
listened to those who spoke before me, a thought
came into my mind, and I venture to impart it
to you. It is a proverb of Solomon's. I do not
know of a better motto for the conservation
movement. It was suggested by the gentleman
from Indiana that necessity compols us to con
serve the nation's resources whon wo l'ccomo
awaro that they aro being impoverished, and I
thought of this proverb of Solomon's, "Tho wioo
man forsooth tho evil, and Jildeth himself, but
tho foolish pass on and aro punished." What
is conservation except looking ahead, the making
of provision against coming dangers that may
bo prevontod? Wisdom manifests itself In fore
sight. If wo had had moro foresight wo would
not havo need of as much energy as la required
today to protect that which is being wasted. I
suggest, thoroforo, as a proper motto for tho
conservationists this wlso saying of Solomon:
"Tho wiso man forseoth tho ovil, and hldeth
himself, but tho foollBh pass on and aro
punlshod."
Lot mo gather up somo of tho scattorod
threads of the discussion to which tho dele
gates have Hstonod. I am not an export in any
part of th is conservation work. I confess that
I am ono who has been blind, during a part of
my lifo, to the needs that aro now so cloarly
recognized. I have had work that has engrossed
my attention; I havo boon busy, but not with
matters of conservation such as have been dis
cussed. Possibly I rop.resont some in tho
audienco who have not had heir attention
turned to those subjects. I am grateful to thoso
who havo brought mo into contact with this in
formation, and I shall endeavor to mako up for
lost time by largor effort along theso lines.
The subject has grown upon mo as I havo
examined into it, and havo listened to thoso who
have spoken upon different branches of It. Tho
first thing that claimed my attention was tho
preservation of tho forest. I found that wo
were exhausting our timber supply. I found
that it was a matter merely of calculation, a
simple matter of mathematics; that wo could
take the number of acres of timber land re
maining, subtract tho yearly cut, and calculato
how long it would bo before It was practically
destroyed, and then, whon on tho other side,
we examined tho amount of land planted in
trees and compare that with tho yearly destruc
tion, it was easy to see we wore approaching a
tlmo when our timber supply would bo, ex
hausted. I became Interested at once, as you
must be interested, In legislation that has for
its object not only tho protection of that timber
which remains, but tho replanting of such
ground as can be reforested. I am interested,
as you are, in protecting this country from ex
haustion of Its timber supply.
Then, my attention was next called to an
other reason why our timber should not bo
destroyed, and I am a little ashamed to admit
to you, that It is not very many years ago sinco
I first began to think of tho protection of our
water sheds. I wonder how many in this
audience have felt, until tonight, as indifferent
as I felt until a few years ago. I wonder how
many tonight realize how serious a question it
is. Two years ago last Juno I crossed the crest
of the Rockies, and as I wont over tho ridge, I
saw patches of timber, and then areas of naked
land, I found that wherever there was timber
there was snow; and when I camo near to theso
patches of timber, I found little streams running
down to make the brooks and rivers. But
wherever the timber was gone there was no
snow; It was perfectly dry, and then I realized
as I had not before, how God in his Infinite
wisdom has established these great reservoirs
that never need repair, while man In his folly
has been destroying them, and then endeavoring
to replace them by building great dams, and
forming great lakes that will in time fill up and
have to be abandoned. What supreme folly it Is
to allow the water sheds to be denuded and
these natural reservoirs destroyed, only to spend
money after a while to replace them with in
ferior substitutes. What does it mean to havo
a nation's water supply Imperilled? Have you
ever been in a city that was threatened with a
water famine? Havo you ever been where they
discussed the necessity of a larger water supply?
What would It mean to tho people living upon
the slopes of the Rockies If these water sheds
were destroyed and the rain of the winter ran
off, and left us with no reservoirs to supply our
surface streams and the veins from which we
draw through wells? When people tell me that
the water shed "question can safely be left to the
states in which these water sheds aTe, I tell
them that while I am glad to" give every reason
able presumption to the state, I Insist that the
people of this nation have, on the fundamental
doctrine of self preservation, tho right, when
necessary, to protect their water supply in the
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