rijtwfi lpt"H
The Commoner.
5
NOVEMBER 22,. 1912
ner stone of Robinson hall, the new annex to
Sibley Memorial hospital, at North Capitol and
Plerco streets.
The laying of the atone was done by Mrs.
George O. Robinson of Detroit, president of
Woman's Home Mission society of the Metho
dist Episcopal church of America, and in whoso
honor the building was named.
Those who attended the ceremony in the hope
of catching some gems of polltcal wit from tho
lips of tho "peerless, leader" were disappointed,
however, for he eschewed politics In his address,
and afterward refused to discuss any connection
he might have with the new order of things
that arose November 5.
His address was religious in trend, dealing
.with tho practical Christianity of today as
exemplified by the erection of tho now hospital,
and he explained his silence on matters political
by saying that "whenever he thought of politics
he had to laugh."
Following the ceremony of laying the corner
stone the crowd surged around tho Nebraskan,
and one and all, from dirty-faced youngsters,
old men, and women, to the nurser of tho hos
pital, wrung his hands until they must have
ached.
A band led the singing of sacred and national
airs. The exercises were opened by the invo
cation by Rev. Henry S. Prance, D. D. The
speaker of honor was 'lauded and then intro
duced by Bishop Earl Cranston, of the Metho
dist Episcopal church.
AT ARLINGTON
Abstract of Mr. Bryan's address at the laying
of the cornerstone of the Arlington confederate
monument:
After expressing appreciation of the honor
done him by the United Daughters of tho Con
federacy in extending him an invitation to par
ticipate in the exercises, he said:
It is appropriate that the erection of this
monument should be entrusted to tho United
Daughters of the Confederacy that splendid
organization which has called forth the energies
of the women of the south and brought them
into co-operation in the doing of so much for
the welfare of their section of the country.
"Woman last at tho cross and first at tho sepul
chre" holds undisputed sway on occasions like
this. Her ministrations invoke the sweet and
sacred memories that link us to a brilliant past,
while she points us to the brighter visions of
tho future.
It is fitting, too, that tho Daughters of the
Revolution should participate in theBe exercises,
for both north and south inherit from the
patriots of colonial days.
And it is entirely propor that the president of
the United States should welcome to the na
tional capital those who come upon so laudable
a mission as that which inspires the city's guests.
The north and south jointly conlributed to
the causes that produced the war between the
states. They Bhare together the responsibility
for the introduction of slavery; they bore to
gether the awful sacrifices that the conflict com
pelled and they inherit together the glories of
the struggle, written in bravery and devotion.
Enormous as was tho cost and bitter as were
the animosities that were aroused, charity and
forgiveness have sprung up like flowers from
tho battlefields and their fragrance will endure.
The capital city is the place for such a monu
ment and we must confess that it is not compli
mentary to us that its building has been so long
delayed. Sunshine and rain soon hid the scars
made ia the earth by bursting shells; the
stricken trees hastened to cover with new bark
the holes that bullets made, but the wounds
that were caused by burning words and the sor
rows that followed from the death of friends
did not so easily heal. But now a reunited coun
try is addressing Itself to the genial task of
stimulating the once estranged sections to
honorable rivalry in advancing the arts of peace.
In this throbbing heart of the nation's political
life the monument whose cornerstone we lay to
day will 3tand as a visible proof of the harmony
and concord that make our nation one.
It has occurred to me that the thought most
worthy to bo given supreme emphasis on this
occasion is the thought found in the ninth verso
of the sixteenth chapter of Proverbs: "A man's
heart deviseth his way; but the Lord directeth
his steps."
In individual life and in the history of na
tions we have constant proof of an overruling
Providence continuing evidence that the plans
of men ar thwarted for their good. It Is in
recognition of this that even in the intensity of
our earnestness we, conscious of our own short
sightedness, pray: "Thy will be done. Man
seeks for light and follows the way which to
him BeemB right, but over mindful of tho limita
tions of human understanding. Is grateful that
there is Ono who is wiser than hp Ono In
whoso hands are tho destinies of nations as well
as tho happiness of individuals.
Tho Bible passage which I have quoted Is
offered for your consideration on this occasion
because the civil war which these exorcises re
call furnishes us a supreme Illustration of Je
hovah's dealings with man. A great issue arose
among tho people of a great nation; passion
was engendered and anger clouded the minds
of disputants Finally the cause was submitted
to tho arbitrlmont of tho sword. Soldiers wero
enlisted and a brave people, dividing into hostile
armies, offered their lives in support of their
convictions. Praying to tho same God, they
sought strength and wisdom with which to dis
charge the duties that foil to their generation.
Each side had Its conception of a future for our
country and each planned as best it could to
realize that conception. Then followed a four
years' war filled with a multitude of events, few
of which could be forseen and each ono freighted
with an Importance that no ono could at tho
time measure. And out of It all has como a
result that no ono could calculate. History
furnishes no parallel; thero Is nothing with
which to compare the remarkable experience
through which our nation passed. Behold a na
tion "an indissoluble union of Indestructible
states" setting "the world an example In tho
solution of problems as weighty as ever pressed
for consideration a nation in which tho sec
tions, with affection unabated for those who
wore tho colors of tho respective armies, now
mingle their sorrow for those who fell and their
regard for those who survive.
On tho summit of the Andes, whore Argen
tina and Chile meet, the representatives of the
two countries have placed a bronzo statue of
Christ. It is an heroic figure and represents tho
Prince of Peace, one hand holding aloft the
cross, the other stretched forth as If Invoking
a benediction. Around It are the snow-clad
peaks of that lofty mountain "ange. It em
bodies a sublime sentiment and tho monument
is, in itself, a pledge of perpetual peace between
the nations. So let this monument bo emble
matic of our nation's unity of aim and purpose.
Standing on the line that onco separated two
unfriendly sections it becomes a bond of union,
and, '-reathlng the spirit of Him who laid the
foundations of an universal brotherhood, It will
be to the country a promise of never-ending
good-will.
THE NOBEL PRIZES
Tho Nobel prizes wore founded by Alfred
Nobel, a Swedish engineer and inventor of high
explosives, who acquired great wealth and died
In 1896. In his will ho directed that tho In
come of property worth nine million dollars
should be divided each year into five prizes
in physics, chemistry, physiology or medicine,
literature, and work toward the establishment
of peace. His purpose was "to compensate those
who in tho previous year have been most useful
to humanity," regardless of their nationality. It
is computed that the value of each prize Is
$39,000. The prizes have been awarded annu
ally since 1901, when Bohrlng received the prize
in medicine for his discovery of diphtheria anti
toxin. Previous to this year two Americans
havo received prizes, A. A. Mlchelson of tho
University of Chicago in physics, and Theodore
Roosevelt for his efforts to establish peace be
tween Japan and Russia. This year for the
first time the prize in medicine comes to this
country.
Alexis Carrel, who brings this honor to Ameri
can medicine, was born in France in 1873 and
graduated as doctor of medicine from the Uni
versity of Lyons in 1900. Shortly afterward
ho came to this country and worked for a year
or two in the physiologic laboratory of tho Uni
versity of Chicago, where he accomplished re
markable results In the suture of blood-vessels,
and began his work on tho transplantation of
organs. Soon after the opening of tho Rocke
feller Institute of Medical Research in New York
he Joined its staff, and it is there that he has
done the work for which he now receives tho
Nobel prize. This work has attracted wido
notice. The results be has obtained in experi
mental surgery more particularly in the sur
gery of blood-vessels and in the transplantation
of organs and of limbs, are characterized by the
Journal of the American Medical association as
nothing less than sensational; they show a mar
velous technical skill, perseverance and scientific
ingenuity, while at the same time indicating pos
sibilities of surgery heretofre undreamed of.
Doctor Carrol's rocont oxplolt In tho cultlvatio
of tissues outsido of tho body, says tho publi
cation referred to, promises now knowlodgo of
biologic and physiologic processes.
A few days ago tho Evening Wisconsin, Hpoak
Ing of tho celebration of tho Emporor William's
silver Jublleo next yoar, romarkod that thcra
were hopes In Borlin that ho would rocotvo the
Nobol poaco prlzo "from tho International com
mlttoo." Tho roforenco to tho International
commlttco was a slip of a Borlin correspondent
which was not noticed at tho timo, but to which
attention has boon called by n reatlor. Thoro
have boon suggestions from French sources that
tho poaco prlzo should bo awarded by an Inter
national committee, but thoy havo not boon for
mally licodod. It is awardod by tho commlttoo
of five porBons elected by tho Norwegian Storth
ing. Milwaukeo Evening Wisconsin.
THANKSGIVING
President Taft's first notable public act after
tho election In which ho was defeated was tho
Issuance of his Thanksgiving proclamation.
Among tho reasons which ho gives why tho In
habitants of this fortunate land should be
thankful is that wo aro "strong In tho stead
fast conservation of tho horitago of self-government
bequeathed to us by tho wisdom of our
fathers, and firm to transmit that horitago un
impaired, but rather improved by good use, to
our children and our children's children for all
time to como."
Tho proclamation of President Taft, which
was printed In full In tho Wisconsin, Is dignified
In conception and languago and slncero In tone.
In connection with tho subject of Thanksgiv
ing it Is worthy of note that thoro was no
Thanksgiving proclamation issued by a presi
dent between that of Madison in 1815, after
tho closo of tho second war with England, and
that of Lincoln in 18G2. President Lincoln's
first Thanksgiving proclamation was issuod
early in the civil war, at a time when after a
Bcrles of reverses light had begun to shlno on tho
offort to rcBtoro tho union. It boro date of tho
10th of April, and named no particular day for
tho thanksgiving. This proclamation was as
follows:
"It has pleased Almighty God to vouchsafo
signal victories to the land and naval forces
engaged In Internal robclllon and at tho same
time to avert from our country tho dangers of
foreign intervention and Invasion. It is there
fore recommended to tho people of the United
States that at their weekly assemblages in their
accustomed placos of worship which shall occur
after notlco of this proclamation shall havo boon
received, they especially acknowledge and ren
der thanks to our Heavenly Father for thoso
inestimable blessings, that they then and there
implore spiritual consolation In behalf of all
who havo been brought Into affliction by the
casualties and calamities of sedition and civil
war, and that they reverently invoko the divine
guidance for our national counsels, to tho end
that thoy may speedily result in tho restora
tion of poaco, harmony and unity throughout
our borders and hasten the establishment of fra
ternal relations among all tho countries of the
earth."
It was In 18G3 that President Lincoln issued
his proclamation recommending the national
observance of Thanksgiving day in November.
Since that time such proclamations have boon
issued annually by tho successive Incumbents of
tho presidential office, and custom has settled
upon tho last Thursday In November as Thanks
giving day. Milwaukeo Evening Wisconsin.
THE FIRING LINE
For glory? For good? For fortune or for fame?
Why, ho for tho front, where the battle Is on!
Leave the rear to tho dolt, tho lazy, tho lamo;
Go forward as ever the valiant have gone;
Whether newsboy or plowboy, cowboy or in
mine,
Go forward right on to the firing line.
Whether newsboy or plowboy, cowboy or clerk,
Right forward, be ready, bo steady, bo first;
Be fairest, be bravest, bo best at your work;
Exult and be glad; dare to hungor, to thirat,
As David, as Alfred let dogs skulk and whine
There is room but for men on the firing line.
Aye, the place to fight and the place to fall
As fall wo must all in God's good time
It is where the manliest man is the wall,
Where boys aro as men in their pride and prime.
Where glory gleams brightest, where brightest
eyes shine,
Far out on the roaring red firing line.
Joaquin Miller.
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