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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Nov. 1, 1916)
tww1 s?('WW'l!V'4 . ,f The Commoner 22 ' V0L; 16, NO. 11 's-f.'rt ' says: bring tho groy hairs of a parent "in sorrow to tho gravo," or dovastato a nation, or with mur derous hand extinguish tho vital spark in a fel low being, neither can it, like a human being, minister to suffering mankind, nor scatter glad ,ness "o'er a smiling land," nor yet claim tho blessings promised in the Sermon on tho Mount. Only to man, made in tho Divine likeness, is givon tho priviloge of choosing betweon meas ureless success and immeasurable woo. (From address on Man.) A MOTHER'S WISH "We work in the real, but wo live in tho ideal," some one has said, and yet the Ideal is tho most real thing that we know, as all can testify. ' Ask the mother who holds in her arms her boy, what her ideal is concerning him and she will toll you that sho desires that his heart may ,1)0 so pure that it could be laid upon a pillow and not leavo a stain; that his ambition may be so holy that it could be whispered in an angel's oar, and that his life may be so clean that his mother, his sister, his wifo, his child, could read a record of its every thought and act without a blush. But ask her if she will require this per fection in her son boforo she sliowers her love upon him, and sho will answer "No." She will tell you that she will make him as good as sho can; that sho will follow his footsteps with a daily prayor; that in whatever land ho wanders her blessings will abide with him; and that whon ho dlos she'll hope, yes, .hope tliat tho world will bo hotter that he has lived. This is all that sho can do. All that any of us can do for ourselves or for others is tho best that op portunity and circumstances permit. (From Man.) MAN'S UNFINISHED WORK , Tho development of tho individual is never complete. Solomon describes tho path, of the .JuBt aB "Uko tho shin,lng light that shineth more and more unto tho perfect day," and Hol land, nuttine the same thouuht into verse. "JToavon is not gained by a single bound. Wo build tho ladder by which wo rise From tho lowly earth to tho vaulted skies, And mount to its summit round by round." So, with tho work of government and the work of civilization. Wo find an unfinished work when wo arrive; we leavo tho work un finished whon wo are called hence. Each day marks out our duty for us, and it is for us to idovoto ourselves to it, whatever it may be, with high, purpose and unfaltering courage. (From Man.) . THE SUCCESSFUL LIFE Whether we live to enjoy tho fruits of our efforts or lay down tho work before the victory is won, we know that every well-spoken Word has Its influence; that no good deed is ever lost. And wo know, also, that no ono can count his lifo on earth as Bpont in vain if, when he de parts, it can be said: THE NIGHT IS DARKER BECAUSE HIS LIGHT HAS GONE OUT; THE WORLD IS NOT SO WARM BECAUSE HIS HEART HAS GROWN COLD IN DEATH. ' (From Man.) undertakings, but, Hercules, it is tho path tlat "leads to immortality. If you would have people lovo you, you must servo thom; if you' w'ould have your state honor you, you must Jqnfer scmo great benefit upon your state." " (From A Conquering Nation.) MAN'S EARNING POWER Not only do I believe that a raancan earn five hundred million, but I believe that men have earned it. I believe that Thomas Jefferson earned' moro than five hundred millions. The service that he rendered to the world was of such great value that had ho collected for it five hundred millions of dollars, ho would not have been overpaid. I believe that Abraham Lin coln earned more than five hundred millions, and I could go back through history and give you the name of man after man who rendered a service so largo as to entitle him to collect moro than five hundred millions from society inventors, discoverers, and those who have launched great economic, educational and eth ical reforms. But if I presented a list containing the name of .every man, who, sinco timo began, earned such an enormouB sum, one thing- would be true of all of them, namely: That in not a single case did the man collect the full amount. THE MEN WHO HAVE EARNED FIVE HUNDRED MIL LION DOLLARS HAVE BEEN SO BUSY EARN ING IT THAT THEY HAVE NOT HAD TIME TO COLLECT IT; AND THE MEN WHO HAVE COLLECTED FIVE HUNDRED MILLIONS HAVE BEEN. SO BUSY COLLECTING IT THAT THEY HAVE NOT HAD TIME TO EARN IT. (From The Price of a Soul.) THE DEOEITFULNESS OF RICHES In that wonderful parable of the sower, Christ speaks of the seeds that fell where the thorns sprang up and choked them, and He himself ex plained what he meant by this illustration, namely: THAT THE CARES OF THIS WORLD AND THE DEOEITFULNESS OF RICHES CHOKE THE" TRUTH. If the great benefaotors of the race had been burdened with the care of big fortunes, they could not have devoted themselves to the nobler things that gave them a place in the affection of their people and in history. (From The Price of a Soul.) DEPENDENTLY RICH We speak of -people being independently rich. That is a mistake; they are dependently rich. The richer a man is the more dependent he is the moro .people he depends upon to help him collect his income, and the more people he de pends upon to help him spend his income. (From The Price of a Soul.) . SOCRATES ON SERVICE It always has been true; it is true today; it always will be true that ho is greatest who does the most good. But if there is any ono hero wno is not willing to accept Bible authority, I am glad that I can fortify this Scriptural quotation with, the testimony of tho greatest of heathen philosophers. In the conversations of Socrates I .find that he quotes from another Greek tho story of the choice of Hercules. The Btory runs like this: When Hercules waB a young man he went out to mediate upon his course in life, and as he meditated two maidens appeared to him. One, in gaudy attire, said: "Hercules, if you will follow the path that I point out, your life will be a lifo of ease. You will have no troubles, no -trials, no hardships; your whole timo will bo occupied in the selection of tf pod to eat and wine to drink." Hercules said to her: "What is your name?" and sho replied "My name is Pleasure, but my enemies call me vice." The other maiden gaid: "Hercules, I will not deceive you. If you follow tho path that I point out, your life will be full of 'Wardships, full' of trials, -full of great THE BURDEN OF WEALTH ' Jefferson did not collect all he earned;' in fact, he began public life well to do for a man of that period, and died poor impoverished by visits of those who called to tell him how much they loved him and how much they appreciated his work. Lincoln did not collect the full amount; neither Jefferson nor Lincoln . would have qared to collect five hundred million. What would either one have done with such a sum? Or, what is more important, what would five hundred millions of dollars have done with Jef ferson or Lincoln? (From The Price of a Soul.) ', . VAIN SEARCH FOR PEACE But what has been tho experience of those who have been eminently successful in finance? - They all tell the same story, viz., that they spent the first half of their lives trying to get money from others and the last half trying to keep others from getting their money, and that they found peace in neither half. (From The Prince of Peace.) WORLD NEEDS MEN MORE THAN MONEY What the world needs is not a few men of great wealth, doling out their money in antteE pation of death-what tho world needs is that these men should link themselves iu sympathetic ZQH With Reeling humanity an help to solve the problems of today, .instead of creating problems for the next generation to Jolve g (From The Price of a Soul.) "; j-thjb inGHER PLANE Gentlemen of tho Convention; You thlnir can injure me-,by passing this resolution (C demning my position on bimetalism) Ym .playing, in the basement of politics; 'therTtf9 higher plane. If I am wrong in the position t have taken, I shall fall, even though you cl mend me; but if I am right, as I bellCuE" I shall triumph yet, no matter how often 5 condemn me. ou (From speech at State Convention, 1893.) (Note. The next year we obtained control nf the" state convention: and continued in contrn of the party organization until 1916, whon tho wets won qontrol on the liquor question.) THE TRIUMPH OF THE TRUTH One can afford to be in a minority, but ha can not afford to be wrong; if he is in a minority and right, he will some day be in the majority If he is in the majority and wrong, he will some day be 1n tho minority. , ' (From The Price of a Soul.) LESSONS FROM GRAY'S ELEGY Mr. Connell: We now bring to a close this series of debates which was arranged by our committees. I am glad that we have been able to conduct these discussions in a courteous and, friendly manner. If I have, in any way of fended you in word or deed I offer apology and express regret, and as freely forgive. I desire to present to you in remembrance of these pleas ant meetings this little volume because it con tains "Gray's Elegy," in perusing which I trust you will find as much pleasure and profit as I have. It is one of the most beautiful and touching tributes to humble life that literature contains. Grand in its sentiment and sublime in its simplicity, we may Tjoth find in it a solace in victory or defeat. If success should crown your efforts in this campaign, and it should be your lot "Th applause of list'ning senates to command," and I am left "A youth to fortune and to fame unknown," forget not us who in the common walks of life perform our part, but in the hour of your tri umph recall the verse: "Let not ambition mock their useful toil, Their homely joys and destiny obscure; Nor gradeur hear, with a .disdainful smile, The short and simple annals of the poor." - If, on the other hand, by the verdict of ray countrymen, I shall be made-your successor, let it not be said of you: "And melancholy marked him for her own," .but find sweet consolation in the thought: "Full many a gem of purest ray serene, The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear; ., Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air." ... But whether the palm of viotory is given to . you or to me, let us remember those of whom the poet says: 'Far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife, Their sober wishes never learn'd to stray; Along the cool sequestr'd vale of life They kept the noiseless tenor of their way." These are the ones most likely to be forgot ten by the government. When the poor and the weak cry out for relief they, too, often here no answer "but "the echo of their cry," while the rich, the strong, the powerful are given an at tentive ear. For this reason is class legislation dangerous and deadly; it takes from those least able to lose and gives to those who are least in need. The safety of our farmers and our la borers is not.in special legislation, but in equal and just laws that bear alike on every man. The great . masses.- of our people are interested, not in getting their hands.? into; other people's pocketd, but in keeping .the hands of other peo ple out of their pockets. Let me in parting express the hope that you and I may be instrumental in bringing our gov ' eminent back to better laws which will give equal treatment without regard to creed or con dition. I bid you a friendly farewell. (From, speech delivered in 1890 in pre senting" a copy of Gray's Elegy to the op posing candidate for congress at the close of a series of debates.) fVlT. ' ' AGRICULTURE Before mentioning the modern improvements 'which; add-to ike comfort of. farm life, the agri-