.. y. f f . - ' ' ' tB
THE HESPERIAN.
indifference, that even genuine pain would be sweet boon.
He rejoices in the thought that it may even yet he a possibility
for him to suffer. Well he knows there arc no plums, yet he
grasps the thistle, his recklessness overpowers one.
He pricked his fingers .very much
Which made poor Simon whistle.
This passage is a masterpiece, it has no parallel in literature.
With Simon the game is played, is lost. For an entire life
time he has sought truth, he has found thistledown. Then
across the barren fields of thistles and of sand hurts rang the
defiance of that untamed spirit, that last whistle, at once a
satire and a dirge, mournful, mocking, maddening, l.ehmcr
csque. And Child Simon to the dark tower came.
CURRENT COMMENT.
About the middle of May President Harrison ended his
tour of the southern and western states. In a trip of over
10,000 miles, the longest ever taken in the United States by
any president, the originally scheduled program was followed
throughout and not an accident happened anywhere to mar
the pleasure of the party. President Harrison is the first
president to make an extruded trip through the wild, but
vigorous and energetic west and northwest. From his tour
he has undoubtedly gained a much better appreciation of
the needs and demands of the great west. Being himself a
western man, this will be all the more likely to influence him
in some practical way to the mutual advantage of himself
and the west. Our president was every wheic enthusiastically
received with all the respect due the chief magistrate of the
greatest natiion of modern history. In his 140 short speeches,
the president showed his usual amount of common sense
with which he seems splendidly gifted. Everywhere the
speech was suited to the occasion. It is true the president
spoke much on the tariff and on subsidies, and possibly this
made him appear to he campaigning. Vet it was quite
excusable when one remembers tnat the tariff and subsidies
arc two subjects that most vitally concern the west. More
over the president must have something to talk about. Why
should not then, the president speak' upon .natters which
were of interest and importance, and in regard to which he
had his honest convictions? Honest convictions must always
be respected by honorable people. How silly indeed would
the speeches of the president have seemed if he had given
his hearers only "taffy" each lime. To a foreigner, no doubt
the most interesting and remarkable feature of the whole
tour, was the spectacle of the chief magistrate of a nation
travelling without military escort in a comparatively new and
undeveloped portion of the country It was indeed a sight
for every American to be proud of. What a commentary
upon the highly developed civilization of the nations of
Europe! Rude, uncultivated, lacking in polish and in refine
ment, corrupt and degraded in many practices and customs,
our country may be; yet in all rugged and manly virtue and
honor our beloved country far outshines any foreign country.
The greatest curiosity in the political ring at present is
the new-born party, the "people's1 party so called. The ques
tion just now, however, is not what is it, but what will it be?
If the politicians could only determine now what this new
party will be in 1892, matters, you see, would be greatly
simplified. At this stage of the contest, the noble, patriotic
politicians of the old parties arc considerably troubled in
spirit. To the truth of this, let the derisive sneers of the
party papers bear witness. It is an infallible sign, that when
the partisan press derides some new movement in politics,
the sleep of the care-worn politicians has been broken by
nightmare. In the present case, even the doughty politi
ticians of.thc hitherto much abused third party arc at a loss
as to what the outcome will he. As a rule, they believe this
new movement will work them well in so far as it sundets
old party tics. But in such a case, will not this young prod
gy move right on, using the advantages gained for its advance
ment? These doughty politicians almost against hope think
not. Truly the campaign of 1892 will be a momentously
nvxed one. It will outrival even the famous campaign
of last year in this slate. As one views the advent of this
new party into national politics, the question naturally comes,
has this arisen for no good reason? Our far-sighted party
papers all say that the movement is only the outgiowth of
the discontent arising from bad crops for a year or so, and
that it is led by men of no note, by unthrifty demagogues.
If the fust accusation be true, then how comes it that the
uprising extends the whole country over? The crops have
not failed but in the western states. The only tiuth in the
accusation is this, that it took a bad year to show the laimeis
how poorly they were off, and how little they had laid up.
After so many prosperous ycais, so far as crops go, they weie
unable to tide over one bad year without absolute Mtflciiug.
It was the realization of this fact (and from this more also)
that brought the farmers to a charge bayonets. As to the
second charge that the leaders aie unthiifty and little known
demagogues, it is quite enough to say that this is the charge
brought against the leader in every reform. Yet undoubt
edly those "demagogues" would grant that they were
unthrifty if by that is meant unsuccessful, and would sny
further that that is just what they so strongly objected to.
As regards these "demagogues" being little known, it vould
be well to remember there is in this nation a mighty rescivc
force of men such as the late Chief Justice Waite whom only
circumstances of the greatest importance and of the most
urgent necessity draw out into prominence. Some obscrvcis
of political events declare that the present movement closely
icsembles the know-nothing movement of ante helium days.
These observers say that the "people's" party is a class party
advocating class measures, as did the know-nothing party,
and that the movement is destined to as speedy a rise and
fall. Possibly the observer speak wisely. Certainly the
analogy they point out is close. But whatever else happens,
whether the people's party soon collapses, whether the pro
hibition party joins then with it a new patty, or whether
neither of these parties attains success, this much seems
bound to come to pass: one or both old parties will be dis
uipted; several now so called national issues will be icl
egatcd to their proper ranks, and the underlying principles
of the people's movement will and must cimc into prom
inence as great national issues to be settled and settled right.
EXCHANGE.
We wonder if Solomon was looking over a great heap of
exchanges when he exclaimed, "There is nothing new under
the sun." Ex
Inter-fratenity base ball clubs have been formed at
De Pauw from which the university nine will be selected.
Best possible way of killing base ball. DePauw Ex.
The contest number of The Delphic is a model of neat
ness and proficiency. Nearly four pages are devoted to an
account of the convention, banquet and reception, contest,
and markings of the judges. Then each oiation is printed
in full, and accompanied by a portrait of the orator. This
edition has cost considerable money, and required much time
to prepare it, but from its appearance we have no doubt that
'i.
it has amply repaid its manager.
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