Image provided by: University of Nebraska-Lincoln Libraries, Lincoln, NE
About Hesperian student / (Lincoln [Neb.]) 1872-1885 | View Entire Issue (May 1, 1889)
THE HESPERIA N. CURRENT COMMENT. The farce in which the two so called civilized nations, the United States and Germany, have been engaged in in Samoa should now end. The great storm at that island has fulfilled all the purposes of a war. A few ambitious officers can be promoted, a number of contractors can gorge them selves at the public treasury, a great deal of wealth has been destroyed, a number ol men have been killed, and we have numerous widows and orphans to pension at the public expense. The two Christian nations should now allow the speculators, who are fighting for the privilege of stealing the island, to settle their quarrel without the help of navies. There is much talk at the present time of the necessity of a labor party. Men profess to believe that the election to office of a member of some labor oiganization will right every social wrong. They sec no particular need of expert ence or knowledge, but insist that the officer must belong to a labor organization in order that the interests of the work ingman may be protected. Thay lose sight of the fact that every man who exerts himself, cither mentally or physi cally, to make the community cither richer or better is, in the truest sense a laboringman. They forget that it takes something more than good motives to run any govern ment; that ignorance will do as much mischief as dishonesty. A candidate's ideas arc of more importance than his ability to make brick and lead a prayer meeting, and the party who overlooks this fact cannot reform the community. The American people have always thought of the supply of public land as something without end. Besides giving a large slue to every settler they have allowed corporations and sp:culators to grab tracts capable of supporting an empire. The end seems to be nearly reached. In the Okla homa country may be seen the spectacle of a 100,000 men fighting for the possession of 1 3,000 claims. Land has become so scarce that men will go hundreds of miles for the privilege of getting possession of a sand patch. If all the Indian reservations were opened the land would be occupied and fenced inside of a year, liut all the land of the United States is not in use. The prospective settlers must travel past miles of virgin land. There is not a state in the union which has not unused land enough to supply" opportunities for labor to all its men. This is the question for the states men of the future. They must provide some way by which the idle men can be placed upon the unused land. They must put the men where they can utilize the opportunities. There is land enough if the laborers could but use it. By the, death of John Bright, the world loses one ho has done much for the cause ol human liberty. Bright entered parliament over forty years ago, and from that time until recently, he has been one of the liberal leaders. As one of the most brilliant ot the many brilliant supporters of the anti-corn law league he deserves to be honored with C'obdcn, Villiers and O'Connell. True christian that he was, John Bright was never so carried away by the claptrap of false patriotism or the glare and tinsel of the dress parade, as to lose sight of the fact that war is always a trial of brute strength, that it is destructive of wealth, life and human hap pincss. This hatred of war may be read in his burning denunciations of the Crimean war, and of the bombardment of Alexandria. Some American politicians, who have much to say about' a vigorous foreign policy, might do well to imi tate the peace loving Quaker. A true liberal, Bright had confi dence in the ability of the people to govern themselves, and favored every extension of the suffrage. His unswerving devotion to that which he considered right is shown by his course on the Irish question. He fought for Ireland when her friends were few and rendered invaluable services, yet he almost severed his connection with the party for which and with which he had fought for so many years because he thought its stand on this question to be wrong. Most Amer icans sympathize with Gladstone, yet they should honor John Bright for opposing him. The secret of the success of the Quaker statesman may be found in his lucid logic, his brilliant oratory, his devotion to principle, and his love of liberty. Although he became too conservative in his old age, he will long be remembered as the enemy ol oppression and the champion of justice. STRA Y PICK'- UPS. The studens Will remain To make arrangements To celebrate ! ! ! ! What's the matter with the meeting? What's the matter with Professor Hicks? The Nebraska winds do not seem to agree with battalion drill. Guy Gere put in an appearance among his friends las'l week. Miss Snell was compelled to go home for a few days rest last week. "To'fish or not to fish" was the question with the Seniors on Arbor day. The boom aditiou of the Alliance Argus quotes Fletcher as a nurseryman. Allen and his free trade lecture had a bout with Dr. Warner last week. The University cadet band accompanied the Odd FcHows to Beatrice, Friday. "The hind leg of a dog is better looking than that wheel." Captain Baughman. Some of the Seniors are likely to be killed off by that ter rible "Pol. Econ. exam." "V. U. Macaulcy who was a student last fall term, has joined the Oklahoma boomers. The singing in the chapel is worthy ol mention. It is all owing to the untiring zeal of Miss Cochran. Miss Atwood was unable to be at school several days last week, but we are glad to not that she is back again. Once it was anarchy for the students to skip chapel. Can't the faculty bear with the prayers of one another? G. L. Campcn returned from a surveying trip last week. He has accepted a position in the city engineer's office. Herbert Marsland enjoys himself now in taking "head eis" and various other things peculiar with a new bicycle. Query: Was it from the effects of tennis or Hesperian mucilage that Gerwig's shoes stuck so tightly last Saturday? Schell and C. E. Tinglcy can make more noise in a single game of football than Itanium's menagerie in a year's tour. Miss Belle Mauley has recovered from her recent 'J? ckness but we are trry to learn that she will not return to school this term.