THE IRRIGATION AGE 



375 



lawn with the breeze rustling the leaves 

 overhead, the sunlight flecking the shade, 

 and catches at the end of a charming 

 vista a glint of blue that tells of the great 

 inland sea beyond, knows that Chicago 

 has a charm and is never nearer nature's 

 heart of beauty, perhaps, than grimy, 

 historic London or gay, bewildering Paris. 

 The marvel of youth, energy and united 

 possibilities just hinted at in Chicago's 

 magnificent libraries and public insti- 

 tutions is one that never fails to attract 

 the attention of the traveler who knows 

 many lands and yet turns to Chicago and 

 perhaps, like Prof. Duncan, says: "I am 

 to stay six weeks. I fancy I should like to 

 stay almost forever. " 



In the Saturday Evening Post 

 A Quotation, of recent date appears an 



excellent editorial by Lynn 

 Roby Meekins on "Our Skulkers in Time 

 of Peace," to which all right minded 

 persons will say "Amen." In regard to 

 these "Skulkers," who neglect to vote 

 the writer says: 



"Already we hear from the citizen who 

 declares that he will not go to the trouble 

 to vote for the next President of the 

 United States. There is no use bothering 

 one's self, he said. The bosses run every- 

 thing and obey the behests of the trusts 

 and if the trusts don't win free silver will 

 ruin the country. He is sick of the whole 

 business, and he shows his superiority by 

 staying out of it. He is just too good to 

 mix in the affairs of ordinary people- 

 It is possible that one of his ancestors 

 gave his life that the right vote might be 

 established, and it is quite certain that he 

 is banking all he can in his social ambi- 

 tions upon the genealogy of this decent 

 member of his family. That he misses 

 the great thing, of course, is due to the 

 modern evolution which has lifted him 

 beyond the sentiments and duties of a 

 true man. 



"Of all the pusillanimous persons we 

 have in this country, those who decry the 

 ballot and boast of staying away from the 

 polls are the worst. Caddish millionaires 

 who expatriate themselves because they 

 do not like republican institutions have at 

 least the courage of their convictions. 



The little citizens who live under these 

 institutions, receive the benefits of them, 

 and owe their safety and prosperity to 

 their existence, and yet brag that they 

 will have nothing to do with the thing on 

 which the whole fabric of the Republic is 

 built, simply advertise their own lack of 

 the primary principles of manhood and 

 gratitude. 



"There never was a time when the 

 ballot of this country was so well guarded 

 as today. There never was a time when 

 a man's vote counted for as much as it 

 does this year. It is the proudest 

 privilege on earth. It is the power that 

 makes every American a sovereign. 

 Whether it be used for the right or for 

 the wrong it is in itself a potency incal- 

 cuable. Strange as it may seem, the 

 safety of the ballot in thee modern times 

 is largely mechanical. It is easy to vote 

 and safe to vote, and nobody but the voter 

 and his Maker need ever know for whom 

 the ballot was cast. In this campaign 

 particularly at the climax of the century 

 it should be the ambition of everybody 

 who is eligible to the franchises to cast 

 his vote in accordance with what he 

 believes to be for the right and for the 

 best interests of the greatest nation on 

 earth. 



"By all good and sound men the skulker 

 is least esteemed. On the battlefield he 

 is called a coward and there have been 

 many battlefields in order that the right 

 to vote might be maintained. Not less 

 important is the contest which is decided 

 by ballots, and not less cowardly is the 

 man who shirks his duty in peace than 

 the one who hides or runs in war. In 

 year of all others there should be a full 

 vote in every section of the laud. More 

 than a million young men who could not 

 vote in 1896 can vote next November. 

 Let every one of them do his duty. 



The long drought in the 

 At Last. northwest is at an end and it 



is reported that the crops are 

 making an excellent showing, and in 

 many places will be a full crop. The 

 lowest estimation is a half crop, but these 

 are few, and an average good yield is 

 expected. 



