Oakfield High School - Oak Leaves Yearbook (Oakfield, WI)

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OUR NATION’S IDOLS. An Idol is something which is adored; a nation’s Idol is someone who is adored by the nation. The greatest of America’s Idols are her greatest men. They have become Idols not only because of the service which they have rendered to their nation but because of the spirit in which they rendered these services and thru their high, noble, truthful and unselfish characters have secured a place in the hearts of the people. Among our nation’s many idols, may we not class George Washington, Daniel Webster, Abraham Lincoln, and William McKinley as the greatest of all' Let us now examine the lives of these men in order to ascertain the causes which have made them national idols. George Washington spent the early part of his life at Mt. Vernon, and the latter in the army and in public service. As his father was a prosperous farmer George received the best education which the times could offer. He became familiar with surveying and acquainted himself with the Indians who taught him the secret of winning their confidence. He knew in times of negotiation what to reveal and what to secret thus making him a powerful factor in settlement of Indian disputes. Owing to the confidence of the Indians in him and to their knowledge of his spirit of justice he is the only white man having the distinction of being admitted to the Indian Heaven. His wisdom and knowledge of Indian warfare saved the entire British army from annihilation in Braddock’s defeat at the hands of the Indians. Altho Washington was hardly well enough to sit in his saddle he rode about the field, delivering and endeavoring to enforce the orders of his deluded Superior. There was perhaps essential truth in the eloquence with which the Indian chief later described him. It was on the day, when the whiteman’s blood mixed with the. streams of our forest, that I first beheld this chief. I called to my braves and said, Mark yon tall and daring warrior, lb is not of the redcoat tribe, he hath an Indian’s wisdom, and his warriors light as we do,—himself, alone is exposed, quick, let your aim be certain and he dies.’ Our rifles were levelled, rifles, which but for him knew not how to miss—’twas all in vain, a power mightier far than we, shielded him from harm. He cannot die in battle. His experiences in this war were a long step forward in his career and when the colonies resisted British oppression everyone looked to W ashington for leadership and guidance in the approaching struggle of war. Altho in the second Continental Congress sat many men whose names have become immortal, there were none whose prestige was equal to that of Washington in spite of the desire of many of their own members for fame. I hey fortunately recognized the great necessity of Washington’s services and of all the steps this Congress took, none was more fortunate than the appointment of George Washington as the commander of the American army assembled at Cambridge. M it! 1 mt great events Washington would not have become famous blithe possessed the power of making events great by his ability in meeting them. I ims at the close of eight long years of tedious warfare lu led his small armies to victory, defeating one of the greatest nations in history.

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of society have worse than murdered them. What will citizens of this kind do for our nation ? What can they do? There are many difficulties to he met in the attempt to emancipate child slaves. In order that this can be done, cases of poverty must be provided for, and local societies must he encouraged to raise and administer scholarship funds given as a pension to the child under the legal age, who must assist in the support of the family. The question of child labor is not a state affair but a national one. The reason why the states will not deal with it, is because they are controlled by these great and powerful manufacturing and mining interests which are the very ones who are responsible for the very existence of the evil. It would be useless for one state to have a good child labor law unless every other state had an equally good law; because the manufacturers and mine owners in the states where there were no laws would have a great business advantage over the manufacturers of a state where this law was enforced. One of the most important aids in stamping out this great evil is in arousing public sentiment. If we could only touch the hearts of the people! In any large city you may see a woman beautifully and richly dressed and in her arms cuddled up safe and warm an aristocratic, beribboned dog. But near by you may notice a little newsboy with ragged clothes Muttering in the cold, fierce wind; worn shoes, thru which show his little naked feet, asking for help. But she turns away, not even noticing him as her whole attention is devoted to the dog. This is only one of a thousand such examples. In the large cities, hundreds of children fall fainting in the streets from starvation while dogs are fed and cared for with a tender solicitude, which these little ones never knew. The future of this nation depends upon the citizenship of the generations to come; the children of to-day are those who later will shape the destiny of our land, and we cannot afford to neglect them. “How long, we say, how long, O cruel nation, Will you stand to move the world on a child’s heart,— Stifle down with a nailed heel its palpitation, And tread onward to your throne amid the mart? Our blood splashes upward, () goldheaper, And your purple shows your path! But the child’s sob in the silence curses deeper Than the strong man in wrath!” —Guli Orvis.

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Again we find Washington, in 1789, founding the new government and laying the cornerstone of a great nation. lie has thus in the hearts of of his people been first in war, first in peace, and first among their many beloved idols. It was once said of him, “His life is the most valuable in America. There never was a man that might be more safely trusted nor a time when there was a louder call.” Shelly wrote, “As a warrior and statesman, he was righteous in all he did, unlike all who lived before or since; he never used his power but for the benefit of his fellow creatures. A man was needed who possessed a commanding power over the popular passions but over whom those possessions had no power. That man was Washington.” It would be useless to dwell upon the traits of character which made George Washington a national benefactor and a national idol. But because of the wisdom which he showed in the cabinet, valor in the field, and patriotism in both, he has been called the first and greatest pilot. There are three scenes in Daniel Webster’s life which mark three stages in his wonderful career. First, his father’s moans were limited. The narrow circumstances seemed to restrict his boyish ambitions to the humblest walk of life. However his father was determined that his boy should have an education. Webster’s school days were days of privation and yet he made great advance in acquiring knowledge, and was considered the quickest boy in school. He had a very good memory, learned many verses from the Bible and even learned the Constitution from a handkerchief. He attended Dartmouth College, graduated in 1801, and became a teacher. His dignity, even temper, and firmness commanded the respect of his pupils. Second, while a United States senator from Massachusetts, he heroically defended his New England from the attacks of Senator Hayne of South Carolina. It was here that he rendered his greatest services that can never be forgotten and which made him a national benefactor. It was here that he grandly stood forth as a parliamentary orator, a master of eloquence. This was the period of Webster’s greatest popularity as the defender of Northern industries which made him the idol of the merchants and manufacturers of New England. At this point, when he combatted secession and defended the Union, delaring, “It is one, and to be forever united in all its parts,” doubtless culminated the fame and intellectual power of Daniel Webster. Third, in 1852 Webster now quite an old man, crippled by an accident, stood on the rostrum of Faneuil Hall in Boston. He had not long since lost a part of his great popularity, in consequence of the course he had taken upon the slavery question and many of his former friends had fallen away. How fitting are the words of Whittier in showing his status in the declining years of his life. “All else is gone; from those great eyes The soul has fied! When faith is lost, when honor dies, The man is dead.”