Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1863-10-15

mulateO, Dut Is USED rather IN beautlfy1ng
life and extending the area and productive
ness of cultivated ground than in speculative
channels where it tends to create a belief in
| its own superiority, and often makes its sue.
| cessful votaries look with naughty eve upon
| the toiling millions. Of all the aristocracies
| in the world, the pseudo-aristocracy of money
| has least intrinsic merit, and is the most con
| temptible. Refinement of manners, educa-
| ton and intelligence is often found in aristo-
cratic classes that are recognized by the laws
of despotic or monarchial g1vernments but
| in the would -aristocracy Of money where
a mans value is measured only by the amount
| of dollars in his possession, we find no such
redeeming features vulgarity and ignorance,
doubly repulsive and more apparent because
bedecked with gold, are its distinctive marks.
He who despises honest labor, because by in
heritance, fortune or accident, means suffi-
Gent have been placed in his hands to supply
his wants, without contributing himself to his
own existence, deserves our contempt; so
long, however, as he does not attempt to use
his wealth in oppression of his fellow men,
we may we'll pass him by with a smile. But
there is another and more dangerous class,
who believe in nothing but the power Of mon
e. and who strive to rule mankind by it for
their own selfish and ambitious ends; they
endeavor to exemplify the doctrine of ''orig-
inal SIM" by building their hopes and found
ing their plans upon the venality and corrup-
ton of the human race. These are often men
of wealth, mostly of ill-gotten wealth, whose
avarice or ambition prompts them to use it
for the attainment of political power. Closely
allied with them, often their tools, some
times their masters, are the INSCRIPTIONS
demagogues, who, with glib tongue, feigning
zeal and honesty in popular cause, endeay-
or to ride into Office and power by fattery and
deception. They know no scruples of con-
science and no honesty in politics success,
no matter how, or by what crooked and
shameful means obtained, is all they look to
and strive for. Loyola's famous doctrine that
the end sanctifes the means is the Alpha and
Omega of their political faith. Intrigue and
deceit is the native element Of the true dem
ogogue he attaches himself to political
party, not because of the principles it repre-
sents, but because of the spoils of office and
position which he seeks to obtain through its
machinery. In his view, political preferment
must be earned by political chicanery and
tayOritism, and not by an honest and faithful
discharge of duty. The political history of
this country, and particularly that of some of
the larger eastern cities, presents unfortunate
~ many striking examples of this kind. 1t is
in these cities especially that such men have
found favorable field for their operations.
partly on account Of the apathy of large
portion of its citizens who are so much en-
crossed with their own private pursuits that
they take little or no part in political discus
sIOns and actions, partly Oh account of the
large intermiXture of the baser elements of
mankind, who always congregate more extern
sively in larger places. The purer, healthier,
more watchtul population Of the agricultural
districts are not so easily duped; they are
more jealous of their political rights, and
generally exhibit more interest in the exercise
thereof; when once they have liscerned the
true character Of demagogue or deceitful
politician, he will find no favor in their eyes,
and though party interests and higher consid-
erations even may uphold him for time,
they viii disavow him in the end. Thus it is
that true democratic and republican govern
ment has its strongest foundation in the love
of freedom and liberty, intelligence and indie
pendence of the rural population. Far be it
from me to deny these attributes to the in
habitants OF cities and towns am speaking
i'll collective, not in an individual sense.
Civilization demands the existence of large
cities as it does the cultivation of the ground;
they have their advantages and merits as well
and bad, honest and dishonest, honorable and
dishonorable, patriotic and unpatriotic men
are found in all walks of life in the crowded
streets and tenementS of a city, in the more
quiet and retired houses of smaller towns and
villages in the solitary homes of the farmer
and even upon the deep blue waters of the
ocean that is here and there furrowed by a
swiftly gliding keel in the lowly hut, and
in the richly furnished palace But the world
over, and in all ages, a marked difference has
existed does now and will continue to exist
between the character, collectively speak
ing, and the manners of the city and the
country people, produced by a different mode
of life, different pursuits, and different cir
cumStanceS surrounding, and tending to form
the character of man. Probably this distinc-
ton is less marked in our country than in
Europe, but to-day its existence would be
folly Perhaps the quick-beating pulse and
more easily affected nerves of large city
population are as necessary to the existence
of healthy body polite as the more thought
full, quiet and steady character of the rural
DISTRICTS but | would rather trust the exis-
tence of the republic to purely agricultural
people, than to Il conglomeration Of large and
over-crowded cities, living on manufactures
and commerce. The history of France pre-
Paris is France" has often been said and
truly said; it rules France; the peasantry of
France is far behind the city population in
intelligence and education; whatever the
people of Paris have undertaken, the prov
inces have soon submitted to- Twice have
the people Of that country established re-
public after bloody revolution, by which they
destroyed the existing order of things and
drove their mOnarchS and ariStocracy into ex-
lie but they have each time, after a brief
period of trial, signaly failed to maintain a
republican government, and have permitted
ambitious men soon to dethrone the goddess
of liberty and press the imperial crown upon
their own temples. 1t is not difficult to ac-
count for the peculiar versatility of this re-
markable nation, who are SO prolific in ingen-
ious theories of free government and the
rights of man, which they seem to be utterly
unable to maintain in practice; whose mighty
shouts for freedom, equality, and universal
brotherhood" that to-day hurl their own mon
archs from power, make the thrones of Eu-
rope shake and tremble, and consecrate the
birth of a new republic as the exponent of
their long-sought for liberty and freedom, are
followed tomorrow by the equally ardent
shouts of 'sVive Empereurr' The half
tanned hon breaks his cage, shakes his name.
deyours his master, roams about in his newly
won but unaccustomed freedom for few DAYS,
and them under the iron grasp of new mas
ter, docile and cowed, he returns to his old
prison whose iron bars are freshly and more
strongly forged. paris is France" solves the
enigma The people of that great metropolis
have never been educated in the art of self
government, and have not patience and sta
bility sufficn:.t to learn it. They know
not that true political freedom can only be
maintained by constant watchfulness. ''Eter-