Lyon County times. [volume] (Silver City, Nev.) 1874-1907, 1874-07-14
nE LONGS MARYSWLLE GRAFTON.
From the Virginia Evening Chronicle. ]

IFrom the Virginia Evening Chronicle.l
We publish below some extracts
from the oration delivered by Hon.
C. E. De Long in Marysville, Cali
fornia, on the 4th instant. Therein
it will be observed that Mr.. De Long
warns the people against the en-
croachments of accumulated wealth.
This effort, wholly consistent with
his entire political career in this
State. and in accord with the senti-
ments expressed in his recent card
to the people of Nevada, seems to be
powerleSs to convince certain sell
stvled Independent leaders that he
is not in fact candidate of or in col
lusion with, capitalists. Mr.. De
Long can afford to allow charges of
this nature to be made so long as no
proof of their truth is offered. His
record speaks for itself, and the eff
fort to put him in wrong light can
have but one purpose, viz: To de-
feat him, in order that modern
Crnsus NAV buy his way to the
United States Senate, and "become
a practical dictator by the influence
of wealth alone"
During the Grafton Mr.. De Long
said:
uOtber nations besides our own
have been free and great; yet they
have fallen to ruin and decay. Is it
not wise and proper that we should
consider the causes which led to
their overthrow, to the end that, ben
( citing ourselves by their experience,
= we may discover whether or not
: our liberties are being threatened by
: similar dangers?
>4C Prominent as examples, l may
, cite the rise and fall of the Hebrew,
{. the Grecian, the Roman, and Veni-
.. tian States.
,eUMoses, the greatest of ancient
law-Tivers, by the purity and SIM
plicity of his code, elevated nation
of slaS es to the front rank of the then
existing nations of the earth. The
aim OF his legislation seems to have
been to maintain liberty, equality
and vir tue among his people, by
first esta blishing the conviction that
the sour ce of power, under Divine
direction, was in the popular will.
His adm onitions, precepts and ex-
amples, all forbade luxurious tastes,
and the 1lespotic pduences of over
reaching wealth. That nation re-
tanned It's liberties for period of
over four hundred years; and lost
them by the encroachments of wealth
and provocative, which merged their
governnent- first into monarchy,
and FINELY led to its total disruption
and overthrow.
1.-THE Grecian Republics MAIN
tanned their liberties with their
poverty and simplicity OF taste, los
ing them, finally, when career of
conquests had begotten luxurious
habits and love of power.
Sparta, the last of all the Grecian
States to lose its liberties. seems to
have been for a season saved by the
wisdom and foresight of Lycurgus,
by whose legislation only iron was
allowed to be coined as money, and
the possession of any undue amount
of land by one person was forbid
den.
"The Roman government, based
upon the equality of men, achieved
its most glorious triumphs, knowing
no reverses or loss of liberty until
foreign couquests and the accumula-
ton of wealth sapped public virtue
and undermined its constitution and
its laws. Its evil days came when
Jugurtha could buy a Senate, and
Crosus could become practical
Dictator by the sheer influence OF
wealth alone.
"Venice, founded by refugees,
arose to be the proud mistress of the
Mediterranean and the queen of
commerce. A Golden Book was
kept in the Halls of the Doges,
within which was enrolled the
names Of those deserving men who.
: by their deeds in battle or by their
proficiency in the arts and sciences,
reflected great honors and bestowed
substantial advantages upon the
State. A stairway, known as the
Golden Staircase, led to the Legis-
lative Halls. None could ascend by
this passage except those whose
names were enrolled in the Golden
Book To be thus enrolled, to have
the proud privilege of ascending to
the Supreme Council Chamber by
this highly honored passage became
the chief ambition of her noble sons.
4 When, however, degenerate habits
paralyzed the virtues of the people,
when this coveted honor could be
purchased, then, as unworthy men
ascended that stairway, the power,
honor and glory of that State Went
down.
From these examples, then, we
learn the fact to be that the undue
accumulation of wealth in the hands
of few, begetting sinful and luxu-
rious taste in the minds of the
masses, has been the rock upon
which ships of State as proud and
powerful as our own have stranded
and gone down. The questions,
then, for us to consider, are simply
these: Are oar liberties threatened
4 by any similar causes? Is it true
Il that We have monetary deposits
arising among us? Is love of luxu-
81 ry among our people begetting sim
u full attempts to accumulate wealth,
thus undermining public virtue? If