The Red Cloud chief., 1875-07-08

who think alike Tor the eccossPiisn-
inent Of what they con ider the pubic
good. |; is the action OF principles up
on intelligence, having Tor ITS Object
the governssens OF the eopsiry. Par
ives 10 this country are the trees OF
knowledge. and n,en are IS leaves &c
its branches. Shall the tree perish
because the leaves wither beneath cJr-
rupting wlnd.Y No. perish the leaves.
but live the good old oak etein ,ily,
if it will, while states flourish beneath
lis shadow. 10 day We meet not as
partILans, but a. citizens: not a. poll
ticiaus but rs Americans,-hayIDg bat
one platform. the constitution anu the
laws but one altar. that OF the
,ry's good . but one guide. that Of uo-
selfish patriotism ; but one boat. AID
that Of yon flag that aoa,s 50 proudly
in the winds exulting IN its freedom.
FELLOW CITIZENS: A few words
upon n second proposition, and | a,n
done. IL is this, that there Is q lack OF
patriotic public spirit on the part Of
the people In the matter Of politics. as
witness the Credit Nobiiier, the Sal
AIRY Grab, the Pacific Mail Robbery,
and the general subsidy legislation.
The danger Of the Iy,h century Is
from within aud not without. Aud
that danger will arise FROM this, the
unpatriotic indifference Of the people,
their lack Of appreciation OF the rs!a-
ton 10 which they stand 10 the general
government, and a want Of public
spirit in the matter Of giving the right
direction to the incipient forces which
c0l@inatc in the state and national
governments. The caucus governs
the republic. and the nation instead of
being ruled by ten millions Of voter, is
ruled by less than one. This simply
means that the government instead OF
rejecting in its legislation the honesty
and wisdom Of its ten millions Of vO-
tiers, reflects more likely the dishonesty
and Gn-nis4iom Of the perhaps two
hundred thousands managers Of the
caucLses and conventions, county,
state, and national A few years ago
the South introduced US to King Cot
ton. Still a few years, and the farm
ers introduced Us to King Corn, and
now Congress and the subsidy lobbyists
have introduced US to King Caucus !;
aud Judging Of the works of this ques-
tionablc monarch, it becomes Us to be
alive to our duty. Who that is con
vrrsant with the legislation OF the last
few years does nut agree with me
when | say that Indifference to any
necessary part of our political machin
cry is a crime? We have a right to do
as We please, you say, go to or stay
from the caucus aud election. You
have q right to do as You please only
this far. You can burn yeur house.
provided it tands where its burning
will not injure the property of others.
But fit stands in the streets Of your
town, you cannot destroy it without
committing a crime. So you have a
right to neglect your duties as a citi-
zen, providing you know it will not
lmperil my rights, or the rights Of the
forty million others equally interested
with you in good government, and not
only them, but the one hundred mill
ions that will come before the neces-
sity for good laws will die. Gentlemen,
you talk Of compulsory education. We
do not need compulsory education half
so much as We need compulsory vot-
ing, and not compulsory voting at the
elections, but ut the caucuses. For
nine time. out Of ten an erroneous step
taken by the caucus o. convention is
never remcdied. You talk of women
voting. Don't talk of that, until the
e have nerve and public spirit
enough to turn out. In some places
IL is popular to sneer at politics, anu
de!ile the caucus as corrupt. If cor
rupt, what is the duty? Is corruption
cured by sEeers and curses. Where
the rassals are is the place for men to
go. The men who sneer at politics are
they who lie and sun themselves in
the glorious light, which honest men
have wrenched from the angry fates,
by the force Of the bullet and the bal
lot. The caucus is the cradle of our
laws. FROM it 90 forth the infant
forces, which when mlturcd become
the governing forces. Whoever sneers
at the caucus, would. | suppose, sheer
at a baby. exclaiming, what is the
good Of dirty baby? 1t is this good,
that it may become a man, with patri-
otism and eloIue nee enough to well
supplaut the fools who dare not touch
the fundamental forces Of u govern
ment for fear Of defilcment. This is
not a question Of choice. The duty is
enforced. we must govern or go un-
governed. The government is shat
VIC make it, and We are what we make
ourselves; as we are, must it be. The
government by less than a majority is
M government. But so are we gov
erned through the fact, that as a rule,
one out Of hundred attends the eau.
Gus. The nation needs q political re-
yival, and all Of US need conversion.
Forty millions governed by less than
one million tells of thirty-nine millions
asleep upon their arms, while the bat
tie of the world rolls before them.
This is whether we will it or not, a
government Of the people, for the peo-
pie aud by the people. And whoever
feeling the danger denies the appeal
which the facts make for q better de-.
votion to the practical duties Of citi-
zenship is one who deserts the line 10
the face Of the enemy. The future
will be worthy Of the past if We are
worthy of the present. The pivot up
on which eternity wheels is this hour;
and whether concord or discord shall
mark the epochs Of the nation turns
upon the ability and patriotism with
which the citizens of this day, dis
charge the all embracing duties of this
hour. Humbly though it be, we are
acting in al audience Of ages. Those
past are present IN history, those to
come are before US in our children and
hopes. Gentlemen, you plough deep
and SOW carefully. You watch with
prayerful solicitude for the rain, (aud
=. H. ~o.cs-r a.. <bo rr.-hn,oa.