Daily Republican., 1883-09-18
SEN. BAYARD'S SPEECH.
DELIVERED YEATERDA 7 AT THE
OPENING OF THE GERMAN
VOLKS.F EST.


DELIVERED YEsTERDAY 7 AT Tlil
OPENING OF THE GERMAN
VOLKs.F EST.
Ladies and Gentleinen-My Friends
and Fellow Citizens The pleasing
duty has been assigned to me by the
committee having charge of this festi-
val to speak words of general welcome
TO you all, and In their name l express
their hearty satisfaction At this assem-
blage of 30 many of those citizeus wh'
so fully and fairly represent the intel
ligence and productive industries of oul
community. The presence OF our hon
Ored Governor, and the Secretary OF
State, and many worthy friends from
beyond our borders is a matter of hear
ty congratulation to US all.
This is the first celebration in Della
ware of the VOlks-fsst, and trust Is bu
the inauguration Of the annual Gus
tom.
The Volks-fe IL, and is intended to be
in its simplest and fullest sense, the
peoples meeting and the peoples
greeting-not an ordinary verein or as
sociation-but gathering of all the
callings and occupations Of the people
mechanical, manufacturing, profes
sional, agricultural-tO mingle freely
together, and relax the lines and sepa
rate interests and occupations OF theiI
usual lives.
1t is a German custom, and imbedded
in the most ancient roots of the cOun.
trys history. The Fest, or festival, wax
an occasion of jubilation-and as often
of expiation-for 1t had its origin III
the religious disposition of mans ma
ture, and was, in fact, serious and de-
liberate expression Of popular feeling,
and not a mere jollitication. The WORD
" Fest" Included the two words Of
English, Fast" and " Feast" which
in time have come TO be used in such
widely differing senses. All the grave
incidents among the eGermans-of death
AZ well ~ of life, of scarcity and OF
abundance, of defeat as we'll AS victory,
of sorrow as well al joy-were marked
by feasts. These festivals had other
ends in growing civilization, for they
mind and body with glow.
ing SPIRIT of emulation, and led the
way 10 higher eACcileucc anu ouuoa'oi. .
They created contests of skill and
genius, and all that men held honorable
and admirable in It's many forms. The
riyalries 80 begOtten were generous and
for they all had the common
weal-the good Of the Volk and not OF
the class or individual for their object.
No gaiu or pecuniary profit was sought
no schemes OF personal contrivance
were Observation-Disclosures liberality
and cathOlicity became the ruling
spirit of tue Volks-fest, and by It's aid
rudeness was educated into grace, and
rustic extravagance into refinement.
Enthusiaslns are engeudered, generosity
10 promoted, public spirit is encouraged
and personal narrOwness is rebuked.
In short, the sense of a common brother
hood among all the callings and oc.
cupations Of men is recognized and
and tone touch OF nature
makes the whole world kin.
1t has become common saying that
one half the world does not know how
the other half lives" which plainly y
means that wrapped in our personal
pursuits and intent only on our indi-
vidual objects, we do not give ourselves
the trouble to find out how it fares with
our fellow -sojourners here in this life
below.
And it is this Indifference to the well
fare of society-of one class or occupa-
ton to the other classes-'his Ignorance
of each others hopes and fears, sorrows
and joys-which create the social and
nl Il hinh frAnnanflu
society, and lead to the coer-
Give and harsh features of legislation
which in the end prove such poor sub
stitutes for even n-handed justice.
Trace the history of nations or of in
diyiduals and there can scarcely be
found a public war or a private qua rrel
which was not the resul, of a mutual
misunderstanding Of the relative facts
or the relative intentions of the two
parties. Ignorance of each other leads
to misunderstanding-and from this to
a blind and bitter conflict is a short
and natural step--and settles no ques-
ton of right, but merely decides on
which side are the heaviest battal-
ions" The Volks-fest is intended to
let the people know each other, to ex-
hibit the progress made by each in his
own path of labor, to show the depend
encies of the various lines of occupation
and industry upon each other-so
that the great fact Of wholesome
and friendly co operation for the good
of all may be brought and KEPT
before the eyes of each individual
worker.
Therefore view this festival as hav-
ing important public functions, and
in its simple and pleasant
cbservances the germs for high useful.
ness In the solution of the difficult pro
blems which confront civilized govern
ments everywhere.
The basis of every well.ordered life
of every well-ordered family, and every
well-ordered community-is useful in
dustry-whether OF the hands or Of the
head, or of both. Mans nature makes
labor PLEASANT do not mean employ
ments that are repulsive, or over-work
that breaks down health-bnt creative
and productive industry brings joy u
the worker, and in the sight of the
work of his own hands happy recon-.
pense is found
--' for his heart is in his work,
And the heart doeth good unto every act. .
In former days. when the scale OF
manufacture was limited, and before
machinery had SO displaced manual
labor. ths. journeyman and apprentice
in every trade were inmates Of the
family of their employer. They sat at
the same table with him, and slept
under the same roof and In this way
personal intercourse was maintained,
and personal sympathy and knowledge
of each other were permitted The
progress of invention, the substitution
of machinery for hand-labor, and the
immense scale to which .Inanu facture
has now been expanded, has changed
all these personal relations. and severed
the daily lives of the employer and his
work-people, and an estrangement in
personal habits aud intercourse has
naturally grown up, which keeps them
too much apart, and creates an
ignorance of each others actual con.
dltion, interests and feeling which is
the source of serious misunderstanding