The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1884-10-24
AN ADDRESS
DELIVERED BY
REV. G.. H. WILSON
THE
BAPTIST CHURCH, OCT. 7TH,
AT THE MONTHLY MEETING OF THE
TEMPERANCE AND REFORM SOCIETY,"
AND REPEATED, BY REQUEST, AT HIS
CHURCH OCT. 18TH, 1884.
I'VE are living, we are dwelling,
In a grand and awful time,
In an age on ages telling;
To be living is sublime.

In an age on ages telling;
To be living is sublime"
1t is one of the delusions of our
day that a casual mention of the adj
vantages surrounding us, and the op
portunitIes before us, will depict to
any mind the many and great forces
that are at mans service.
We throw off in a sentence de-
scription supposed to be wrapt up in
an allusion, and an ''intelligent audi.
ence" is by courtesy supposed to see
most if not quite all that is thus al.
luded to.
The indifference, the unthought
everywhere prevalent, SO far as it
bears on the question of duties and
privileges born Of our civilization, in
dicates that the mind is dazed by the
sight Of potency and opportunity re.
vealed in the accomplishments, in the
arts and sciences, in philosophy and
religion. And yet we are all con
vinced within ourselves that the sum
total OF opportunity given mankind
is great beyond anything the past has
seen. We are citizens of the might
lest Republic the world has ever
known. We live under a form Of
government that puts us all on the
dead level of Democracy. We are
of an age that dares face any ques-
ton, and has learned TO believe, at
least in theory, that the masses are
capable Of selfgovernment. The
mightiest problems of political econ
omy and jurisprudence are themes
about which we talk, wisely, at least,
in our conceits-and as if capable
alike to instruct and direct, the merest
stripling-armed with brazen ignorance
and sordid political aspirations, would
lead his hearers to believe that he
could carry the fate of nations and
the destiny of empires on his should
ers. and yet walk uprightly and sure
ly. Such is the intrinsic nature of
Democratic form of government that
it demands the keenest thought on the
part of electors, and the most sterl-
ing integrity on the part of the elect
ed, to the end that power may intelli
gently be conferred and used, and
when the action Of rulers exceeds the
knowledge Of the governed, they
may remain restive in view of a we'll
grounded confidence in the leaders of
their choice.
The measure of failure to reach
that ideal is the measure of power
permitted to the demagogue, who
may play on the passions Of the igno-
rant, rousing fears and hopes that
have no basis in fact, but result in
creating basis deep and of danger
Gus growth, because born of class
conflict, which makes ignorance vic
ious and bespeaks social disorder and
passionate factional discord.
1t need not be said that we are very
far from that exalted plain which is
alike the demand and the privilege of
our form of government. We need
only TO recall the partisan utterances
which are to-day being rung over the
land through the press and from the
platform, utterances which in the
coarse form of jokes, or the sharp
form of invectivos, or the covert form
Of ipsinuations, would lead us to be-
lieve-if we did not know the Gus
toms and tricks OF campaigns-that
any one who purposed executing any
principle or project by political meth
ods, had joined hands with every form
Of disreputable wickedness.
While leaders are blamable so far
as they sanction such methods. they
will not sanction them, nor will any
practice them beyond that permitted
by the people.
1t goes with the saying that our
! political methods are low, demoraliz-