The Hocking sentinel. [volume] (Logan, Ohio) 1871-1906, 1885-01-08
Toass-"Young De.nocracy.,,

Sas
'TOass-''YOui,g DeInOcracy.''
Responded to by q. /. Barker
as follows:
Mr.. CHAIRMAN, LADIES AND GEN.
TLEMEN:
l feel gratified that the pleas
ant duty of responding to this
toast has been imposed on me,
for can but esteem it high
honor that | should be chosen to
represent, on this occasion, a
body that must IN coming years
occupy so pre-eminent a place
in American politics.
Abstractly, however, l am at
a loss to understand the term
"Young Democracy"
The spirit of Democracy came
into the world when God Great
ed man-it can never grow old,
and will but reach perfection
when the heavens shall be rolled
together as a scroll.
| 1t has striven on every battle
field where the oppressed have
been arrayed a gainst the oppres-
sor; its voice has been heard in
every assembly where the Iiber-
ties of the people or the proper
restraints Of government have
been under discussion.
In ancient Greece it withstood
the mighty hosts of the East; in
England, the people under Crom-
we'll exalted her name and arms
to height they had not attained
under whole line of kings; but
here, upon the virgin soil of this
continent, it found its own true
home, here: unrestrained by
cramping custom, its young limbs
have reached their manly stat.
ure; here it has performed the
most illustrious of those heroic
deeds with which it has enriched
the history ofevery age, of every
cline and Of every race: for here
its bleeding feet stained the
SHOWS of Valley Forge, here it
stood starved and half-naked on
the heights of Bunker Hill and
twice repulsed the sleek minions
of monarchy. and from our
shores, under the frown of earth's
mightiest potentate. it proclaim
ed its creed to the world in the
soul-stirring tones of the Declar-
alton of Independence.
What is this Spirit of Democ-
racy?
Sir, it has been we'll defined
by the great founder of our par
ty:
'We hold these truths to be
self,evident: That all men are
created equal"
This is the substructure Of all
Democracy, and 1t rests in the
rock whereon are placed the firm
foundations Of our Constitution.
Ofthat mighty host of Demo
Gratis who for twenty years ad-
vanced valiantly to the attack
and each succeeding time were
made TO feel the bitterness of de-
feat, some have fallen in the last
bitches, one old veteran, known
to us all, on the very eve of cap
itulation, and some, alas, have
deserted to the enemy.
Those who have lived to see
the day of triumph, worn out
in the long campaign of often
sive warfare. will be fain to give
over the fatigue of the defense
to younger hands.
Upon the ''YOung Democracy"
must necessarily devolve the
CAFE and work of the succeed n :: !
democratic admins. rations-to
their hands the future welfare of
the party must be intrusted.
1t is a great and perilous trust.
fraught with the gravest interest
to this country and 10 humanity.
1t involves the perpetuation. the
perfection of this fundamental
idea of free government, as it was
IN the mind of the inl-
mortal Jefferson. 1t involves,
also, in my estimation, a reform
in some Of our institutions that
still retain a flavor of aristocracy.
It is miraculous that our Fathers
,rasped so conprehensively all
he elements and requisites of a
and we are not sur
Drised to find occasional vestiges
IF aristocratical ideas in our
present sys' EN-.
Our Electoral College is an in
stance. 1t had its origin in a
orevaIant and deeply seated dis
rust in the capacity of the peo-
Die TO govern themselves. On
he theory that the masses were
Incapable of performing so Geli7
cate duty as that of selectin. a
President, they were permitted
o choose number of men to
select one for them. These men
we're not, nor are they now,
pound by any constitutional pro-
'ision to vote for the man the
people might designate. On the
,ther hand, they were expressly
chosen to exercise their own pri
rate judgment, because it was
leemcd superior to the peoples.
How completely this contriv-
nee has failed to accomplish the s
purpose for which it was origin I
lily designed, we all know. 1t
vas from the beginning a COM
,romise with error, and it has ,
low degraded into a mere parti. ]
an machine. Never in sympa- {
hy with the full liberty OF the {
'eople, it has become stumb- I
ing block in the road of popular a
uffrage, Always dangerous in
he hands of inscriptions poll
Icians, it was once in our very t
ecent history the means of seat
ng a man in the Presidential /
ha,r who had not the slightest q
tile 10 it. S
Why shouldn't the American @
itizen have the same right to t
ote for President that he has to c
ote for Governor or Mayor, and i
'hy is he not as capable of doing @
g O
The "Young Democracy" Mr.. c
resident, assume this trust at O
ne opening of what bids fair to h
e one of the most important
pochs of our history. b