Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1886-07-12
TOM FITCH'S GRAFTON.
THE "SiLyER.TONGUED" AT THE
WEBFOOT METROPOLIS.
The United States-The Three Eras of
Republics-The Almighty DOllar-La-
Dor and Capitalize Hope of the
C0uufry-Ete

Hon. Thomas Fitch, widely known
as the "Silver- tongued," delivered the
Grafton in Portland, Oregon, the 9Th
inst. 1t is reported in full in the
Portland News, but lack of space for
bids more than the reproduction of a
few extracts in the TIMES, as follows:
United States! Do we ever stop to
think how replete with grandeur and
glory is that little compound word? A
link of human brotherhood sixty mil
lion times multiplied! A splinter from
an old world yoke, grown and fash
Toned into navies and cities! A wild
erness of fishing pools and forests,
changed by the wand of free labor
into land of factories and farms! A
nation where no man doffs his hat
except through courtesy of equals,
where no slaves presence dishonors
labor, and where no freeman's utter
ances are choked by the hand of
power. A country where industry
thrves, where FORCES gov, where
spindles hum, where factories clatter,
where harvests CLEAN, where educa-
ton is free, where labor is protected,
where manhood is respected. States
whose authors and artists and inven-
tors and soldiers and statesmen and
mechanics have made the nineteenth
century blaze with the splendor of the
gems which they have set like stars in
freedoms diadem. A people whose
credit reigns at the head of the world 8
finances, whose flag fos is proudly on
every sea, and whose armies would
come at drum tap out of the hives
of industry to swarm in defense of
their country on every shore. A Re-
public whose history has dwarfed the
renown of all other lands, and whose
future will be the marvel of all ages.
A country which, Notwithstanding its
surface vexations, its local troubles,
its passing disasters, is yet the great
est, most free, and most prosperous
nation under the light of the sun.
From Caesar to Napoleon despot-
isms have been developed from repub-
lies. First the children of patriotism,
simplicity, and public virtue; next the
manhood of military achievement,
conquest, and power; lastly the old
age Of wealth, extravaganza, corrup-
ton, and debauchery; then the mob,
and then the despot. In many an old
building the rats of luxury have
gnawed holes in the floor, through
which liberty has tumbled to her
depth. The republics of antiquity
occupied centuries in treading the
inevitable round, but we live IN an
age of steam and lightning, and we
have whirled far into the third era
We are enlightened by the fate of the
nations which have gone before, and
We shall preserve our republic from
their fate, but we must be wise and
courageous and prompt. Eternal Wig.
lance is the price of liberty, and only
cash payments will be received.
Of our great millionaires Mackay
has remained generous, simple, minded
and manly, and Leland Stanford has
linked his name to honor for all time
by his wise and atfluent benefaction
to tine youth of California. Others,
however, have lived sordid, selfish and
vicious lives, and some have defraud.
ed the revenue, eluded the tax-gath-
erer, and earned place in the pen
itent;ary by bribing public officers
Our only present security against pub.
lie disaster from these large accumu.
lations is in the vices and the brain.
lessness of the sons of rich men
There being no law of entail by
which these vast fortunes can be an.
chored in landed estates and securely
perpetuated, there is always a proba-
bilitY that the children or grand. chill
dren of Gould or Vanderbilt will be-
come spendthrifts, or encounter sue.
cessful sharpers, and in the fourth OF
fifth generation the boatman's oar Oh
the peddler's pack will be resumed.
Money is the despotic King George
of our day, and unless the insanit,
of its power be curbed, there may be
need before long Of new Declare
ton of Independence. Forty year:
ago the dynasty of the money-b bags
had not begun. Forty years ago yor
could count all the great millionaire,
in America upon your fingers, anc
the comparatively few men who pos
sessed 100000 or 100000 each were
accounted very rich. Forty years age
the great railroad lines were unbuilt
the great manufacturing cities no
constructed, the telegraph in its in
fancy, the electric light unknown, ant
the web of complex industries witt
which the land is now laced was thel
unspun. In those days money had no
lost its modesty, and it deferred to in
teliect and high character. Astor'
poet bookkeeper was received i
houses to which Astor was not in
vited, and New York capitalists wal,
ed deferentially upon penniless Agassi
I'D ;,,,oI,o.. Wy 4. -