The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1888-10-11
SYNOPSIS
OF THE
s P e E Q HI
HON. S. D. NORTON,
DELIVERED BEFORE
THE THURMAN CLUB

AT
CITIZENS HALL, RAvENNA, OCT. 5TH.
Mr.. Chairman and Fellow Citizens: 1t is
wise, and well, that all important gov
questions should be thor
oughly considered by the people to be
or affected thereby, and this
is all the more important where the
people are the prime rulers of the land.
am pleased to meet with you and dis
cuss briefly the important questions
now calling for our consideration and
such intelligent action as may result |
in the greatest good to us as free and
independent people. Party prejudices
and party iealousies should not be al
lowed to warp our better judgment in
these matters, but honesty and wisdom
should dictate our course. A govern
ment of sixty millions of free people,
who are to decide their own govern.
mental matters, cen never afford to be
led by whoop and whirl of party fanat
icism or the dictation of party leaders
who have a personal interest in their
course, or as the woodman would say.
"hss an ak TO grind" hence the inn
portance of close study of historical
experience, the unprejudiced reasoning
from cause to effect, with firm deter
minatien that party ambitions shall
not misguide us in our course. Upon
the questions now before US think /
am right. But we are all human; L
may be wrong. Let US candidly reason
together, hoping that our &c ,isions may
be wise and good.
We are now in the midst of one of
those quadriennial political struggles
which, while slightly disturbing our
minds, is so very essential to the CON
tinuation of our political liberty, and
the future peace and prosperity of our
children and more remote decendants,
that we should honestly. and carefully,
as have said, study effects and con-
sequences and therefrom act wisely,
1t is the peoples province to determine
what is right, hence, on economic
political subjects, they should be well
informed. The people are king, and
may the just powers of the king be
with wisdom and patriotism jealously
guarded. A great and intelligent peo-
pie like ours, so full of energy, ambi-
ton, industry and inventivegenius, is
ever on the alert to grasp the wealth,
NJ ok 1vyr rf hnir nj m hIlf ut
every opportunity to gather in the
earnings of their fellow men. This is
life and an age of rush and push, for
the accumulation of wealth, hence the
necessity of such wise legislation as
will secure to the greatest possible
number of our people, the greatest
equality of those rights to the enjoy
ment of which all men are by nature
born on one common level, and which
should be so enjoyed without undue
restriction, according to the respective
capacity of each individual. These are
the rights vouchsafed to us by the great
Creator of all and which should never
be abridged or restricted, only in SO
far as may be necessary for the good
and wise government of our social re-
latiOns to each other, and the enact
ment and just administration of laws
which will secure to US each and all,
the greatest amount of these rights
and still provide for our social security
and proper governmental expenses
Such course appears to me to be the
certain evidence of wise and intelli-
gent craftsmanship. Among these
rights is the enjoyment of life, liberty
and the pursuit of happiness. and the
right to hold and enjoy the fruits of
our own labor, but not by nature, nor
by justice, have we any right to claim
any portion of our fellow citizens earn
ings, without employment. or some
just compensation therefor. Every
honest man would say most emphatic
allys that is SO! This being SO, what
say you of the doctrine that declares
that for every dollars worth you pur
chase of nearly five thousand articles,
including the material for your build
ings, clothing, and all your necessities,
you shall pay an average of Al cents
from your earnings for the benefit of
one class or another of monopolists.
| 10 me such q doctrine is monstrous.
| And this brings me to the subject /
am briefly to discuss before you tonight
and on this have written, and many
of you have read my opinions hence
it cannot be expected that / can say
much more than have said. Others
have written on the subject in an able
and intelligent way. You have in
your own minds reasoned these mat.
ters and have doubtless had many
bright and valuable thoughts never
yet reached by my mind. What little
may say, then. can hardly be expect
ed to be new, but must be in the same
vein of the arguments by me hereto
fore adduced. We are one people, ce
mented by the holy bonds of relation.
ship and neighborly friendship; c.
mented by the sacred ties of liberty
purchased by the blood and sutferings
of our ancestors, in seven years strug.
gle to be free and independent; that
we might worship God according to
the dictates of our own conscience, and
make our own laws by which we are
to be governed, in harmony with in
telligent and enlightened views. for
the best interests of us all, rich and
poor, high and low, laborers and cap
italist, black and white, so that each
and all, shall stand on one grand plane
of equality before the law. No class
legislation, no tax upon the many for
the support and enrichment of the few
such was the theory of the social re-
lations for the security of which our
government was formed, and for the
preservation of which let US pledge our
life's vigilance.
In all ages, and in all nations, cap
ital by the laws of attraction, naturally