Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1890-11-20
AMERICAN CITIZENSHIP.
Address Delivered by Ex-President
Grover Cleveland
at the Banquet in Columbus, o., in Hon.
or II the Seventy-Seventl birthday
Anniversary of Hon. Al
len q. Thurman.

COLUMBUS, O., Nov. 14.-Following is
the address, in full. of Hon. Grover
Cleveland, delivered at the Thurman
banquet last night in response to the
toast: american Citizenship"
| MR. PRESIDENT AND GENTLEMEE-I follow
the promptings of a heart full of devotion
! and Veneraton, as tender from the Democ-
| racy OF the great State of New York. her
| tribute of affection for the man whom we
| honor to- night. am comm ssioned to claim
Tor my State her full share OF the glory which
! has been shed upon the American name and
/ character, by one whose career and example
can not be Exempted and whose renown
can not be limited in ownership to the neigh
. bors and friends of any locality. We con.
test every exclusive pretension to his fame
ami greatness, because he is Il neighDOr to
! all the people of the land; because he is the
| friend of all who love their county; be-
cause his career splendidiy illustrates the
best and strongest elements of our National
character; and because his example belongs
to all h.s country men.
1t is fitting that those who have faith in
our destiny as i nation, who believe that
there are noble things which belong lis
tinctively to our character as people and
who prize at its true worth pure American
citizenship, should gather here tonight.
1t is gwen US Co contemplate the highest
. states manship, the most unyield ing and
disinterested devotion to the interests of
the people. and the most valuable achieve
! ment5 in the cause of our country's vel
fare, all of which have been stimulated and
accomplished through the influence and
{ impulse of true, unperverted, sturdy Ameri-
canisn. We rejoice in the example afforded
! on this occasion of ger uine American citi-
zenship. revealed to as a safe and in
fallible interpreter OF duty in all the emer-
gencies of long and honorable public
career, and as an unfailing guide to useful
ness and fame.
In this presence and in the atmosphere of
these reflections, We should not miss the
lesson they commend to us, nor fail to re-
new our appreciation of the value of this
citizenship, and revive our apprehension of
the sentiments and conditions in which it
has its rise and growth.
And first of all should be profoundly
grateful that the elements which make up
the strength and vigor of American citizen
ship are so naturally related to our situa-
ton, and simple. The intrigues of
monarchy which faint the Individual char
acter OF the subject; the splendor which
dazzles the popular eye and distracts the at
tention from abuses and STILES discomfort
the schemes of conquest and selfish aggran-
| dizement which make selfish people, have
no legitimate place in our national life. Here
the PLAIN people of the land are the rulers.
! Their investiture of power is only accom-
panied with the conditions that they should
love their country, that they should jealous
/ ~ guard and protect its interests and fair
fame, and that all the intelligence with
to an understanding of it's needs and the
/ promotion of it's welfare.
These are the elements of American citi-
| zenship, and these are the conditions upon
/ which our free institutions were intruSted
| to our people, in full reliance, at the begin
ming and for all time to come, uron Amer
lean manhood. consecrated by the highest
/ and pureSt patriotism.
A country broad and new, to be subdued
/ to the purpose of mans existence, and
promising vast and independent resources,
and people 1ntelllgently understanding
the value of a free naticn and holding fast
to an intense affection for its history and
| its heroes, have had much to do with mold
ing our Amer can character and giving it
hardihood and vigor. But it should never
be forgotten that the influence which, more
than all other things, has made our people
safe repositories of governmental power.
! and which has furnished the surest guar
.anty of the strength and perpetuty of the
! Republic, has its source in the American
, home Here our patriotism is born and
! entwines itself with the growth of
| filial love, and here our CHI ldren are taught
the story of our freedom and independ-
ence. But above all, here in the braciny
| and wholesome atmosphere of uncOm-
| planning frugaiity and economy, the mental
and moral attributes of our people have
! been firmly knit and invigorated Never
could it be said of any other country so truly
as of ours that the permanency of it's lnsti
| buttons depends upon its homes.
hava spoken of frugality and economy
rs important factors in American life. 1
! find no fault with the accumulation of
wealth. and am glad to sec energy and
! enterprise receive their fair reward. But
| believe that our Government in its natural
| integrity, il exactly suited to frugal and
/ economical people; and believe it IS safest
! in the hands of those who hive been
| made strong and self reliant in
their citizenship by self denial and by the
| surroundings of an enforced economy.
! Thrift and careful watchfulness of expend-
iture among the people tend to secure a
| thrifty government; and cheap and careful
| living on the part of individuals ought to
enforce economy in the public expendi-
! lures
When, therefore. men in high places of
trust, charged with the responsibility of
making and executing our laws, not only
! condemn but fiippantly deride cheapness
and economy within the homes of our peo-
! pie, and when the expenditure of the Gov
| eminent are reckless and wasteful, we may
be that something is wrong with us,
! and that Il condition exists which C Ills for
! avigorous and resentful defence of Amer
! icanism, by every man worthy to be called
| an American citizen.
! Upon the question of cheapness and econ
/ omy, whether it relates to individuals or to
! the operations of the overnment, the Dem
! ocratic party true to its creed and its tradi-
| tions will unalterably remain attached to
our plain and frugal people They arc espe-
! cially entitled to the wath chfuI care and
protection of their Government; I'd when
| they are borne down with burdens greater
! than they can bear and are made the objects
of scorn by hard taSkmasters, we will not
{ leave their side As the great German
/ former, insisting upon his religious convic
/ tions, in the presence of his accusers ex-
claimed: Il can do nought else. III /
stand. God help me-" So, however much
| Others may mock and deride cheapness and
| the poor and frugal men and women of our
! land, will stand forth in defense of their
! simple AmericaniSm detiantly exciaim ing:
! 1--WE can do nought else. Here we stand"
Thus when the question is raised whether
our PEG lie shall have the necessarieS of life
at Il cheaper rate, we are not ashamed to
confess ourselves 'in full sympathy with
the demand for cheaper coats" and
! not disturbed by the hint that this seems
! necessarily to involve cheaper man
! woman under the Coats
When the promoter of n party measure
! which invades every home in the land with
! higher prices declares that cheap and nasty
/ go together, and this whole system of cheap
! things is Il badge of poverty for cheap mcr
chandise means cheap men and cheap men
! mean a cheap country we Indignantly re-
| pudiate such an interpre tation of American
| sentiment.
And when another one, high in party
! councils " ho has bee 1me notorious the
! advocate of Il continuance to perpetrate
partisan supremacy by outrageous interfer
! ence with the suffrage, announces that 'tthe
/ cry for cheapness is un- American" we
scorntulIy reply that his speech does not in
! dictate the slightest conception of true
J Americanism.
/ Iwill not refer to other utterances of like
! imDOrI from similar i cOuten