New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-07-04
RTPTHDAY DTTIES.

Nations that have no birthday may be par
doned if they do not remember the ideas which
gave them birth. This Republic, now the most
prosperous and powerful of nations, came into
being at a definite time, by a definite act, and
for definite purpose. The son who casts DIS
honor upon the memory of his mother deserves
no sharper reproach than the citizen who tres
TO put out of the Nations life the noble aspllT'-
tons which made this Nation.
1t was not for the purpose OF aplng or wor-
shipping the theories and institutions of Great
Britain that the colonies separated from Great
Britain The dudelet, with his English gait
and clothes, his English drawl and blunders OF
speech his worship of everything British, ana
his contempt for American ideas and lnStltu-
tions. would have been ducked in the nearest
horse-pond in the days of the Revolution il
this people cannot respect itself enough man
fully TO uphold its own ideas, and stand last
in the honorable aims which gave 1t being, II
deserves no better fate than befell the Tories
of the last century.
1t was the purpose of the Republic to estab-
lish here a Government of the people and for
the people, which should make it the highest
and most sacred duty OF Government to pro-
tect the citizen in his rights and in his labors.
independence of the citizen requires full de-
fence in his exercise of the suffrage. Indus
trial independence needs adequate protection
against the competition of other nations, whose
working people have not the burdens and duties
of self government. In the days Of Washing
ton and Jefferson a man would have been con-
sidered not fit for share in the benefits and
responsibilities OF the Republic who had ex-
cused on any pretcxt whatever defeat OF the
will of the majority by force or fraud. May
not this day. with its glorious memories, LIT
men OF all parties TO realization that il is the
first and most sacred duty of the Government
to protect every citizen in the exercise of his
constitutional share Of the governing power,
and that it is unspeakably disgraceful 10 OPP
pose measures which are found necessary TO
that end because of fear that party may in
one way or another suffer thereby? Cannot
there be- on this anniversary OF the Nations
birth hearty resolution that from this time
forth, come what may, no party shall ever toll
crate within its ranks man who Will not strive
honestly and faithfully to make the suffrage
pure and free for every legally qualified cit
izen in every State?
Industrial independence was the declared OBJ
ject of the Revolution itself and of the first
act Of Congress signed by Washington. 1t
was felt even in those early days that the free,
self governing and self-respecting citizen would
require for himself different scale of wages
and of living from those which prevailed IN
other lands. A century of progress has lifted
the scale of living and the rate of wages far
above the anticipation of the men of the
Revolution. But has their glorious object
therefore become less worthy Are we now
to hold, as some say, that the duties which
sufficed when labor III the colonies was scarcely
above the level of labor in England, because
they then seemed enough to Washington and
Jefferson must now be enough for laboring
population which consumes and enjoys twice
as much as any equal number of workers any
where in the world? The object of the fathers
of 1875 should it not be still the object Of
their descendants? If it be, should we not
faithfully adopt to-day the measures now found
necessary to that end just as the Revolutionary
fathers in their day adopted the measures which
were necessary then?
The proper fruitage of Fourth of July is
the enactment of wise laws to protect the cit
izen in his rights and in his industry. The
spirit of the Nations birthday, if men OF all
parties would but suffer it to rule III their
hearts, would pass without delay or dispute
two great measures which the peoples Repre-
sentatives have now sent to the Senate and
they who revere the memory of Washington
and the Revolutionary patriots will not suffer
thoughts of personal or partisan advantage TO
keep back their votes for the political and in
dustrial independence of American citizens.