The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-10-22

C-t NsAAAfeAAsAA S"AI " SSbk1R RkKc0 WIFI t03S III
its wide significance and reach; because,
since the advent of the Son of God, no
event has had so great All influence upon
human affairs as the discovery Of the
western hemisphere. Each of the CEN
turies that have inteTyened marks many
revolutions. The merest catalogue would
crowd a Thousand pages The story of the
least of the nations would ill volume.
ln what have to say upon this occasion,
therefore. l shall confine myself to
our own; aud, in speaking Of
the United States OF America, I
propose rather to dwell upon our character
as a people, aud our reciprocal obligations
and duties as an aggregation OF communi-
ties. held together by liked constitution.
ana charged with tho custody of union
upon whose preservation aud perpetuation
in Its original spirit and purpose the fu-
ture Of free. popular gosernmenG depends.
than to enter into = dissertation supou
abstract PRINCIPLES. or to undertake an
historic essay. We are plain. practical
people. We are race of inventors and
workers, not of poets and artists. We
have led the worlds movement, not its
thought. Our deeds are to be found not
upon frescoed walls. or in ample libraries,
but in the machine shops. where the
spindles sing aud tho looms thunder; on
the open plain, where tho steam plow, the
reaper and the mower contend with one
another in friendly war against the obdur-
acies Of nature; ia the magic of electricity
as it penetrates the darkest cayerns with
its irresistible power aad light Let US
consider ourselves and our conditions, as
far as we are able. with a candor unsinged
by cynicism, and a confidence having no
air OF assurance.
THE TRUE AMERICAN POLICY.
A better opportunity could not be de-
S;rs1 for cfndv nf nyyp tr;f n
is furnished by the present. moment.
We are in the midst Of the quadrennial
period established for tho selection of a
chief magistrate. Each citizen. has his
right of choice, each has his right to vote
and to have his vote freely cast aud fairly
counted. Wherever this right is assailed
for any cause wrong is done .andev must
follow. first to the whole country. which
has an interest in all it's parts, but most
to the community Immediately involved,
which must actually drink OF the cup
that has contained the poison, and eau
not escape the Infection.
The abridgement of the right of suffrage
however, Is very nearly proportioued to
the ignorance or indifference OF the par
ties concerned by it, and, there is good
reason to hope that, with the expanding
intelligence of the masses and the growing
enlightenment OF the times, this pstrticu-
lar form OF corruption in elections will be
reduced below the danger line
To that end, as to all other good ends.
the moderation of public sentiment must
ever be our chief reliancs; for when men
are forced by the general desire for truth.
and the light which our modern vehicles
of information throw upon truth. to dis
cuss public questions for truths sake.
when it becomes the plain interest of pub.
lie men, as it is their plain duty, to do this,
and when. above all. friends and neighbors
cease to love one another less because of
individual differences OF opinion about
public affairs. the struggle for unfair ad-
vantage will be relegated to thosa who
have either no character to lose, or none
to seek. II
1t is admitted on all sides that the. cur
rent presidential campaign is freer from
and tumult than was ever
known before. and IL Is argued from this,
that we axe traversing the
epoch of the commonplace. If this be SO.
thank God for it'll We have had full
enough of the dramatic and sensational,
and need a season of mediocrity and repose
But may we not ascribe the rational way
in which the people are going about their
business to larger knowledge and expe-
rience. and a fairer spirit than have hither-
to marked our party conventions:
Parties are essential to free government
as oxygen to the atmosphere, or sunshine
to vegetation. And party spirit is insep-
arabic from party organism. To tue ex-
tent that it is tempered by good sense aud
good feeling, by love of country and in-
tegrity of purpose, it is a supreme virtue;
and there should be no gag short of "A de.
Cent regard for the senslbilities of others
put upon its freedom and plainness of
utterance. Otherwise. the linlpid pool OF
would stagnate. and we should
have republic only In name. But we
should never cease to be admonished by
the warning words of the Father of his
Country against the excess of party spirit,
reinforced AS they are by the experince of
q century of party warfare, warfare
happily eliminating in the compile
triumph Of American principles, but
brought many times dangerously near to
The aunlhilation of all that was great and
noble in the national life.
LIFT UP YOUR HEARTS.
Sursum Corda We have in our own
time seen the republic survive an ire
pressible conflict, sown in the blood and
marrow of the social order. We cave
seen the federal Union, not too strongly
put together in tue first place, come ouE of |
} great war of sections, stronger than
when it went into il, its faith renewed, its |
credit rehabilitated, and its flag saluted |
with love and homage by sixty millions Of |
men aud women. thoroughly |
and homogeneous. We have |
'een tue federal constitution outl4st the |
strain, not merely of n recoustructory or |
Teal aud q presidential impeachment, but /
! disputed count of the electoral vote, /
deadlock, and an extra-con- |
'tltutional tribunal, yet standing firm
against the assaults OF It's enemies, whilst |
7ielding itself with admirable fiexibility TO /
he needs OF the country and the time. And |
lnallT we saw che gigantic fabric of the /
ederal government transferred from hands
hat had held 1t n quarter of century TO
'ther hands, without protest; although /
70 close WAS the poll in the fiual count
hat single blanket might have covered
10th CONTESTANTS for the chief magIstsrial
'ffice. With such record behind Us, wno
hall be afraid Of the future.
The young manhood OF the country may
AXE this lesson from those of us who lived
through the times that did, indeed, try
mems souis-when, pressed down from
lay to day by awful responsibilities and
uspense, each night brought a terror with
very thought of the morrow and. when.
ooh where we would, there were light and
nd that this fair isnc is, aud always has
een, IN Has own keeping.
he curse OF slavery Is gone It was q
oint heritage OF woe, TO be wiped out ana
ypiated in blood and flame Inc mirage
1 the Confederacy has vanished IL WAS
sseutlaIiy Ducolc. VISION OF Arcadie, the
Team OF most attractive economic fall
acy. The constitution IS no longer a rope
I sand. The exact relation Of tAe states
0 the federal governmsnt, isft open 10
by the ani hors OF our
rganic being, because they coald nos
gree among themselves. and union wa.
ne psramouai obiect. mas been clearly
nd definitely fixed Dy the three last
mendments 10 the original chart. which
onstituie the real treassy OF peac. bety,eea
ne north and the south, and seal our
'On6s as a Nation forever.
The rrpao!Ic represents at last the letter