Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1892-10-27
HENRY WATTERSON.
His Mastery Dedicatory Grafton
at Chicago.

CHICAGO, Oct 2a-The grafton of
Henry Watterson, of Kentucky, at the
worlds fair dedication was listened to
with rapt attention by all within hear
ing of his voice. After alluding to the
struggles OF the early settlers and the
men who established national indie
pendence, he went on:
We are met this day to honor the memory of
Christopher Columbus, to celebrate the 400th
annual return or the year OF his transcendant
achievement and, with fitting rites, to dedicate
to America and the universe a concrete exposi-
ton OF the worlds progress between 1892 and
1892 No twenty centuries can be compared
with those four centuries either in Importance
or interest as no previous ceremonial can be
compared with this in its wide significance and
reach: because since the advent OF the Son OF
God, event has had so great an influence up
on human affairs as the discovery OF the west
ern hemisphere. Each of the centuries that
have interviewed marks many revolutions The
mereSt catalogue would crowd thousand
pages. The story OF the least of the
nations would fill volume In what
have to say upon this occasion there
fore. shall confine myself to our own and,
IN speaking OF the United States OF America.
propose rather to dwell upon our character as
people, and our reciprocal obliga tons and duties
as an aggregation of communities, held together
by liked constitution, and charged with the
custody OF union upon whose preservation ana
perpetuation in its original spirit and purpose
the future of free, popular government depends,
than to enter into dissertation upon abstract
principles, or to undertake an historic essay.
we are q plain, practical people We are race
OF inventors and workers. not OF poets and art
lists We have led the worlds movements, not
Its thought Our deeds are to be found not upon
frescoed walls or in ample libraries, but in the
machine shop, where the spindles sing and the
looms thunder. on the open plain, where the
steam pillow, the reaper and the mower contend
with one another in friendly war against the
obduracies of nature; in the magic of electri-
city as 1t penetrateS the darkest caVernS with
| its irresistible power and light Let US consid-
| er ourselves and our conditions, as far as we
are able, with candor untnged by cyniciSm
and confidence having no air OF assurance
A better opportunity could not be desired for
study of our peculiaritieS than is furnished by
! the present moment
We are in the midst of the quadrennial period
es tablished for the selection of chief magis-
| trate. Each citizen has his right of choice,
| each has his right to vote and to have his vote
| freely cast and fairly counted. Wherever this
right Is assailed for any cause wrong is done
| and evil must follow, first to the whole country,
which has an interest in all its parts, but most
! to the community Immediately involved, which
| must actually drink of the cup that has con-
tanned the poison and cannot escape its infec-
| ton
The abridgement of the right of suffrage
! however, is very nearly proportional to the ig
norance or indifference OF the parties concerned
| by it, and there is good reason to hope that
| and the growing enlightenment of the times
| this particular form of corruption in elections
| will be reduced below the danger line
| To that end, to all other good ends the
moderation of public sentiment must ever be
our chief reliance, for whom men are forced by
the general desire for truth, and the light which
| our moderan vehicles of information throw
upon truth, to discuss public questions Tor
| truths sake: when it becomes the plain inter
est OF public men, it is their plain duty TO do
this, and when, above all, friends and neighbors
cease to love one another less because of indi-
vldual difference or opinion about puDilc affairs,
| the struggle for unfair advantage Will be rele-
gated to those who have either no character to
lose or none to seek
| It is admitted on all sides that the current
| presidential campaign Is freer from excitement
and turnult than was ever known before, and 1t
| is argued from this circumstance that we are
traversing the epoch of the commonplace II
this be so, thank God for it. We have had full
enough of the dramatic and sensat ional. and
need season of mediocrity and repoSe. But
may not ascribe the rational way in wht3h
the people are going about their business &c
larger knowledge and experience, and a fairer
spirit than have hitherto marked our party con
tentionS?
Parties are essential to free government as
oxygen to the atmosphere or sunshine to vege
tation And party spirit is inseparable from
party organism To the extent that it is
tempered by good sense and good feeling. by
love of country aud integrity of purpose, it is a
supreme virtue, and there should be no gag
short of a decent regard for the sensibilities
| of others put upon its freedom and plain
ness of utterance. Otherwise the limpid
| pool of democracy would stagnate and
we should have republic in name only. 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 a century of party warfare war
fare happily eliminating IN the complete tr1
| umph of American principles, but brought
many times dangerously near TO the annihila-
ton of all that was great and noble in the ma
tional life
Sursum Corda We have in our own time
seen the republic survive an irrepressible con
fict sown in the blood and marrow of the so
cial order. We have seen the federal union,
not too strongly put together in the first place
come out of a great of sections stronger
than when it went into it, its faith renewed, its
credit rehabilitated and its flag salute6
with love and homage bye Q, 600 600 of God fear
, ing and women, thoroughly rec
onciled and homogeneous We have seen the
{ federal constitution outlast the strain, not
merely of a reconstructory ordeal and presi
) Dental Impeachment, but disputed count o.
the electoral vote. q congressional deadlock
and an extra constitutional tribunal, yet stand
ing firm against the assault of its
) enemies, whilst yielding itself with ad
, mirable hexibiIity to the needs of the
we saw the gigantic fabric of the federal gov
eminent transferred from hands that had held
3 it a quarter of a century to other hands withou
1 a protest, although so close the poll in the
covered both contestants for the chief magis
terial office. With such record behind us
l who shall be afraid of the future?
The curse of slavery il gone It was joint
3 heritage of woe, TO be wiped out and expia tee
in blood and flame. The mirage of the confed
eracy has vanished 1t was essentially bucolic
I a vision of Arcade. the dream of most at
: tractive economic fallacy. The constitution il
l no longer a rope of sand. The exact re
| lation of the states to the federal gov
, | eminent left open to double con
4 | struction by the authors Of organic being
l because they could not agree among themselve
and union was the paramount object. has beel
, | clearly and definitely fixed by the three las
, | amendments to the original chart. which coE
I stitute the real treaty of peace between tn
north and the south and seal our bonds IS a ns
| ton forever
The men who planted the signals of Amcri
: | can civilization upon that sacred rock by PlE
| mouth bay were Englishrnen, and SO we're Ia
. | men who struck the coast q little lower down
1 | calling their haven OF rest after the great re
! publican cormoner. and founding by Harapto
| Roads q race of heroes and statesmen, the mer
. ton OF whose names bring q thrill 70 ever
: | heart. The south claims Lincoln. the in
!. | mortal. for its own; the north has no right Z
| reject Stonewau Jackson the one typies
!. Puritan soldier OF the war, for its own: No
. | will it. The time Is coming, Is almost here
l | when banging above many Q mantle board
| fair New Engiand-zlorifying many eottag
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