Indian chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Indian Territory [Okla.]) 1882-1902, 1892-10-27
OBLIGATORY ADDRESS.



men who established national indie
pendence, he went on;
We are met this day 70 honor the memory OF
christopher iumbas to celebrate the i0Oth
annual return u tho year OF his transcendant
achievement ind with atting rites, 10 dedicate
so America ard tho universe o concrete exposl'
tion OF the worlds progress between l9e and
1892 No twenty centuries can be compared
with those fur centuries either In Importance
or interest as no previous ceremonial can be
compared With this in its wide significance aud
reach; because. since the advent OF the son OF
God no event has had so great an influence up
on human Nfars as tho discovery OF the west
crn hcmisphere Each Of tho centuries that
have interviewed marks many revolutions. The
mercst catalogue would crowd Thousand
pages. The story OF tho least OF tho
nations would hll volume In what 1
have 20 say upon this occasion, there
foro / shall conhne myself TO our own, and
IN speaking OF the United states OF America,
propose rather TO dwell upon our character as
people, ana our reciprocal obligations and duties
rs an aggregation Of communities, held together
by a hxed constitution, ana charged with the
custody Of a unionu upon whose preservation and
pcrpetuauon IN its original spirit aud purpose
The future OF free, popular government depsnds,
than 10 enter into u dissertation upon abstract
principles, or 10 undertake an historic essay
W arc plain, practical people. We are a race
lists. We have led the worlds moycm eats, not
iis thought oar deeds arc to be found not upon
frescocd walls or la ample libraries, but In the
machine shop, where the spindles sing and the
looms thunder, on the open plain, where tho
steam plow, the reaper anl the mower contend
with one another in friendly war against the
obduraeies OF nature: in the magic OF electri-
city US it penetrates the darkest cayerns with
ils irresistible power and llght Lot us consii'
er ourselves and our conditions, as far rs we
arc able, with canaor untinged by cynicism
and a confidence having no air OF assurance
A better opportunity could not DO desire for
study of our peclliarites than is furnished by
the present moment
We arc IN The midst OF the qnadrennial period
established for the selection OF . chief magis
trate Each citizen has his right OF choice,
each has his right 70 vote and TO have his vote
freely cast and fairly counted. Wherever this
right IS assailod for any cause wrong is done
and evil must follow, first to tho 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-
tion
Tho abrldgement OF the right Of suffrage,
however, is very nearly proportioned 10 the ig-
norance or Indifference OF the parties concerned
by 1t, and there Is good reason to hope that,
with the expanding intelligence Of the masses
this particular form OF corruption in elections
will be reduced below the danger line
To that end, as to all other gooa 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 for
truths cake. when IL Incomes the plain inter
est of public men, as 1t is their plain duty 10 do
this, and when, above all, friends and neighbors
cease to love one another less because or inii-
ydual difference Of opinion about public affairs,
The struggle for unfair advantage will be rele.
gated to those who have either no character TO
lose or none to seek
1t is admitted on all sides that the current
presidential campaign is freer from excitement
and tumut 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 i'll We have had full
enough Of the dramatic and sensational aud
need season OF mediocrity and repose But
may we not asoribe the rational way in which
the people are going about their business to
larger knowledge and experience, and fairer
spirit than have hitherto marked our party con.
tcntionsg
Parties are essential to free government as
oxygen to the atmosphere or sunshine to vege-
taton. And party spirit is inseparable from
party organism. To the extent that 1t is |
tempered by good sense and good feeling. by
love Of country aud integrity OF purpose, IL is
Supreme virtue, and there should be no gag
short OF a decent regard for the sensibllities |
OF others put upon its freedom and plain /
ness OF utterance Otherwise the limpid |
pool OF democracy would stagnaie and |
we should have o republic in name oaly But /
We should never cease to be admonshed by |
The warning words Of the father OF his country /
ag inst the excess Of party spirit reinforced as
they are by century Of party warfare a war
fare happily eliminating in the complete tri
umph Of American principles, but brought
many times dangerously near 70 the annihila-
ton Of all that was great and noble in the no
tional life
Sursum Corda. We have in our own tins
seen the republic survive an irrepressible con
filet sown in the blood and marrow Of the so
cial order We have seen the TeaeraI union,
not too strongly put togethe in the first place
come out Of great war Of sections stronger
than when it went into it, its faith renewed, its
credit rehahilitatcd and its flag saluted
with love and homage byd O,O00,0-0 Q Of God fear
Ing men and women, thoroughly rec
oncled and homogeneous. We have seen the
federal constitution outlast the strain, not
merely OF a roconstructory ordeal and a presi
Dental impeachment, but a disputed count OF
tho electoral vote. congressional deadlock
and an extra constitutional tribunal yet stand
ing firm against the assault OF its
enemies whilst yielding itself with ad.
inirable hexlbiity to the needs OF the
country and the time And, finally.
'ye saw the gigantic fabric Of the federal gov
q nment transferred from hands that had held
~ quarter OF a century to other hands without
Il protest, although so close was the poll in the
1ipal count that q single blanket might have
covered both contestants for the chief mags-
1efial ofiiee With such a record behind US,
who shall be afraid of the futuref
The curse OF slavery Is gone. 1t was a Joint
tiarffu -
In bool and flame The mirage OF the confed-
'racy has vanished. 1t was essentially bucolio
a vision Of Arcade, the dream OF a most at
tractive economic fallacy. The constitution Is
no longer a rope Of sand. The exact re.
lation Of the states to the federal gov
frnment left open to double con
-truoton BY the authors OF our organic being
because they could not agree gmong themselves
ald union was the paramount object, has been
learly and definitely fixed by the three last
amendments TO the original chart. which con
situte the real treaty of peace between tho
1orlh and the south and seal our bonds as a ma
lion forever
The men who planted the signals OF Ameri-
caE civilization upon that sacred rock by Ply
mouth bay were Englishmen, and so we're the
men who struck the coast a little lower down.
falling their haven Of rest after the great re-
publican c1mmoner, and founding by Hampton
Roads race Of heroes and statesmen, the men,
ION OF whose names bring thrll TO every /
iearL The south claims Lincoln, the i'm
Mortal, for its own, the north has no right TO
iect Stonewall Jackson the one typical
Puritan soldier OF the war, for its owni Nor
Tillit The lime is coming. IS almost here,
vneu hanging aU0fv Hs7sy a man &c board IN
air New England-glorifying many a cottage
n the sunny sOuth-shall be seen bound to
-ether in everlasting love and honor. two
rossed swords carried to battle respectively
> the grandfather who wore the blue and the
randather who wore the gray.
cannot trust myself to proceed We have
ONE here not so much to recall bygone sorrows
nd glories as 10 bask in the sunshine Of pres :
ut prosperity and happiness, 10 exchange pa
rlotic greetings and indulge good auguries
nd above all. to meet upon the threshold the
ranger within nur gate, not as foreigner, /
At as guest and friend, for whom nothing
hat We have is too good ,
From whcrcsover he eometh we welcome
N With al our hearts the son OF the Rhone
nj the Garonnc. our godmoiher France. TO
hom we owe so much, he shall be our Lafay-
r. the son Of She Rhine and the Mozelle, he
b lil be our Goethe and our Wagner. the son
The CampaEra and the Ycsuvian bay. he shall