The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1892-12-15
THE WINTER
OF OUR OlscoNTsNT MADE SUMNER
BY ]. j. BURNS.

dny evening, December s. He was iutro-
duced by Toastmaster Monnot, as fol-
lows: ,,-
ton from Shakespeare, "rhe Winner OF
our Discomfort Made summer by one of
the greatest Shakesperian scholars ana
one of the foremost educators OF the state,
Prof, j. j. Bdrns, superintendent OF the
schools of Canton.
When the applause which followed the
introduction mad subsidtd Prof. Burns
said:
81 should sin against the promptinRs OF
one of tue better angels OF our nature dlu
not express my appreciation OF the
courtesy SHOWN me by tue Young Mems
Democratic club. A second time l have
sat, u guest, at their bounteous banquet
table; a second time l ain Invited to take
place in this rare company and speak TO
an audience whose well toruted good
nature will render my task easy an audi'
ence described by the poets familiar
couplet:
"rho deep, yet clear; tho gentle, yet not dulli
strong without rage, without o'erlowlnS, full"
My vanity does not attribute the invita-.
ton to desire on tns committees part
that l should outline plan Of puplic
polity for the Incoming administration, or
that should auAS ~ aud diagram the re =
cent political tour lament, j am Ruilel
to this conclusion by STEADY look al the
semi.geographlcA., senl'pnllticAl, semi
poeticAI, SENT nys!eriCal theme,w has
been assigned ms, Bsspeaking your
patience, IL my fire should burn low at
times, aud some parts OF my toast not De
well done, for TO Enis business OF puphc
speaking IN matters outside OF my protes'
sion was not bred, hasten 10 tue lmme'
diate vicinity OF tny subject.
William Shakespeare, the poet laureate
OF this pl angt, ~ part of the uncounted
legacy which NJ isft for the delight, in
struction, aud perpetual enrlching Of
mankind, created series or dramas Daseu
upon English history. Whlie we read. we
seem to he transported through space aud
time, and 20 be actual witnesses OF great
events. We grow inio the acquaintance
of the shreS vi Henry ", the valiant
Henry V, tue pious Henry vi. We lock
on whils the white YOrkist rose supplants
the red l. SuCastrian rose in the royhl gar
den, and hear the eNuitant Glosier'0
Now is the winter of our discomfort
made glorious summer uy this sun OF
York;
read in M church paper this very day.
that you cSu apply to tex, hvs Kinus OF
criticism; nam y: tsxtuaI, ercpaeologl-
cal, philosoph. ', eNper!mental, ana MS
torical. Now, upthiug would delghs me
more, or laav Il more utterly satisfied
when finish, An 70 examine my tex!
tsEluaIly, arc q Geologic ally, philoeophtc-
ally, expsrimeuta!ly and LIstor-
utes warn me to practice self
restraint. Like many other texts, 1t
explains Itself IL yol le: IL alone; and the
Itue Of remark | shall INDULGE IN for
short time concerns: Q) ThSt political
"wiutern through whicn we Democrats
have shiyered; l2) the causes OF cur
"disconteutn; (3J the "change OF
seasous," "Ghangrd like the worlds
great scene when without noise the rising
sun night vulgar lights Destroy That
head sounds like m ecno from the
geography class, particularly as n both
changes there is an element kaown ~
''the Il AtteulnR NJ the polls and ~
fiually. and probably TO be omitted, some
dangers incident to not weather.
We claim as n party to trace cur foun-
daton back TO the author of the DsctHra-
ton OF Iudep IN ience. The measures
whereby this country has CROWD, terri
toriaIiy, from i;S modest boundaries Mt
the close OF the revolution to its preSeut
continental limits were, ia the m AN,
Democratic III measures. For continuous
decades u smOcratic presitepts with their
advisers held the helm of state. With
due decorum. the d Dsmocrstic party at
tended the fAneral of its NOR" or lees
distinguished antagonists, IN its great
contests for prIuciple and power, excite
N snt would mount to fever heat, Demo-
rat and Wing, each sure he was right,
yOuld strike sturdy blows; but IN all
those years how ridiculous, nay, how
iIonstrous would have been the claim
that one party was the Quintesseuce of
culture, religion, patrlotsn, dscency,
modesty; while the membsrs Of tue other
could be told by their lack OF these virtues
or coucse, each individual Democrats
individ u friends would try - overlook
or condone his politics; aud sometimes
express surprise tnst such good fellow
could rem sin in such bad company.
Democrat vino has never lived where his
4.
fessional, and social. was chiefly Repu5li-
eau, scarcely comprehends how Gully
some of those days were. Our frieDds,
the enemy. had a creed. short but com
prchensivr; this country belongs to the
Saints, and wa are the Saints. Or course
the older folks knew better, but the young
believed ia the doctrine that their party
held in fee everything that was glorious
in the past, reputable in the present. or
hopeful in the future, with faith that
was % athletic as we'll as provoking.
AS an ex ample going to show the SINGER.
ity of their claim, be kind enough to let
me tell you bit 0f personal expsrie -.Ge:
While on my rounds among the teachers
institutes in o lio some fourteen years ago,
the close OF a lecture which had the sins
rular good fortune to pieaae my audience,
a male youth of perh haps nineteen springs
came 10 aud asked me IL be might take
me an art FOR a few minutes. "Certaiuly,"
/ replied, "if you will be sure to put me
together again in the same way n 1t a
a bit did my leyiiy affect his gravity. ~
don't want offend you, hut would like
70 ask you question:" Proceed salh
], GAre you ID Dsmocrat?" said he. what
ia the world suggested that question:"
aaid L. prefacing this interrogatory with
the innrm alton that really andy truly
was Democrat. "Why," said he, "seVeral
of us over there were talking about you
Al recess lust after you spoke, and some
one said you were a Democrat, and told
him that that couldn't be true" "Why
not?n interj acted |. "Bscause I've always
understood that Dem ocrats were not ell
chile 10 the offlc of School Commission
err I'VE been agitating my intellect In
vain ever since to determine what 10 say
next. -..
kindred to that just illustrated' and In
harmony with the modest creed before
quoted. II was this: When a Democrat
was appointed or elected TO po'
aition or Office, high or low, In affairs
political, or in affairs uon-politicai,
there would always be widely prevailing
seutiment among our friends or the
other persuasion, and sentiment whlch
would often find expression, that ne, tine
Incumbent, had possession or something
20 which he had no right In my PROBES
sion, when Democrat was given chance
10 ssrn a living, the act was called "car-
ryinR politics into the snhoois;" when a
Republican was chosen, the &c va
Thought TO accord with tue eternal fitness
OF things, These good brethren, when
they made use OF that famous phrase OF
Daniel Wehster's, improved In the quot
ing by Mr.. Lincoln, "a government OF the
people, government for the people, ana
q government by the people," seemed TO
thiak those great statesmen were entirely
too liberal when they used that broad