People's voice. [volume] (Wellington, Sumner County, Kansas) 1890-1917, 1892-10-28
Mr. Watterson's Grafton.


When No. Is on the programme was
reached Hon. Henry Watterson, of Ken.
lucky, was introduced and spoke sub
stantially as follows:
We are met this day to honor the memory OF
Christopher Columbus, to celebrate the 40Oth
annual return Of the year OF his transcendant
achievement and with fitting rites TO dedicate
10 America and the universe concrete exposi.
tion OF the worlds progress between 1892 and
1877. 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 no 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 a thousand
pages. The story Of the least Of the
nations would ill a volume In what /
have 10 say upon this occasion, there
fore shall confne myself 10 our own, and.
In speaking OF the United States OF America, |
propose rather 10 dwell upon our character as a
people, and ourreCiprocal obligations and duties
as an aggregation Of communities, held together
by a hxed constitution, and charged with the
custody OF union upon whose preservation and
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 plain, practical people. We are race
oil inventors anu workers, not Of poets and art
lists. We have led the worlds movements, not
It's thought. Our deeds are TO be found not upon
irescoed 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 AMI the mower contend
with one another in friendly war against the
obduracles OF nature; in the magic OF electri-
city as II penetrates the darkest caverns with
It's Irresistible power and light Let US consid-
er ourselves and our conditions, as far as we
are able, with candor untinged by cynicism
and confidence having no air OF assurance
A better opportunity could not be desired for
a study Of our peculiarities than is furnished by
the present moment
We are in the midst Of the quadrennial period
established 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 proportioned 10 the IL
norance or indifference OF the parties concerned
by il, and there is good reason to hope that,
with the expanding intelligence Of the masses
and the growing enlightenment OF the times
this particular 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 BIZ
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 fol
truths sake; when II becomes the plain inter
est OF public men, as it is their plain duty 10 dc
this, and when, above all, friends and neighbor,
cease TO love one another less because OF indi
vidual difference Of opinion about public affairs
the struggle for unfair advantage will be rele
gated TO those who have either no character Il
lose or none TO seek
1t is admitted on all sides that the current
presidential campaign is freer from excitement
and tumult than was ever known before, and II
is argued from this circumstance that we are
traversing the epoch Of the commonplace II
this be so, thank God fori We have had full
enough OF the dramatic and sensational and
need season OF mediocrity and repose. But
may we not ascribe the rational way in which
the people are going about their business tC
larger knowledge and experience, and fairer
! spirit than have hitherto marked our party con
tentons;
Parties are essential TO free government as
oxygen TO the atmosphere or sunshine 10 vege
tation And party spirit is inseparable from
party organism To the extent that 1t Il
tempered by good sense and good feeling, BIZ
love OF country aud integrity Of purpose, It is q
supreme virtue, and there should be no gas
short OF decent regard for the senslbillties
OF others put upon its freedom and plain
ness OF utterance, Otherwise the limpiC
pool OF democracy would stagnate ant
we should have republic in name only. But
we should never cease 10 be admonished by
the warning words Of the father OF his country
against the excess Of party spirit reinforced as
they are by century Of part warfare war.
fare happily eliminating in the complete tri
umph Of American principles, but brought
many times dangerously near 10 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 80
cial order. We have seen the federal union,
not too strongly put together In the first place
come out Of a great war Of sections stronger
than when it went into 1t, its faith renewed, its
credit rehabilitated and its flag salutec
with love and homage bye 10000 OF God fear
ing men and women, thoroughly rec
onciled and homogeneous We have seen thC
federal constitution outlast the strain, moi
merely Of reconstructory ordeal and a presi
dental impeachment, but disputed count o.
the electoral vote, a congressional deadlock
and an extra constitutional tribunal, yet stand.
ing firm against the assault OF It's
enemies, whilst yielding itself with ad
mirable fexibility to the needs OF the
4
we saw the gigantic fabric of the federal gov
eminent transferred from hands that bad held
tia quarter Of a century to other hands without
a protest although SO close was the poll in the
final count that single blanket might have
covered both contestants for the chief magis
tcsial Office With such a record behind Us
who shall be afraid Of the iuturey
The curse Of slavery Is gone. 1t was joint
heritage Of woe, TO be wiped out and expiatec
In blood and fame. The mirage Of the confed
eracy has vanished 1t was essentially bucolic
vision Of Arcade, the dream Of most at
tractive economic fallacy. The constitution 4,
no longer a rope Of sand The exact re
lation Of the states to the federal gov
eminent left open to double con
struction by the authors Of our organic being