The daily morning journal and courier., 1894-07-05

help the feeling that there has been a
 great change. that We are in the midst
 of condition of depressed business,
 and of a troubled social order. It
 seems natural for men to overlook ther
 blessings and dwell only on their trpu. bles. and 80 I imagine we have all
 come to this celebration with more of
 apprehensions for the future than of
 thankfulness for the past. Yet, even in times Of doubt and uncertainty. 1t is
 we'll not to forget what We have come through.
 There have been many dark periods
 in our history, many times when mems
 hearts failed them for fear; time when
 croakers and pessimists abounded, and
 people were almost or quite ready to
 declare free government a failure. and
 to predict revolutions and changes;
 times of discomfort. Of a disposition to
 lawlessness, of tendency to condemn
 everything as radically wrong. Our
 freedom was won in such a time; our
 constitutional government was estab-
 lished in period of deepest gloom and
 despondency; and from that time to
 the present there have been crises in
 our history when 1t seemed as If men
 would forget that all their hopes were
 centered and bound up in their system
 of government and in the maintenance
 of its laws. But in all these times of
 gloom, despondency and trouble the
 sober second thought of the American
 people has asserted itself. the dangers
 have been surmounted, the nation has moved on to higher progress. and man. kind to a nobler development.
 From this. think, we may we'll take courage and indulge the belief that the nation has not yet reached the summit of Its usefulness. nor the people the zenith of their happiness. Let us to- day remember and reassert this fun damental thought: this Is our country yours and mine. It is all the world the country of the highest freedom, of the greatest liberty. Hereis the great est prosperity and here is the greatest happiness. Whatever We may oom- plain of, whatever we may hope or long for, we have more to make us truly thankful and more to enjoy than any other people. Be 1t ours to conserve and preserve our nation and its insti- tutions, not to abandon 1t, nor destroy them.
 There come times to nations as we'll as to individuals when endurance is the test of virtue. Be it ours to endure and not to surrender. t
 There has been a change. We are not to-day as we were two years or one year ago. upon the top of the wave. We are in its trough. The opportuni- ties both of business and of employ ment are seriously diminished; the | ability of our people to maintain them selves in comfort and happiness has been greatly lessened. There is en- forced likeness and attendant want. I l do not propose to-day to inquire the | causes of this changed condition; we might disagree as to that, but I think | we may at least agree how we may l avoid the danger of the situation, and l 30 conduct ourselves as not to imperil 1 our hopes of the future For that the times are filled with danger signals, no | one; may deny. -[' ,!
 The character of our population has largely changed. When come to these celebrations and look into the faces of such audiences as see before me, am | sure that am looking into the faces of | men who represent, either as lineal l descendants, or. adopted heirs,g the :houghts, purposes hope, courage and he resolution of men of the past who ounded our institutions, who risked heir all to sustainsthem, and who are worthy representatives of, the republic. But our prosperity and our opportuni- les have attracted from all portions of he earth many who have little in com non With us; to whom liberty Is but mother name for license; whose char
 cters, desires and passions are not vet moulded into conformity with our civil who have, to some extent, in- used into the mass of our citizenship lotions of anarchy, of socialism, of
 disregard for human. life and rights of roperty, and whose only purpose eems to be, like the viper that was warmed, to kill and destroy their They come from countries where their dangeries tendencies have
 cen held in check by arbitrary rule. to ; nation which our fathers fondly oped would always possess the ability f 0 govern. itself through the wisdom. he virtue and the intelligence of its eople, without too oppressive methods nd subject only to the restraint of ivil law.
 How shall we meet this new danger 0 our government, to our property and 0 our homes? The danger seems to evelop along three independent lines: l rst, hatred of all government; this ) anarchy. Second, false idea of the l unctions of government; this is so- i ialism. Third, false idea of equal { lghts; this is political demagogy. |c
 With the anarchist I need not deal. II Ie is opposed to all authority; and 'ithout authority there is no freedom. ( ocialism, although 8 word of elastic leaning, needs but little more atten- t ion. If there Is any one thing which { as been well grounded in the Ameri- f an thought, it Is that the government | I } best which governs least. do not t elieve that thought can be overthrown g y the new sentiment that the t overnment Is best which gov t rms most. I do not believe that the S merican people as whole are in dam ty CT of adopting the idea that govern lent must legislate for private welfare $ nd private advantage. The strangest C ling in the spread of socialism in our . ountry is that, while decrying class { gislation, the socialist insists upon | gislation which shall provide and Y Ire for the minutest concerns of the t ldiYidual.: In other words wherauar | n