The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1894-06-01


and in chimney corners.
We have seen something akin to this
in more recent years. There is much
patriotism of this kind even now abroad
in the land. Patriotism shows itself in
the discharge of the duties of citizenship.
Citizenship involves both privileges and
obligations. The government protests
us in our rights; it requires of us the
performance of certain duties. Alas!
that there should be so many to remem-
Der their privileges and forget their OBJ
legations; TO insist so strenuously upon
their rights and be so unmindful of their
duties. But only he who faithfully dis
charges the obligation of citizenship can
properly claim its privileges. The man
who sells his vote, the man who casts it
for no higher end than partisan success,
the man who finds it incompatible with
his personal ease or interest to cast his
ballot-these all and these all equally
have failed in the discharge of the obli-
cations of citizenship. They might all
with equal justice be deprived of its
privileges.
Those whom we gather this day to
commemorate have paid the last and
highest obligation of citizenship and
patriotism. "Greaier love hath no man
than this, that man lay down his life
for his friends" Greater patriotism
hath no man than this, thathe lay down
his life for his country. They have
paid loves last debt; they have attained
devotion's most exalted height. But
while we honor their devotion and com
mend their self sacrifice we must
not imagine that thus and thus only
may patriotism show itself "Peace has
its victories no less than war;" If it has
its victories, it must have its battlefelds,
baitlefields not less hardly fought, not
less nobly won, calling for not less of
patriotic self sacrifice and heroic discip.
line. 1t is not every man that can stand
"Adversity," said Bacon,
"has slain its thousands, but prosperity
its tens of thousands" Peace, prosper
ity, the rapid accumulation of wealth
and the multiplication of material re-
sources have not infrequently preceded
national power and the extinction of
national life. Israel fell in a single
from its height of glory un-
der Solomon to the abyss of division
and distraction under his successors
Rome fell not when poor and struggling
for foothold among the nations, but
when exulting in the full plentitude of
its power and Boosting of her glory and
And this last quarter
century of abundant prosperity has
brought to our own land threats of evil
and portents of i'll that may well alarm
the patriots heart and inspire the pa
riots devotion.
A democratic form of government is
not, perhaps, the wisest and most eff
cient. 1t is scarcely to be expected that
it would be the wisest. The wisdom of
such a government cannot far outrun
the average intelligence Of its people,
and to lift population of upwards of
sixty millions to high grade of average
is a most Herculean task.
1t were easier to raise the wisdom of the
select few to higher point of practical
wisdom. A democratic form of govern
ment is not the most Immediately eff
cient form of government. Centraliza-
ton of power is the condition Of highest
efficiency. 1t was not till the armies
of the United States had been brought
under the direction of one master mind
until power had been centralized
that the war moved on to its then ire
sistible conclusion. That which consti-
tutes the glory of democratic institutions
is not their wisdom and immediate eff
cheney, but their freedom; not that they
develope most rapidly and wisely the
interests of the nation, but that
by the obligations and responsibilities it
imposes upon all its citizens alike; by
the immunities from class distinction
and social revolution that it secures; by
the opportunities of self development
and the privilege of self culture it guar
antees to ali-that by these and all other
developes men. Not great
wealth, but high manhood; not national
glory, but social equality; not great
power, but civil and religious liberty
are attractions of democracy. But what
if these be lost? What if, failing to Sc
cure the highest legislative wisdom or
the highest administrative efficiency
our government fail to secure for us
liberty, equality and social fraternity?
Has it not then failed to secure that for
the very securing OF which it was
created? Has it not forfeited its right
to be? Are we in America today free
people? 1t would be far too much TO
say that we had ceased to be free. 1t is
not too much to say that our liberties
are seriously threatened, not by the APP
partition fanny foreign POWERFUL by the
social ills which have been bred amidst
our very prosperity. Are we free? Ask
the small manufacturers who few years
ago were the strength of our American
industries, now either suppressed out of
existence or impressed into bondage to
great trusts and combinations of capital.
Are we free? Ask President Mcbride at
whose command 10000 men have
ceased work in mines. Ask the miners
of Pennsylvania whose trouble with
their employers has been satisfactorily
adjusted and who would resume work If
permitted so to do by the same arbitrary
authority. Ask the miners of central
Illinois whose villages have been in
vaded by armed thousands from afar to
compel them to relinquish their very
means of sustenance. Behold in this
fair land of liberty and light, two giyan-
tic despotisms: The despotism Of capt.
tai upon the one hand, the despotism of
organized labor upon the other-con-
front each other in armed array. The
long impending industrial conflict
seems now beginning. We have long
watched helplessly and all but hopeless
ly the signs Of its approach.
The social atmosphere this long ii me
has been sultry and oppressive, contain