The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1895-06-26
AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION.

AN ACCURATE DESCRIPTION.
While we are not in the habit of
reproducing anything from Re-
publican sources, we waive for the
nonce that custom and give space
to the following extract from an
address delivered by United States
Senator Shelby NJ. Cullom, at the
commencement exercises of the
University of Illinois, for the rea-
son that it not only embodies
wholesome advice to the students
in particular and young men in
general, but we can detect a strik-
ing simililude, as true to nature as
if reflected in the Photographic
camera, between his reference to
"a wave of so-called reform" peri
odicalIy sweeping over the coun-
try aud the present silver cru
SADIE. 1t will also be noticed that
he gives an accurate description
easily recognizable-of profession
al agitators, place hunters, etc, iu
their professcd zeal for the amelio-
rstiOn OF the alleged enslaved con.
dition of the "dear peoplC"-but i'll
reality from interested motives
and the expedients to which they
will resort in their patriotic and
disintcrested efforts to lead them
out of the wilderness of "goId
bug" bondage:
owe may have hard. times, bad
times, and we may meet trouble
and suffering, but the world is not
growing poorer, neither are the
people worse in habits or iu mo
rality. With each advancing year
some specified and marked ad.
vance is made in the world. HUI
man suffering is being mitigated,
knowledge is being extended, aud
some old barbarism is being abol.
ished or left behind: The world is
daily and hourly becoming wiser
and better, and the people are i'm.
proving and advancing in every
grade of society and in every con.
diti0n of life. In our own State
the evidences are to be seen upon
every hand, of the wondrous pro
gress in civilization and entight-
eminent which our people have
made, since our State government
was established in 1918. Those OF
you who have observed the events
of the last generation know that
periodically there sweeps over the
country a wave of so-called re-
form. At its head you will always
find class of professional agita-
tors, who claim to possess All un-
failing remedy for the ills of socie-
ty and tile faults of party politics.
They are usually men who have
been on all sides of every subject
-s'everything by turns and moth
ing long, They are loud-speak,
ing and self-assertive men. They
live upon The credulity of the pub
lie aud thrive upon the imagined
troubles and difficulties Of society.
They. can settle and decide qnes-
tons of high Importance, which
have puzzled the wiser statesmen
and embarrassed the brightest
minds, with the facility and glib
ness Of charlatans. They verify
the ancient saying, that "foolsi rush
in where angels fear to tread"
The untrammeled scope which our
system of free speech aud free
press offers to pretenders, gives
them a chance to mislead and
poison the minds of those who have
not the ready means of replying
to and counteracting ilIjudged
doctrines.
They will announce themselves
upon the street corners as the
champions of some new and plaus.
lille. hut imnractica hle fhe,rv and
too often the honest citizen Is led
into the mistake of abandoning
we'll considered policies which have
stood the test OF years, to adopt
some ridiculous nonsense in their
stead. The apostles of new phases
Of folly frequently stagger and an.
noy their betters, aud cause for a
time the steady current of public
opinion to ripple with uncertainty.
Several times in the past thirty