The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1896-11-19

bank. or a railway. or even a trust
have to meet and settle against the
clamor of the mob before we can feel
entirely sure about anything"
What of the sectional spirit, and ten
dency?"
Among a people so great in numbers
and occupying so vast a territorial ex-
tent sectional distinctions, growing
out of conflicting local interests. are
inevitable We had a north and a
SOUTH now we are beginning to hear
Of an east and a west. He who knows
the whole Of the country and is famil-
lar with the people. the Canadian line
to the Mexican border and between the
TWO oceans need not to be told that
judged by other natfOnalities the pop
ular homOgeneity in America is little
short OF amazing United Germany,
united Italy, the AustrO-H Hungarian en-
pre- neither France nor England nor
even the Swiss eonfede Grafton, can
boast OF anything like the oneness Of
origin, character, ties, aims, hopes,
manners and customs which mark the
inhabitants of the United States. But
the demagOgue is always around and
there is ever a chance to stir UP strife
finds work to his hand, and particular
" to his mouth. it being with him usu-
ally a hand to mouth affair.
If men would stop to think they
would offer some check to this pestif-
erOus insect. But environment counts
for more than we commonly allow it
but in human ethics and action A
few resolute. self confident leaders
may, as they often do, compel the re
luctant acquisition Of a timid. vacil-
lating majority; and thus whole com
munities are driven like herds of cat
tie down the mountain side, by a sort
of unconscious impulsiOn. do not
believe that in 1S60-61 more than few
states actually voted themselves out of
the union and yet such is the pressure
la nr1Gz a mi
majority of February and March of the
latter year were found in July fighting
the battles Of the cOnfederacy.
DO you apprehend the serious
growth of the new sectiOnalisn, which,
with the death of the old sectiOnalism,
seems to be struggling into life in
American"
IF human experience goes for any
thing, and is even to count for much,
the world ought to be wiser for the les
sons it has had. / am afraid however.
that organized wealth and power have
not yet grown wise enough to scent the
danger before it is upon them. The
eastern section of our country is al
ready in danger. I have an impression
that it does not see this. Yet, tonight
with profit to itself and to us all. read
a chapter out of our own history, and
take hint in time from the experience
of the south. The institution of Afri-
can slavery was thought to confer
great benefits upon its pOssessOrs. 1t
Recognized by the constitution prop
erty in man Came to take on kind of
divine right, and at last its supporters
went to war to defend it. Nothing
should have been clearer than that
war was the best way to destroy it,
England had got rid of slavery in her
colonies. Russia. had eXtinguished
serfdom. Brazil was preparing to
emancipate her slaves. Everyw here
except in the southern states of Amer
lea the people were against it. For the
south to take the field in its behalf
seems very singular.
Let the east take to itself the les
son of the south. In its concentration
of the wealth of the country and its
0stentatiOus display of this wealth in
the gradual cultivation of caste, ia the
tendency to hug its vast riches, and in
the finding of means to keep its mil
lions at home. let it behold a danger
it viii do we'll to consider in the light
of both ancient ana modern history
and if it has any real statesmen they
cannot put their genius and resources
to better uses than by the construc-
ton of policies which viii bring them
alliances and make them friends-pOl-
icies wide and broad, justifying in
some measure the unlimited accumula-
tions they have been able to pile up
in such a relatively short compass of
time Those accretiOnS not only serve
to breed corruption among themselves,
but they unite against the simple rights
of property all the forces of cupld1ty.
and rapine. operating on Agrarian
and sectional lines. States have been
saved before now by timely forecast
Only pride and a very foolish pride at
that. has led Spain to defy the laws
alike of God and nature in Cuba Only
pride. the pride of wealth and caste,
win keep the east from seeing the
truth that it must make a partner of
the rest Of the country not only by gen
erous and expounding policies, but
above all, by just policies. harder per
haps to realize than any other policies.
We can always be generous but it is
not always easy to be just, wisely just
even to ourselves
What would you advise the Demo
cratic party to do Mr. Watterson2"
What I would advise it to do and
what it is likely to do are different
matters. Perhaps it could not do any
thing better by way of a starter than
to appoint the next eighth day Of jan
uary as a day of fasting and prayer