The Butler weekly times., 1896-02-20

is that the politicians do not rise to
the summit of courage and tell the
,,eople wherein they are in error.
Perhaps that is true. But it has
sometimes seemed that graver harm
comes from the fact that some poll
ticians, appearing before the people
as the advocates of certain doctrines
obtaining the suffrages Of the peo-
pie upon certain pledges; after they
are clothed with power by the peo'
pie, after they are commissioned by
the people to carry out the people S
will, fall away from their professions,
forget their teachings, and turn
their backs upon those who have
given them honor and power, and
Join with those who are opposed to
them. (Applause.)
l have sometimes fancied that the
people suffer more from misrepre.
sentation than they do from the lack
of courage in those who essay to
teach them what is right and what
is wrong, what is wise and what is
unwise. am we'll aware that dis
tinguished men have changed their
opinion. We have them around
among US. They are to be found
everywhere. 1t is common enough
thing for people, good and bad, to
change their views, and change their
course of conduct. The conclusion
is not an irresistible one that when
man changes his views upon some
great question he is largely beyond
the measure of ordinary men, Or is
good beyond the gooan ess of ordi-
nary men, That conclusion is not
necessarily one which wo must
adopt, because history does not
show that to be the invariable rule
and course of events
/ make no invidious comparisons
or suggestions about these things.
| know that some men stand con-
spicuous in history for having
changed their course, and changed
their professions, when the change,
according to The judgment of man
kind, has not been in the right di-
rection. I know that through twenty
centuries and by sixty generations
Of men the memory of Judas Iscariot
and of the great betrayal has
been kept alive, that upon it might
be heaped in perpetual freshness
the execrations of mankind. 1 know
that Benedict Arnold, who shed his
blood in the cause of patriotism and
afterwards turned against his coun-
try, is remembered as a frightful
example-thank God, one of the few
e1amples-hsld up for the condem.
nation and the e1ecration of univer.
sal manhood and patriotism.
NOT OF THE IGNORANT CLASS.
I know, too, that there are people
who remain steadfast IN views which
they have formed upon deliberation
and udy-views they believe to be
correct and views which they have
tried-who cannot we'll be elassed
as Chinese or as belonging to the
ignorant class from the East Indies
or from some dark and benighted
tribe in the depths of Africa-much
less may they be classed as belong
ing to the lower animals.
l do not attribute to my colleague
any suggestion that he was sent here
by representatives of any of those
classes. I know that the men who
sent him here, the men before
whom he appeared as an advocate
in season and out of season of the
free coinage of silver, are, upon the
average, as honest and as sincere az
can be found anywhere in this
Union. I, myself, like all men, I /
suppose have admiration for eour-
age. l can admire the man who.
clinging to his own opinion, though
it be newly acquired, is willing on
account Of it to surrender place and
power, is willing to retire from the
walks Of public life to the shades of
private life. And / can also i'm.
agins case where perhaps the
shades Of private life may rest upon
ana without r,orfio,lor rnf,~>... l.