The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1896-11-26

cratlc government began it's real fight for
me- The issue then was, Are the peo
PIE capable of self-government? If JEFF
ferson had failed, the federalist party
would nave gone on suppressing individu-
al liberty and consolidating the central
power until we should have q republic
IN name oniy-a Florentine' common
wealth, perhaps line of Medician
princes. But jefferson succeeded and
the written law of the land strictly con-
s suued was, secured to the people. In
l9OO we shall have to face the same
question in a new form and the issue
VIII be, under existing conditions, Are
orderly governments and popular govern
ments concurrent possibilities?
III we are to have many presidential
campaigns like the one just ended, they
are not. Unless the people are brought
to realize the changes of q century of
progress, every four years will witness
party taking the field in the support
OF the alleged rights of humanity, whose
very existence is menace to the pub
lie order, the peace of society, the just
balance between the sections of the
Union, the money of the people, the credit
OF the nation and every other good and
perfect thing supposed to emanate from
our republican system"
What do you regard as the most rad
ical change of the century,"
I'm 1900 we were q few millions of peo-
pie and we loved liberty. In 1900 we
are nearly hundred millions of people
and we love money. Moreover, individ-
ually and collectively, we have a great
deal of money. Most of this money is
invested in what are called corporations.
From handful of individuals we have
become a nation of institutions. The in
Iixy,I De, e.,
more and more. 1t is the idiOsyncrasy
tear down the house, but can not at one
time occupy and destroy. That is what
Mr.. Bryan and his followers are pre-
tending they can do. Meanwhile. must
man lose his individual rights of prop
erty because he has invested his accumu-
lations in a bank or in q railway or even
we have to meet and settle as against
trust company? That is the question
the clamor of the mob before we can
feel entirely safe about anything"
What of the sectional spirit and ten
dency"
"Among people so great in numbers
and occupying such vast territorial
extent, sectional discussions growing
out of conflicting local interests are in
evitablc. We had north and south.
NOW we are DtSllllHS W ucuI VI III east
and a west He who knows the whole
country and is familiar with the people
from the Canadian line to the Mexican
border and between the two oceans needs
not to be told that, judged by other ma
tionalities, the popular homOgeneity in
America is little short of amazing.
United Germany, united Italy, the Aus
tro-Hungarian empire, neither France
nor England, nor even the Swiss confed-
Grafton can boast of anything like the
oneness of origin, character, ties, hope,
manners and customs which mark the
inhabitants of the United States of
North America. But the demagogue is
always around and there is ever chance
to stir up strife between rival communl-
ties. but he finds work to his hand and
particularly to his mouth, it being with
him usually Il hand-to-mouth affair. II
men would stop and think they would
offer some check to the pesteriferous i'll
sect. But environment counts for more
than we commonly allow it, both IN
human ethics and action. A few self
confident leaders may, as they often do,
compel the reluctant acquiescence OF a
timid minority. and thus whole com
munities are driven like herds of cattle
down the mountain side, they know not
how or where, by sort of unconscious
impulsion. l do not believe that, III
1S6O-61 more than tive of the southern
states actually voted themselves out OF
the Union, certainly the states OF VIZ,
GINA, North Carolina and Tennessee ana
not, and yet such was the pressure ana
infection that the immense Union ma
iority of February and March of the
latter wear were found in July fighting
the battles of the Confederacy.
DO you apprehend growth OF the new
sectional sentiment which, with the
death of the old sectionalism, seems 10
he struggling into life in America!
'If human experience goes for any
fling. or is even to count for much, the
world ought to be wiser for the lessons
If has had. | am afraid, however, that
organized wealth and power have not
vet grown wise enough to scent danger
before it is upon them. The eastern
section of our country is already in dan
ger. | have an impression that 1t does
not see this. Yet it might with proht TO
itself and to all. read a chapter OUT Oh
our own history and take a hint IN ti III,
from the experience of the south. Inc
institution of African slavery was
thought to confer great benefits upon us
possessors. 1t produced in the south
distinct caste. Recognized by the con
ytitution, property in man came to take
M n kind of divine right, and at last ITS
supporters went to war to defehu IT,
Znthing should have been clearer than
that war was the best way to destroy
If England had got rid of slavery, IN
hcr colonies: Russia had eXtngulshed
sorfdom. Brazil was preparing TO eman-
cipatc her slaves: the world was SET
against slavery. TO cling with tenaclty
to so untenable and as time has SINCE
revealed. to so profitless system oil Ia
hor-to say nothing about morals-Was
Sinoulorly shortsighted in the public men
Of the south. but to take the field in Its
behalf. and against such odds, seems
Uncomfortable from the standpoint OF ma
tional craftsmanship. But the south
did If. and dearly paid the consequences:
Ii ot The east take to itself the lesson OF
the south. In its concentration oI .ne
wealth of the country and IN ITS osten-
totious display of this wealth IN the graz
uol cultivation of caste IN the tendency
to hing its vast riches and in the hhdlhg
If means to keep its millions at nome
LOT il behold a danger it Will DO wen 10
consider in the light of both ancient anu
modern history, and if it has any real
statesmen they can not put their genius
and resources to better use than by the
obstruction of policies which Will BRING
them alliances and make them frienus.
nolcies wise and broad, Justlfylhg Ill
somn measure the unlimited accumuia-
tion they have been able 10 PIE up III
snch a relatively short space oil time
"Those accretions not only serIe ~, ~