The Roanoke daily times. (Roanoke, Va.) 1895-1897, 1896-09-08

| erDment to have Just as good a govern
fnent as the people deserve. Ours is the
| best form of government because it is
| possible for the people to make it reflect
the best Intelligence, the highest virtue
and that broadcast patriotism of all the
| people
| Let me warn you against confusing
| government with the abuses of govern
| hent. Andrew jackson said that there
| were no necessary evils in government:
| that its evils existed only in it's abuses;
Es was right, my friends. There are no ne
9essary evils In government and no man
| Tho understands the advantage of gov
eminent will ever raise his voice or hand
| sgainst government itself. 1t is the
abuses of government against which we
nave the right to complain. There are
! some who would silence every criticism
| of existing law. There are those who
would denounce every one who advocates
achange as n disturber, one who breeds
discontent. l want to say to you that
| discomfort lies at the foundation of all
progress. (Applause) So long as you are
satisfied you never go forward. 1t is only
when you are dissatisfied with your con-
ditions that you try to improve those con-
dltlons Now, why? My friends, had our
forefathers been satisfied with English
| political supremacy we never would have
mad n declaration of independence. Gap
| plause) They were not content with the
conditions under which they lived and
| they put that expression of discomfort
| into the form of declaration of indie
| pendence, and they maintained that dec
laratlon with their blood and it gives us
this form of government.
| f''There Is this difference between our
form OF government and the monarchial
form; if you are discontinued under Il
monarchy, how can you get relief? You
can petition, but your petition may be
nsregarded. Discomfort under monarchy
may end IN despair, or it may end in rev
olutlon. Discomfort under our form of
government ends in reformation through
the peaceful means of tho ballot. (Ap-
plause)
81 am not going to violate, the proprie-
lies OF this occasion by entering into a
discussion of partisan occasions, but | de
sire to call your attention to certain broad
questions which cannot be confined by
party lines. The ballot is the means by
which the people of this country must
right every wrong, and if the people have
not the independence, if they have not the
Intelligence to right their wrongs ut the
ballot box, they have not the courage to
secure their rights in any other way. (Ap-
plause.) But my friends, conditions arose
in, this country which made it impossible
~ WIZ PSopiC W uSC OIlc DdlaOb WHICH UneY
had. Ga voice: "That's rightly There
were certain influences so strong, so pow
ertul, that men were afraid to exercise
freely and upon their own conscience the
poliClcal rights given them under our in
stitutions. What did they do? 1 honor
the laboring men of this country and or
assfn:%ed labor because they secured to the
people OF this country an Australian bal
lot. "a voice: "That ballot will put YOU
in, too. !" Renewed applause.) That bal
lot did not come down to you from above;
that ballot is the result of your own de.
mand. 1t is the result of your influence
The laborlng man to day enjoys the adj
vantage of an Australian ballot because
the laborng men of this country COM
PEELED the adoption of Australian ballot
laws. (Applause.)
"Now, my friends, among all the agen.
cies which for the last few years
have been at work, lettering the condi-
tion and protecting the rights of the labor
ing men of this country, believe that the
laboring organizations stand first among
them all. (Applause) 1t has brought
them together where they could consult
with each other, where they would COM
pare their views, where they could unite
their strength, where they could make
their influence effective, and the laborinU
man has his organization and his own
efforts to thank for such blessings as he
has secured.
''Now, my friends, some have criticised
labor organizations. "a voice: Hanna
-Applause.) There are some who be-
lieved that banking organizations are
joint associations; that managers of rail
roads should join associations; that every
body was entitled to join an association
except the laboring man. applause
The labOrinQ mans associntion has boen
the means by which he has protected him
self in his warfare against other organiza-
tions among other people.
''Now, my friends, the labor organiza-
tions has done much good, and yet there
is good that society can do that will add
to and supplant the work of the laboring
men themselves. l want to speak of it
here-the principle of arbitration of
difference between corporate employers
and their employees. That principle has
been forced upon the attention of the
American people. believe in arbitration.
(Applause.) Arbitration is simply the
extension of the idea of the court of JUS
tice. (Applause.) 1t IS merely instituting
Il tribunal before which men may 20 and
settle their differences instead of resort
ing to violence to settle those differences
You say the laboring men are interested
i'll arbitration. Yes, they have so ex-
pressed themselves but want to say to
you, my friends, that society has higher
interest even than the laboring man in
the principle of arbitration. Society has
n right to protect itself against these con-
tests between labor and capital. Society
has right to say to both employer and
employe instead of asserting right or Il
claim and defending it by force you shall,
in the interest of society submit that to