The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1896-07-01

be amss No man Of intelligence
doubts that we are III a period of
rapid political and social evolution.
Every body feels that there is some.
thing out Of gear in this huge gov
ernmental machine, because 1t Goes
not respond readily, as in days OF
yore, to the popular wish or need.
The rapid growth Of Executive power
is fast crystalizing q contest between
Congress, representing the people.
and the Executive representing enS
.renched monopoly. It is the same
old fight of Parliament and King,
waged by our ancestors
Political science has not kept pace
with the inventive genius Of the age
+ in physics. There has been no polltz
icai Morse CT Edison to turn the Y
rays into the vitals, lay bare the
secret cause, and cure the disease
which affects the body polite. Every
quack in the nation has scratched his
head, looked wise and prescribed q.
nostrum, cut the patient is no better
than she was three years ago when
heroic treatment was prescribed.
The people feel that something IS
wrong, you cannot put it into words,
that vague troubled unrest that per-
vades the masses to day If no
statesman rises up to blaze the way,
the instinct of the people will, in the
end, lead US Alright That wisdom
which comes from the concentrated
thought of many people may commit
excesses, follow false lights and go
astrav for awhile, but in the end
truth and right prevail. Gods gift
of instinct to the ureducated masses
is something more wonderful than
the light Of reason. The trained
orator may descant in polished
periods on the beauties of the sltua:
ton, and prove that everything is all
right, but the masses, the mob while
he talks, sullenly say everything is
wrong, and nothing will ever be right
until we rise up and right it Obe-
dicnt to this instinct, thrones, cynas-
ties, church aud state, have gone
down before the wrath cf the people.
They couldn't tell in words why, but
like the tiger, pierced by an arrow,
the sullen hate and fary of peoples
wrath can find no words and hath no
bounds A cruel wrath, that makes
no distinction between the good and
the bad, the false and the true. A
foolish wrath. which makes an idol
to-day of the demagogue, who best
plays upon the fierce frenzy Of the
passing whim or caprice, while to-
morrow they cut his head
off and set up a new idol.
A dreadful wrath whose mad breath
withers justice, and sends mercy
trembling cut of sight, while vice and
virtue, guilt and innocence, patriot
J ism and sel6shness are swept into a
common grave. Then exhausted,
slowly and painfully society
struggles on its feet again !;
old abuses and worn out tradl-
tions have been shattered, and
, out of chaos comes order, and hu-
5 manity marks another milestone.
The last century behe'd the
/, changes and phantasises of the
5 French revolution, when with COM
mon instinct the masses rose, aud
2 went in search of equality and
liberty, leveled all ranks, trampled in
: the dust throwns and crones, only
! to seemingly Establish a despotism
: more profound. Yet the seed sown
in the bosom Of each nation then, in
e these latter times have borne fruit
A Lafayette came to fight for Ameri-
i can independence A Jefferson re-
/, turned bearing the grand, simple
t message, "All men are born free and
t equal =" Not equals in courage, in
j, teIlect and energy, but equals IN op
e portunities before the law. No spe-
c cialy favored classes or individuals,
s but each man, each class, with e1-
o actly the same opportunities to make
the mcst of God.given gifts. What
a grand conception these fathers Of
: the young republic had of the func
e ton of government. Here was real
4 lied the dream Of liberty. for which
r through many tragic century the:
Il lowly and oppressed had yearned and
7 fearlessly fought and proudly died
q How is it now? Special legisla
y ton has created specially favored
r classes. Giant trusts and moncpo
lies laugh at law, and all property
t. +. steadily gravitates towards the pos
. SCISSORS of wealth Toiiers increase
q while labor saving machinery pass.
y es into the control of capital, ant
q worker competes with worker fo'
% work. The tyranny Of party caucus