The Maryville times. (Maryville, Tenn.) 1884-1944, 1896-11-28
EDITORIAL
POST ELECTION THOUGHTS.

In the excitement previous to
election we sometimes become very
uncharltable and think that all
who tail to see as we do are un-
patriotic. Sometimes inen even go
80 far as to advocate force in order
to compel men to conform to their
way of thinking. We should recog-
nize the absurdity of this. Killing
a man does not make him agree
with you. TO knock him down is a
very poor argument, and frightful
commentary on your own narrow
ness. Why narrowness? Because
the man who expects all others to
agree with him displays total ig--
norance and misconception Of what
popular government is. In run.
ming so vast machine as ours,
opinions must differ as to what is
best to be done; they always will
differ and change more or less; and
it is we'll that they should, because
the nation that lives grows, and
growth causes change, and change
causes new measures and con-
slant re-alignment of political
opinion.
Many of us should climb up to a
higher plane of politics. Then
when we are high enough 10 look
over our neighbors' fences, to cur,
establishment we may find that he
feels just as patriotic as we do;
and he probably is, from his point
of view. L you live in a valley
you do not get the view of yourself
that is visible from the towering
mass above; if you dwell on the
hillside the valley below is what
you see. Yet both hill and valley
are there, and both are parts of the
eternal truths of nature. So the
man who differs from you in poll
tics is not necsarily wrong, or at
any rate he is not necessarily UNI
patriotic.
No one walk of life absorbs all Of
patriotism. A banker, Robert Nor.
ris, was one of our country's great
est and most long suffering friends
in the dark days of the Revolution,
and the contributions from the
ranks of farmers and mechanics
are so plentiful that an enumera-
ton is out of place here. We are
not hampered with class that can
pose as a fountain head of love to
country; ours is democracy of
patriots every class furnishing its
quota, the "seed time and harvest"
Of self-forgeting men never failing
hitherto.
A larger and nobler future
is only possible by wider recog-
milton of the memorable character
of The law of mutual dependence.
Every portion of the country is a
part of all the country. Whatever
distrust of the poor or suspicion of
the rich may exist is not because
such feelings are right, but because
we have not fully understood our
INTERPRETATION. "Sectionalism" is a
chimera of the brain. 1t speaks of
portion cut off from the rest,
which is impossible in complete
and living body. The blood of
national life that courses in the
most remote corner of Texas is the
same that reaches the piney woods
of Main. We have union as COM
plete, as real, as exists in the
column of mercury in thermome
ter. "Oesigning men many en-
deavor to excite a belief that there
is a real difference of local interests
and views. One of the eXpe-
dients of party to acquire influence,
within particular districts, is to
misrepresent the aims and opinions
of other Districts" says George
Washington in his farewell Adj
dress. Quit you like men, we'll
balanced men! Believe fully in
the side you espouse,b but also believe
with all your heart in the freedom
of opinion and tie good intentions,
al least, of your opponents. "Liber-
ty and Union, now and forever,
one and inseperable."
1t is not much trouble or expense