The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1896-11-21

complished by voting, Today the hon
est and patriotic citiaens Of the country
are confronted with two grave duties
which are really two aspects ot the
same duty. These duties are, the en-
ligh;enment OF the honest-minded, we'll
meaning voters who have been carried
away by the financial and other here
sizes OF the Chicago platform, and the
promotion OF a more kindly feeling be-
tween the poor and the well.to-do.
Doubtless there We're many men in
the free silver ranks who knew that
the policy they were advocating was
dishonest, and who advocated It be-
cause 1t was dishonest, They are a
class by themselves and need not be
discussed here; but there are others, a
great majority, we should like 10 be-
| llieve. who were entangled by the spe-
cious sophistries of such books as
l"Coin's Financial school" These men
came honestly to believe IN what every
! body else knows 10 be dishonest and inn
moral. Some OF them have had no ed
ucationa advantages; Of others it may
be said that they have that little
learning which is "a dangerous thing"
hut all OF them are the easy prey Of
every sophist, mountebank and dema-
gogue that comes along Now those
who have the honor and welfare ot the
country at heart ought TO be as willing
to do something for these honest but
misguided fellow-citiEens as the polit-
ioal schemers who have Just been de-
feated at the polls. The rise and growth
Of free silver was no accident. II was
the result OF the most skilful propa-
gandism: and the thing which comes
home to every good citizen today is
that the only way to prevent such ma
lefio movements in the future is TO ed
ueate all citizens above the point where
they can be deceived. Then dema-
gogues and charlatans like Tillman,
and Altgeid. and Debs. and Bryan
would be absolutely harmless, because
there would be nobody whom they could
convert.
Closely connected with the duty OF
enlightening our misled fellow-citizens
is that OF gaining their good will by
cultivating a feeling OF helpful sympa-
thy for them. II was said of a wealthy
man who died some time ago that by
his upright life and his kindness to his
less fortunate fellow-citizens he had
done more TO postpone social revolu-
ton than all the books against revolu-
tion OF the present generation. While
there is no such widespread hatred Of
the rich by the poor as Mr. Bryan said
viii be for long time to come, GER
tain number Of people in the community |
who are on the lookout for an excuse |
to denounce the well-to-do Some Of |
them are lawless and vicious men,
whose hostility to social order can al
ways be taken for granted. Many 9TH |
ers have come honestly to believe that
when a man becomes rich It is somehow |
or other at their expense. and their la
tent feeling Of hostility to the rich is
famed into fierce flames by every in
stance of a rich man who makes an
improper use OF his wealth or shows
himself Indifferent to the condition OF
his less fortunate fellow-citizens. In
this world, and especially in this land
OF ours. position and opportunity al
ways impose obligation. We say that
the destiny of the republic rests upon
the intelligence Of its citizens, and so
II does; but it depends quite as much
On the way in which its men Of wealth
use their wealth. If there should grow
up in this country a class Of rich men
and women who should throw off all oh
legations Of brotherhood and make their
wealth minister simply TO coarse and
british pleasures. nothing could save
the country from disintegration. But
4, as We hope and believe, men of
wealth shall show in the future, as
hey have shown in the past, a spirit,
lot Of charity, but Of genuine helpful
no appeal to class hatred
will ever find Judgement in the hearts
II the American people.