Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1897-01-08


neighbours injury, want you to under
stand that that restraining power means
that government should not only prevent
one citizen from shooting another, or
hitting another with a club, but that
government should protect every citizen
from injuring any other citizen In any
way, directly or Indirectly. And there
are indirect methods which are more
potent today for evil than are the direct
methods of injury. More potent for evil
because they grow up unnoticed, until
they become so strong that it becomes a
question whether the abuse can be
eradicated. EVERYBODY seems to be so
much opposed to one of these abuses
that think | can mention 1t.
There are very few people in any
party who defend trust. There are
few people who say that few men
ought to be permitted to get together to
organize to control the supply of an
article, drive out competition, and then
prey upon society. There are very few
people anywhere who would defend
such thing as that; and If there is a
person who would defend such thing as
that, he isn't fit to live in any community.
My friends, the trust, and | speak of
1t as only a representative of that means
by which citizen can be injured without
the use of deadly weapOn-a trust as
the representative of these indirect
forms of injury is growing menace to
the growing welfare of this country, to
the liberty of the people. (Applause.)
Why, because so far as there is a power
unchecked so far as there is power
defiant, that can come into your business
and bankrupt you, to drive you out of
employment, then, my friends, this gov
eminent is not doing its duty in pro-
tecting its citizens in the enjoyment of
life, liberty and property, and the pur-
! suit of happiness. Why are these things
/ permitted? Not because anybody de-
fends them, but because people are in
different to them. 1t is because they are
so engrossed in the cares of this world
that they do not turn their thoughts
to those subjects; and on thinking of
them do not recognize them, or the means
of remedying them. If you ask me how
these things can be improved, | say there
are two ways.
ain the first place, they can be improv-
ed through political action. There is
not an evil existing In this country to-
! dav that is necessary evil. Every
abuse of government can be eradcated
every bad law can be taken from the
statute book; every needed law can be
placed there. How? BY the people
Because, in this country, the people at
least govern and if there is a bad gov
eminent they, and they only, are to
blame.
NECESSITY OF POLITICAL PARTIES,
political parties are necessary. In
government like this, without the co.
operation of individuals In parties, action
is impossible. But believe that there
is one lesson that ought to be learned by
our people. | believe that we have now
gone far enough away from the war and
its issues--frOm the war and its passions
to be able to act with more patriotism
aud to recognize party in higher and
better sense than it was possible few
years ago. (Applause.) 1t is not an
end, it is the means for the accomplish
ment of an end. When we regard
your god, and you become its servant
When you regard party as means, then
YOU are the master, and it is the instru-
ment to accomplish your decree. That
is the only true idea of parties, that men
shall gather together, in order that
through the party they shall give ettec.
tive expression to their idea. And
want to say to you that the man who
belongs to a party and advocates things
in a party because he believes them,
no matter to what party he belongs, is a
better citizen than the man who is sc
Indifferent to public questions that he
does not know exactly where he stands
(Applause.) When person does not
know exactly where he stands, it is al
indication that he has not much knowl-
edge of the question. When he studies
questions and understands them and be-
comes interested in them, he does not
find much difficulty in finding the party
through which he can best express hi;
ideas.
II can look back on the campaign
through which we have Just passed ant
| can glory in it, because believe it has
brought TO the American people ar
awakening that means much for the pur
iication of government. Great ap
pause.O | care not what may be this
immediate results of an awakening Of
the people. have such profound con
fidence in the patriotism Of the millions
of people, in their intelligence and il
their capacity for government, that whel
once awakened. | am willing to trus
them on all questions, and | believe they
will find out their true destiny and thei
highest good. (Applause.) And thu
campaign through which we have jus
passed, which has resulted in the stirring
of the hearts of the people as they have
seldom been stirred before, means mucl
for the future of this country. 1t means
that the people will watch their public
servants more carefully than they useC
when they were Indifferent, and tn,
more carefully you watch public ser
wants the better public servants you viii
have (Applause.) Jefferson once sale
that but for public opinion all publ,
officers would become wolves. do no
suppose he meant to make it a universe
rule, so any friend you may have woulC
excepted from the operation; but an
! speaking of the general rule, that publ
opinion has a restraint upon officers
, without which they cannot be relic,
upon to carry out and perform the dutie
of their office. More than that, JeffeT
son stated in another place that fire.
government is founded in jealousy an
not In confidence; that confidence is tn
greatest danger. That sounds harsh
= but, my friends, it Is true. Free govern
' mani avistS in iaalOuSV and NOT in cor