Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1897-06-10


threatens the country" and "the re-
public is in greater danger than it was
when the civil war broke out.
"These exercises are not for the
dead" he said. "They are for the
living. We best honor the soldier dead
by an incorruptible purpose to keep the
republic they gave their lives to save.
1t has been truly said that no battle
field of the world showed more gallant
daring, more heroic devotion, than our
own. All this, however, relates to
generation age. The dead we mourn
are off duty forever. They have kept
their watch. Today it is with the liv-
ting, and not with the dead, we have to
do. Is our conduct worthy of the dead
and the country for which they died?
The course of all republics has been
towards the rocks. Our own is the
same and for the same reason. The
theory of our government is that men
will perserve that which they prize
most high, but they do not. 1t is said
that the people love liberty and home
above all else, and that it would be ab-
surd to say that they would destroy
that which makes life worth living.
Theoretically, that is so. Practically
it is not.
"Love of freedom and home is not
the outgrowth of reason or intelligence
as is obvious from the fact that the
wolf will fight to the death for either or
both. The wolf dosn't reason much
about it, and knows little about repub-
ican ideas or philosophy. So love of
freedom is an instinct. Wolves don't
have any organized society. No wolf
gives any part of his freedom to up.
hold some artificial arrangement, some
social compact. But in government
which is organized for the protection
of society and the members thereof we
do surrender a part of our national
rights to promote the welfare of the
whole country.
"And there is the rub. In that So
clal compact we have to surrender a
certain natural right and observe Ger.
tain rules in order to promote the good
of all and protect the rights of the in
dividual members. These rules are
supposed to be founded in justice and
morality. And this is nation which in
theory IS true, that men want justice
and morality. To obtain that is ouI
hope. In that is our strength. and in
the departure from the principles oi
morality we will find, and in fact, are
finding our ruin. In actual practice,
every man wants every other man tc
be good aud true, while to himself he
wants some latitude along the moral
line and certain free and easy relation
with truth and honesty.
'sIn politics, he knows that it is of the
first Importance to be honest and truth
full. In practice he dosn't think it will
win. And as temporary advantage i:
of greater account to him than the per
manent good of the multitude, he lies
and corrupts everything and everybody
to the extent necessary in order to win
And this is. taking our country to The
devil faster than 10 armies led by Lee
and Longstreet could possibly do.
81 propose to talk plain English, ans
if anything else was expected am no
the man you wanted for this occasion
"Let me ask again, upon what hope
did our fathers build1 Love of liberty
supported by intelligence and virtue
among the peoples Tley established
a system of universal education il
order that our people might become
intelligent.
ssWe must not forget the precise re
iation each citizen bears to the govern
ment, that he is a part of it. 1t
strong in his intelligence aud honesty
1t is weak in his ignorance and dishon
esty. The citizen writes the law from
his heartstone.
Philosophers and statesmen of The
old world who know and understand
the prejudices and passions of men
who are familiar with the history o.
every attempt of the people to govern
themselves, have no confidence what
ever in the effort of this people ts
govern themselves. They said TIT