Kansas agitator. [volume] (Garnett, Kan.) 1890-1905, 1897-06-11

the welfare OF tUt WuOle county,
"And there is the rub. In that social com
pact we have to surrender a certain natural
right and observe certain rules i'll order to pro-
mote the good of all and protect the rights OF
the individual members These rules are sup
ID to be founded in justice and morality.
And this is notion which in theory is true,
III 1t men want Justice and morality. TO OBJ
tain that is our hope. In that is our strength
and in the departure from the principles of
morality we will iud and, i'll fact, are finding
our ruin. In actual practice, every man wants
every other man to be good and true, while to
himself he wants some latitude along the
relation moral line and certain free and easy
with truth and honesty.
''ln politics, he knows that it is of the first
importance to b: honest and truthful In prac-
tice, he doesn't think it will win. And as a
temporary advaetage is of greater account to
him than the permanent good of the multitude,
he lies and corrupts everything and everybody
to the extent necessary to win. And this is
taking our country to the devil faster than 10
armies led by Lee and Longstreet could possibly
do
~ propose to talk plain English and if any
thing else was expected | am not the man you
wanted for this occasion.
"Lct me ask again, upon what hope did our
fathers build? Love of liberty, supported by
intelligence and virtue among the people They
encouraged ciision, as essential to the we'll
being of the people. They established system
of universal education in order that our people
might become intelligent. Thus they provi ded
for intelligence to know what to do, and re-
lsious sanction to COMPEL the doing of that
which is right. They pointed to heaven and
pictured the horrors of hell as a means of in
ducing the people to do we'll.
'We must not forget the precise relation
each citizen bears to the government that he is
part of it. 1t is strong in his intelligence and
honesty 1t is weak i'll his ignorence and dis
honesty. The citizen writes the law from his
hearth stone.
"Philosophers and statesmen of the old world
who know aud understand the prejudices and
passions of men, who are familiar with the
hiitory of every attempt of the people to govern
themselves, have no confidence whatever in the
effort of this people to govern themselves. They
said the world would witness just what we do,
IN fact witness to -day-that wealth would cor
rupt and demagogv%s mislead the people, and
the end would be that revolution and anarchy
will succeed the reublic, and p6naly the terri
fed and terrorized people will seek safety under
the prote cton of a man on horseback.
"Are there present with us conditions which
warrant the belief that what has been predicted
refuse to call attention to the facts lest we Of
fend those who are delinquent, whose inhuen-
ces are far-reaching for evil and who may con.
demn us?
"What relation does the citizen sustain to the
government? Let this relation be freely ur-
derstood. Remember, the law that governs
the moral world is as certain and as inevitable
as the law of gravitation. Like causes produce
like effects in both the moral and physical worlds.
Those who offend must pay the penalty, not
more certainly in the physical than in the moral
world.
"The republic is in more danger to-day than
when Fort Stump er was fired upon There are
influences that are making for i'll. We have
plenty of education, but education, unless leav-
Ell with morality, simply fits the man to be
an expert scoundrel. Our country is i'll danger
because corruption in our politics is as commol
as elections, and corruption in municipal
and state legislatu ers is as common as Luncheon
at noon.
"In almost every municipal and state legis-
lature there is all organized banditti that de-
mands tribute and sells legislation. We know