The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1897-04-30

1
to the number Of children in order to
educate other peoples children. a most
| unmlstakable stride towards socialism
was taken, yet our public schools are
now our pride, and justly too. Socialis~
tic too, Is the levy of public taxes to be
used for hospitals for the sick, the door.
the insane, the blind and the deaf and
! dumb. So is the post office itself. for
what connection is there between govern.
| ment in its original function of nreserv-
| ing peace and order and the distrihution
! of intelligence. In like manner mun;ci,,.
| al ownership of lights, water and street
| cars-admirable as it is and admirably
| as it has operated for the public good
| is essentially socialstic. / would not be
| misunderstood as opposing any Of these
| measures because they are soc;alhtic,
| nor as advocating further steps in that
direction. That is not my purpose, but to
| call your minds that whether measure
| is to be adopted or not, should depend
upon whether it will serve the public well
| fare-and it is not to be rejected if the
| only objection that can be urged is thar
| some one thinks it is soc;alistic, seeing
that so large a part of the better portion
| Of government is already Of like nature.
| should never forget. that government
exists for the people and not the people
| for the government. 1t was your great
statesman, Thomas Jefferson, who. for
| maintaining this sentiment in the opening
of the century, brought down upon his
head the wrath of those who believed in
government by the few.
The breezes that sweep from the South
tl.,. Il L. IL
the orange groves Of the Queen Of the
Antilles. bear to us the despairing cry
of Cuba libre from men whose souls are
stirred by the same sacred fire that burn
ed in the bosom Of the heroes of '76, and
already Maceo has fallen the Warren
OF this new struggle for liberty And
from across the deep waters. borne by
the harnessed lightning, from Epirote
valleys and Thessaian plain, comes the
clash of arms where the descendants of
Epaminondas and Mitiades are strug-
CLING in the lists with the myrmidons Of
the modern Xerxes. Our hearts go out
to Cuban and to Cretan, to Epirotes and
the men Of Macedonia, and our hands
might go too if our government really
expressed the feelings of our people
But are we sure that John Randolph, of
Roanoke was not right when he said:
SCR. the Greeks are at our door" In
seeking the salvation of others, are we
sure of our own? While
sympathizing with the strug-
gle for Self-government else
where. are we certain that we have it
ourselves? Is there no whisper of the
lobby that at times is more potent than
the voice Of the people? Is there never
behind the Executive power greater
than the executive itself?
When Napoleon Bonaparte an
unknown Lieutenant of artiI-
lery, some one asked Able
Raynal why he spent so much time
talking with him. Because" said the
Able, there is so much future in him.
1t is always pleasant to talk to young
men-there is so much future in them.
but my young friends. | will claim your
attention no longer. 1 might have spoken
to you of matters connected with your
own great profession and the wonderful
almost miraculous advances it has made
inn recent years. but in doing so l should
have deserved the fate of him who car
rled Goals to Newcastle. | might have
spoken to you of my own profession; this
would have interested me, but would
have been dull to you. | might have in
terested you by praises of the beauty and
projections of the lovely sex which hon
ors us with its presence tonight. but to
do so would have been n vain attempt to-
paint the lily or gid refined gold"
might have referred to the glorious past
of this grand old Commonwealth, the
mother of statesmen and of States, but
the eager youth of to-day think not of the
past They have their faces turned
towards the glorious morn whose opening
gates give gEmpses of the golden corrus-
cation of the dawn. The future is theirs
all theirs and it will be what they shall
make it. / have therefore met you on
that platform where all citizens of the
Republic stand together, in which all
have an equal interest. | have told you
of the great and just unrest in the public
mind and the dissatisfaction at present
conditions. l have called your attention
to the fact that the vital and inevitable !
issue overshadowing all others is whether |
the governing power shall reside in man
hood or money. | have endeavored to !
briefly call your attention to the conse |
quences of victory for either side and to |
some of the remedies suggested, and | |
now again repeat that the disposal of the |
victory is with your generation, for you |
shall bear in your hands the issues of |
life and death for the last great expert |
ment of free government. With you it |
shall rest whether the silent centuries art |
all ready to close over the tomb in which |
shall rest the last hope of humanity
On your capitol grounds stands |
the colossal statue of the |
worlds greatest leader who |
won the battle for the free. Around him. |
on eternal guard, are the bronzed figures |
of those who preserved that liberty in |
civic halls and high debate for many
weary year. Out yonder overlooking |
flames eternal camping ground" in Hol |
lywood Cemetery, and the dreamless |
sleep Of many a chieftain and many Il |
soldier, is the peerless form of another |
of the worlds greatest leaders, he who |
said that DUTY is the noblest word in |
the English languagv' Where these