Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1898-11-16
presses the very common people who first
made its resistance possible.

made its resistance possible.
A republic of all governments should be
stable and sedate, for the guiding hand OF
those who have been governing classes for
ages is removed, and unless careful men,
men of duty doing devotion are in charge
of affairs there will be ways of woes and
of uncertainty to traverse In republic
no one class should be more important
than another, nor can any one individual
be neglected, for The most insignificant
man has, in republic, power for good
or for evil that may be exerted to save or
to eHdanger at fatefu moment.
No prophecy Of good can therefore be
uttered concerning France nor any other
republic, if it, neslecting the children and
the weak, forgets that only upon the
intelligence and devotion and clear head
edness of ea II succeeding generation can
hopes be based for maintaining the work
of dead hands that have laid down the
task. The character of the unit of gov
eminent, the voter, affects the strength of
the whole.
The trite old remarks, "a chain is no
stronger than its weakest link" and
water will not rise above its source" are
fitting because they are true. The value
OF that unit is always, therefore, matter
OF supremest moment to government
by the people, for though man may
not be wise enough to govern, he is
still capable of being evil enough to
disturb; though he may not be strong
enough to build, he is yet capa bic Of weak
ening a foundation and tearing down.
1t is impossible for a sane government to
be as uncertain as next weeks weather; il
it is uncertain it is not sane, il it is not
sane it is not tit to be, for government
touches so many vital interests at so many
points that whimsical performances are a
crime. Addle- pated youths may be ex
cused for the bravado that carries them
out on thin ice, for they are but young
and they feel no responsibility; but gov
eminent is a sacred trust that involves
the rights and protection of the weak and
defenceless against the voracious strong.
The members OF a government are,
therefore, trustees, from the least even
unto the greatest, and as trustees there no
longer remains to them the right to do as
they choose-to seek personal triumphs-
to run fateful risks; but rather to con-
slider public good first and private good
last or not at all.
By easy transition we have now left in
the sombre background the dangers of
France, and it seems as though one were
writing OF ourselves to ourselves. With
out being at all an alarmist, it is right
and fair to use Frances gradual loss of
liberty in the essence, as warming. 1t Is
not reakishness to sound alarms, for
though the man may be foolish who cries
wolf" when there is a shadow, he has
his equal in the man who cries sheep
when it is wolf.
Not all things go we'll with us; not all
wrongs are righted, nor ever will be; not
all expressions have ceased among us who
profess to love liberty. This is all true,
but by the grace of our sturdy stock we
can say with hopefulness that each year
sees more and more Americans who de-
spise personal gain and who give them
selves to working for improvements and
reforms-and gradually secure them. But
even their work will never be done, for
nation that lives grows, and with growth
comes change, and with change readjust-
ment. The nation that is dead or ready
to die is the one that is self-satistied.
That feeling takes the sentries off the
walls and opens wide the gates. Thank
God, we are not there yet.
Let our closing words be those OF the
great, calm, over-burdened optimist, who
said on the 18th of November 1868, that
"this nation under God shall have a new
birth OF freedom, and that government
OF the people, by the people and for the
people shall not perish from the earth.