The Anaconda standard. [volume] (Anaconda, Mont.) 1889-1970, 1898-02-21

or national legislation is proStituted to |
any class ii trails the emblem of liberty
in the dust and makes blasphemy of the
sacred phrase we. the people. The awful |
danger of our government lies in this Ia
tai, lurking and deceptive evil. It was
foreseen by Washington and wise were
his warnings against it, The American
must rise above party. class and sec
tional feelings. Whoever is faithful sto
his party. his class or his section rather
than to principle is an enemy to free
dom and a traitor to the cause of human
liberty. Whoever is not willing to UNI
erringly follow the leadings of the star of
principle has not been sufficiently evolved
into the realm of self-government to be
a fit citizen of republic.
Freedom does not consist in the yun-
bridled reign of every inclination of man.
but rather in the strivngs after and at
tainments unto truth. He alone is a free
man who worships at the shrine of TRUTH I
He who does homage at any other altar
is a mere eharlatan. From the nature
of cur government there can but be close
ly drawn and earnestly contested party
lines, but we must not mistake Dartyism
for patriotism nor forget the eternal self
evident. automatic and fundamental truth
that we can speak of ourselves as, we,
the people,, only as we will from the
heart say "a nation of the people, and
we can say, of the people only as We
can say. by the people. for what is by
the people must be of the people and
what is of the people must be for the
people. The nation, and not any class,
party or section of the nation, must be
the cherished thought of every broad
minded and really patriotic American.
That the whole is greater than any of
its parts, it seems all must readily adj
nit, but the ancient states rights doe
trine was an example of those who would
not admit the truthfulness of so potent
a mathematical truism. AS the seeds of
error have ever borne the fruits of evil,
| so the seeds of states rights eliminated
! in their logical fruitage the rebellion.
! We deplore states rights and hurl
/ against it our most virile invective, and
| as a eliminating indictment we term it
| sectional. That it was wrong, all now
/ admit, but who cannot see in the intense
4 partisanism of our time a corresponding
/ evil? One deemed a part of the union
1 superior TO the whole the other deems
4 the triumph Of its leaders superior to the
/ nations good.
Let us impress in n most determined
manner the superiority of the nation
| whole.
THE prince of teachers declared that
! "a house divided against itself could not
stand We need national motto similar
to Kentucky's, for our national solidity
| and abiding strength will be in exact
| ratio to our national union. That "a more
perfect union was needed is most evident
| to us who can see the seeds of disintegra-
| ton as then terminating. but a more
! perfect union is as much a need of our
| time as of those early struggles. United
we stand, divided we fall, : is a principle
+ of nature written as indelfbly as the law
| of gravitation. IT'S not a mere rhetorical
Jingle AS the human constitution can
perform its functions 10 the greatest adj
vantage only through the harmonious
union of the whole. so America can attain
its destined end only through the con-
| cordant union of its separate parts.
THAT theory advocating other than
| strong central government had ever been
supported seems strange. but the partial
| legislation of our time can but bear the
same evil results. Partially i'm the home
is ever the cause of dissension and strife.
and its workings are the same in the ma
ton. All those issues that have for their
end other than the centraliZing and solid
flying of the nation as a whole must be
discarded by the lover of real American
freedom As widely varied as our nation
is in natural and acquired resources. it
can but occur at times to some. that
their interests must be fostered at the
sacrifice of the interests of the remainder
of the nation, and vice versa. In such
instances there must be exhibited that
fraternal and patriotic spirit that will
accept at any cost the action that will
result in the greatest good to the great
est number. that will be to the best in
tereSts of the nation whole. A gov
eminent such as ours can be maintained
only as its citizens willing to be ac-
tuated by such principles. That Ameri-
cans are becoming thus to be more and
more actuated is the indisputable evil
dence that our national existence is as
sured and that "a nation of the people.
by the people and for the people will new
er perish from the EARTH
But a casual retrospection is needed
to convince one that the trend of nations
has been toward a broader and more
equitable dissemination of justice. That
the founders of our nation were impelled
only by motives of Justice toward all Is
a constant source of help and inspira-
ton. In our busy life we must never
lose sight of this holy principle. 1t is
the golden rule of our cherished land
and should be heralded from mountain
peaks. echoed from quiet glens. enGrayen
in every heart and indissoluby linked
with every national action Humanity
has ever been 50 actuated by the spirit OF
selfishness that il is most difficult to see
beyond the horizon of ones immediate in
terests. But a nation seeking justice for
ALL ii is indispensable that the spirit OF
malice toward none and love for all he
manifested. Justice to all cannot be re-
stricted to faVors for the laborer upon the
theory that the capitalist Will flourish
without national aid. nor can il be mar
. fowed to the favoritism of wealth. Thai
course that will best subserve the needs
, of labor and capital must be the UNI
erring course of our nation. Justice Il
all and not privileges to the favored few
must be the end of every campaign. oil
all legislation and of every American
: venture. Men who are pledged to nation
al justice rather than TO local interest:
should hil places Of pubic trust
I'VE must not forget that eternal yigi
lance is the price Of liberty Nor mus
we be unmindful that all things whatso
ever have come to man have been to as
sist him to a higher and better life Tha
he may De free man. Governments ar.
! but an arbitrary arrangement of men Il
, further this end. And hence the earl!
defenders of our cause hoped to so ar
range matters as to secure the blessings
| of liberty to themselves and to their pos
, tefity The chief end of life to every in