The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1898-12-04

should speak upon the public qfesti1ns,
In which the people of the United States
feel interested. Neither will I discuss the
questions which you discussed two years,
and which, In my judgment, are not yet
laid away to rest, nor do I care to discuss
those new. questions which have been
brought to our consideration through the
war
but cannot be IN Your presence without
recognizing the responsibilities which your
position places upon you. To me Iegis-
tive hall is a sacred place. Those who
assemble to leglslate. assemble not as indi-
viduals to legislate according to their inter-
ests and for their own benefit. They come
as the representatives of the sovereign peo-
ple-servants, not masters. They carry out
the will and advance the interests of those
for whom they leglslate. l listenedsto an
address once, in which the speaker went
on to complain of the defects in our form
OF government, and he thought that people
We're not entirely to be trusted to govern
themselves. But thought the fault was
IN those who were governing, rather than
in the government and the people. If mis-
take not, our troubles come from the fact
that the wishes of the people are filtered
through imperfect represenet atiyes, and
that the representatives, instead of recog-
nlzing the grave duties which they are to
olscharge, too often turn aside from the
pursuance of the interests of the people to
secure some personal advancement through
the fundamentally of his place.
Duty of Representatives 49,
81 am no preacher to preach a sermon.
did not come to admonish you on your
duty. l take II for granted that you have
already thought of those things before you
came here. But feel, my friends that 1t
is like the Ten Commandments-they are
fad IN frIaa
again And so these are not Instructions,
put emphasis, for the duty of representa-
tives is subject that cannot be too often
told
This has been spoken of as democratic
state. l want you to remember that the
democratic states have in their keeping the
future of the democracy of the nation. l
say that because by the democratic states,
the people must decide whether the demo-
cratic party is fit to govern, and according
as you carry out the principles of the par
ty, in proportion as you carry those out,
you will strengthen those principles
throughout the nation. If l understand the
great principles of the democratic party,
1t is to carry out the will of the people,
1t is to effect the enjoyment of life, 1t is to
guard them and watch over them, and as
the party gives full expression to these
ideals, they will win the confidence and
friendship of the people, and as a party
hS6iOSto " w lllSs II Will lose
and friendship, because there is no surer
foundation for success in party any more
than there is foundation for sure success
in individuals, except that he who deserves
success will, in the long run achieve 1t.
Future of Democracy @sf
Party successes likewise must rest upon
these conditions. The people are intell-
gent enough to see who will advance good
government, and honestly discharge their
duties and while one individual may feel
himself very small factor in a great party
or a great country yet it is the; great
party and great country that is made up of
these factors, and as we cannot control
the actions of others, we ought to- be the
more careful to control our own
Now, when a graduating class Is; about
to start out in life, they sometimes make
what is known as a composite photograph
of the members of the class That3photo
graph does not look like any one member of
the class, but 1t combines the features of
all the members of the class. In a govern
ment, such government as ours. is q COM
posite photograph of all the people, GdfI a
member of the class looking at the picture
thinks that it is an ugly one, he reflects
. that possibly part of the ugliness comes
, from himself. If we look at our Hgoterh7
ment, and see that there are faults in IL;
we ought to ask ourselves whether any
of the ugliness comes from us. The gov
eminent of this state is composite pho
tograph of the state, and the actions of this
Legislature will reflect the likeness of those
who are members of it,
win be Governed Well
"If the people are good. earnest and In
dustrious, then that picture will be good,
and the state will be governed well. envy
you, fellow citizens, the opportunity that
you have to serve your country. I envy
those who in position where they can
express their views upon legislation and
upon government. To me these are grave
and serious questions. To me, government
is very unfeeing thing. We must strive
to settle all in our day that we can. We
settle the questions that arise while we are
upon the scene and then we turn over the
government to those who follow u.s.. 1t is
ar unfinished government at the best. How
ever much we may do, much will be left
undone. We can simply determine to
, leave the government better than When
we found it.
''We as a generation, build upon the
generations of the past, and future gen.
erations will build upon what we do. We
shall have performed our duty, If, to the
best of our ability, we make this govern
ment as close to perfection as we can, and
then turn it over to be preserved by those
who follow. But, my friends, you will
find, you have found that in the discus
sion of public questions. there certain prin-
ciples that govern, and as you keep those
principles, so will your work be good EN-
erson has said that he shoots high who
aims at the stars. I am sorry that it was
not he shoots the stars, who aims high
but, 'he shoots high. who aims at the stars.
Are the Highest Ideals
ct believe that the democratic ideals are
the highest ideals. They recognize capaci-
ty: they recognize that governments de-
rive their right to rule from the people;
that an officer is servant of the people;
that his. power is from the people, and that
he has no power except that which they
give him.
"It is a pleasure to me always to visit
Alabama. have become attached to the
people of this state, and probably ought
to have come here-as soon as l was APP
pointed a colonel, because 1t was in Ala
bama that / was first so called / visited
Alabama a few years ago; l think 1 was
then thirty-two years old had no sooner
put my foot upon Alabama soil thant was
called colonel Q1aughter) I think II I