The representative. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1893-1901, 1899-03-01
transfers his suffrage regularly from one

eaCn Will prove more sincere, or less
dishonest, than the last; yet, so far as
he can see, it is but choice of political
evils, in which, after all, he has little
concern. These are not the conditions
OF freedom; they are the symptoms that
were present in ancient republics, when
they had ceased~to be such except in
name
Well might the great Lincoln, his
brow yet saddened, and his heart wrung,
by the awful havoc of our civil war, cry
out in anguish of spirit that not all
of that dire conflict, not all the thick
gloom and dreadful uncertainty of its
worst days, had ever filed him with such
apprehension and dread as these cond
tions, which he so clearly foresaw
Yes, even now, when we have grown
great among the nations OF the earth;
while we are exulting in our wealth and
power; even in the midst of our pride,
we are far from secure. 1t is, in fact,
when nations, as when individuals, at
tain the height of their power, that they
stand most in danger. Babylon was
called "The Great" when appeared the
Handwriting on the wall" the pyra
mids proclaimed to all time the grandeur
of Egypt, when the empire of the Phara
obs began to topple; Rome was Proud
Mistress of the World" when she began
to crumble to pieces from her own rot
tenness; Spain was enriched by the
wealth of two continents, and called her
self "Invincible," when she began to sink
into her dotage; and it was the Grand
Monarch" of France who made inevlta-
bic the French Revolution. So true is it
that Pride goeth before destruction, and
naughty spirit before fall"
A.>I for fhn nCt
par, scarce able to live, while the few
are rolling in wealth beyond the dreams
of Old World despots; when want, and
squalor, and wretchedness. and despair
are the lot of the many, while idleness,
and luxury. and pride. and despotic
power are the portion OF the few, unless
these conditions are remedied. we must
expect either to sink like Old World ma
tions into dotage, or rise IN blood as they
did in France. The latter seems, indeed,
to be the more likely alternatives; tor,
unless we mistake the signs OF the
times" the people are in no mood tamely
to endure Labor combinations and
riots, anarchy, socialism, bimetallism,
Populism. are but the outward maniies-
tations of fever heat raging within, like
the eruptions of the smoulderlng vol
cano. And, although after each out
break. apparent quiet may be restored,
vet, periodically, inevitably, with ever
increasing frequency, they return, and
what is more significant, each time more
radical, more widespread, more intense,
and threatening than ever before.
When we see people with the bal
lot in their hands, yet suffering from
conditions as shameful as under the
most despotic governments. we must
think that it is time they should learn
what their rights are. The toilers, whose
labor creates all wealth, yet who receive
but beggarly pittance, as well as the
large and ever-increasing number
thrown out of employment, denied even
the right to toll owe it to themselves to
reclaim their rights; and, until these are
secured, should have no concern but
this. 1t is, besides. an obligation that
rests on every citizen to remedy condl.
tions 50 dangerous to the existence OF
free institutions, of society itself Good
citizenship does not always mean con-
tentment with established institutions.
Until governments, as we'll as men, have
become perfect. such contentment IS, IN.
deed. oftener the part of slaves than OF
freemen. 1t was this that influenced the
Puritans when they came to these shores;
nor the American patriots when they
achieved our independence, nor yet that
abolished slavery; nor, in truth, that
ever accomplished anything toward the
progress of the race. Free men and
progressive nations have, IN tact
ever found it necessary to reform ther
conduct and their institutions at every
advance in their career; and poiltlcal
freedom is only valuable in that 1t en-
ables us the more readily to- OBTAIN JUS
tice. II, then, we fail to SO use it as to Sc
cure our full rights, we not only show
ourselves ungrateful for the blessings OF
liberty. but also unfit to enjoy them;
we surrender our birthright and become,
each of us, that most unpitied OF things,
a willing slave.-Justice.