The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1899-01-12

-S~ I I ~
JOHN j. LENT2
laid by George Washington, and whose
superstruCtuTe was reared by Thomas |
Jefferson? Have we added to the sur
plus of cash and courage inherited |
from the administration of Andrew |
Jackson? Have We invested the re- |
serve of liberty for the black slave aC-
cumulated by Abraham Lincoln so as
to guarantee an annuity of still greater
liberty, hope and ambition for the
white slave?
Time never was and time never will
be when the status of republic, or a
kingdom, or an empire, can be esti-
mated in dollar marks and figures. The
real capital of race or nationality
is philosophical and ethical. II has
quantity and quality, without dimen-
sions, without color and without sensi-
bility Industry, integrity, intelli-
gence and independence are the four
best characteristics of an American
citizen, and a government that does
not persistently promote these quail,
ties, Is unworthy Of the high ideal and
the heroic conception OF the Declara-
| tion of American independence. In
dustry. integrity, intelligence and in
| dependence can not long exist in the
| American republic after the. masses
| have lost all hope and ambition.
IL It should seem too abstract and
| theoretical to discuss our government
| and it's capital of industry, integrity,
| intelligence and independence Of the
! individual, let us ask ourselves what
men of the American republic have
| endeared themselves to the hearts Of
viving, growing greater, and greater
year by year. after their bodies have
moldered away and their ashes have
returned to the eternal dust Of the uni
verse? They are the imperishable
names Of Washington, the founder;
Jefferson the builder; Jackson, the
| defender, and Lincoln, the ilberator.
Iuustrious Foes Of Greed.
But It matters less to us to know
what these four great presidents did
than to know the one central, guiding,
controlling .hought within their he
roic souls that inspired the deeds
which made their history great. Wash
| ingtOn was the enemy of arrogance
and greed, which manifested itself in
the tyranny of George III. Jefferson
was the enemy of arrogance and greed
which manifested itself in the declar-
alton Of that prince Of the Federalists,
| Alexander Hamilton, who cOntendod
that "the people are a blind and brutal
monster, and none but the wealthy and
well-bOrn are fit to govern" Jackson
was the enemy Of the arrogance and
| EIttN VI IINtb'l dNFs w hlNl lltl llll' '.'A
Itself in the presumption OF Nick Bid
die and the United States bank, when
II undertook by its corrupt use Of mon
ey to control the election OF the presi-
dent of the United States.
Lincoln was the enemy Of the arro-
gance and greed of the slave power
which was only another form Of plu-
tocraCy, but measuring its wealth in
the number of human beings 1t owned
instead Of the number OF government
bonds.
So it has ever been throughout the
world as well as the United States;
that power and influence have cursed
and blighted civilization with their
greed, their arrogance and intolerance
and may we not learn from the eXper.-
ences OF the centuries to say Of tive
past and the present and predict for
the future, that the pest and everlast-
ing black plague Of humanity has been
is now, and forever will be, Greed,
As read history, see In Abraham
Lincoln the political heir and the polit-
ical son Of Thomas Jefferson. It was
Thomas Jefferson who introduced the
first act in the house Of burgesses, in
1863, in behalf Of the negro slave II
was Abraham Lincoln quoting Thomas
Jefferson to the people of Boston, when
he replied 10 an invitation to speak
there at banquet saying: Jefferson
once said that whenever the conflict
comes in this country between the man
and the dollar ! shall go over to the
side of the man as against the dollar"
And so Lincoln said, II. like Jefferson,
IN this conflict, go over to the side Of
the man as against the side of the dol
lar"
Greed and arrogance are Indigenous
20 no soil and no zone, peculiar to no
natural to certain conditions OF the hui
man family as alligators and crocO-
dtles are to certain swamps, and as
ready to devour anything and every
thing that is weaker than their AL
expanding jaws.
Rspaoity of Trusts.
We love money not for the thing it
self, but for the power it gives, and
when a few men in republic have
power sufficient, by reason OF their
wealth, to dictate the policy of the
government, then indeed is the repub-
lie little, If any, better than a despot-
ism. With the multiplication Of trusts
the government is rapidly II not hope
lessly, passing over into the hands OF
the men who insist upon government
by injunction, who refuse TO pay an
income tax. who demand the single
gold standard and are determined to
vastly increase the standing army
The times promise well for the day
when the masses Of America shall be
the serfs and the vassals of the princes
and lords, the barons and mobiles, who
iit in the castles Of trusts. The times
promise we'll for the day when every
laborer will be carrying a soldier of
the regular army on his back, while
his wife and his children are In the
field begging and cleaning what the
rer We poasr eSs 'eeif: 81 justice and equality,
but the time has come when we must
undeceiye ourselves, for the word
equality" means nothing in the re-
public unless 1t means equal rights,
and equal rights" Is an empty phrase
unless II means equal opportunities,
Let the fathers OF every political faith
look about them and see whether their
sons Will have equal opportunities
with the sons of plutoeTacy in the next
decade. BY these tests we may know
whether the American republic Is
gaining or losing in her competition
with the monarchies of Europe.
JEFFERSON, Jackson and Lincoln were
elected in spite of the opposition of
the wealthy and well-born," and in
this particular they differ materially
from the chief magistrate who now
occupies the nations executive chair
as result of the combined banking
and railroad influences, and as result
OF the colossal contributions of syndi-
Gates and trusts, A corruption fund
estimated at $l6,000,000, spent largely
for the bribery OF voters and for the
establishment OF an army of snias who