The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1900-07-05
AGE OF THE PEOPLE.

AGE OF THE PEOPLE.
This is the age of the people. Every
decade will mark a new advance in the
triumphant march of democracy. Polite
al movements do not go Backward the
people do not abandon except under du-
ress, and then only for a tie, rights Of
which they were once possessed, or The
power which they once welded to main
tain and enlarge those rights. To seek
for arguments against democracy in it's
apparent perils is "A waste of time. The
part of true craftsmanship is to study the
perllS, such as they may be- and take
measures TO avert them. The progress Of
: democracy cannot be stayed. lie who
would rule must rule through the people,
through the Individual men who consti-
tute the people. TO obtain results in the
civil and political world he must go to
the individual, enliShtcn his mind, form
/ his conscience and thus enlist his sym
pathieS and win his intelligent co-opera-
ton
He who does this will succeed; he who
! uses other methods will fail. The task
/ for those who would rule is made more
! ditilcuft. The time is long gone by when
men could be SWayed by sword or proc
! lamation: But manhood in man mas
! meanwhile grown, and they who love
! manhood in man should rejoice.
! Why should we be asked to regret the
! coming of democracy? What is II in its
! ultimate analysis bat the practical asser-
! ton of the dignity OF man indclibly i'm
! pressed upon him when he was fashioned
| 10 the image of the CTeatOr2 What IS it
Z Out trust IN the power OF truth ana right
| eouSneSS and in the readiness of the hui
/ man soul to respond in the proper condi-
I ton to such Influences? The growth Of
! mind and will in the individual is what
! all must hail who belev in human pro-
! greSs, or in the potency of Christian civ
| iizatio And as mind and VIII grow in
! man, so grow in him the consciousness
! OF his rights and power the resolve to
| uphold these rights and 10 ut that power
| into action, and to resist all irrational or
! unnecessary restraint upon either rights
/ or p0wer-and thus is begotten democ-
! racy. The new age has dawned for all
| humanity; but, where men have the more
| readily and the more thoroughly under
| stood their disnity, there its golden rays
| have risen higher above the HORIZON and
| shed more richly their light upon human
| thought and action.
GROWING GLORY.
And here behold the final consequence.
| the browning glory OF the alliance Of
I dependence. Behold the realization Of
! the fondest dreams of Lafayette. In the
! world arena as the mighty champion OF
! humanity'S new age there stand side by
/ side. as once they stood at Yorktown.
America and France--both republics TO-
day, both republics toTnorrow-republics
final absolute arbiter of the political des-
! TIMES of nations, the will of the people.
| To America and France is given the
noble mission to be to the world the ex-
empfars Of civil ard political liberty.
( That they be true to their mission must
| be the prayer of all friends OF liberty, If
I all friends of humanity. The better to
| insure the possession of liberty they have
| taken to themselves the highest form Of
| democracy they have made themselves
republics. They must show what such
f, form of liberty is capable of enduring
amid all the writings snd passions Of
humanity, and that beneath it in har-
mony with its promises there are to be
found liberty's best and sweetest bless
/ fnOS Panl1hjc- haX
| will not reach the ideal which they have
| put themselves, while men are the repre-
sentatives and the. agents Of an IDEAL
there will necessarily be in the realiZa-
ton OF it the shortcomings of men;
there viii be from time to time the in
consistencies and the contradictions
| which the limitation of the human m nd
| and the play of human interests bring
! into the practical life of man. But, de-
spite all this. and indeed. because of all
this, must the worlds great republics
never relax in Loyal and strenuous efforts
| to be in their whole national life the en-
bodiment of liberty as far as this beau
teous spirit of the heavens can find en-
| bodiment upon earth. To them Is as
signed the task of proving that the full
| est democracy guarantees to a people,
together with liberty. the security Of law
| of the nation-that the fullest democra cy
ever true to its name and profession,
means for the individual man and clti-
zen the actual and assured enjoyment of
the personal rights which he inherits
from nature and natures God, save only
inasmueh as a retrenchment of such
| rights is imperative for the maintenance
| of public order and the safeguarding of
the rights of other members of the com
munity.
Aud now, what is said today be 1t said
| tomorrow; be it said adown the ages to
| come.
Here upon this historic ''place." in
Frances own capital city, where meet
! the nations of the earth, there will stand
! with Frances gracious permission. an
abiding Interpreter OF Americas graft
tude to France for her participation in
| Americas war, and of the principles OF
| civil and political liberty which were the
life and soul of that momentous strug-
gle. rs~z
Our interpreter. who shall 1t be? Who
could 1t be, If truth has rights, and mer-
1t has reward. but Gilbert Motler, Mar
| quis de Lafayette?
Then genius of art. we pray thee give
| US back the form OF our loved Lafay-