The Newberry herald and news. (Newberry, S.C.) 1884-1903, 1901-04-23

dictates. For myself, / would not,
undor existing conditions, bo willing
to hold scat in tho United States
senate upon any other torms. To
allow others to think for me upon
these great questions is cowardly
evasion of my responsibilities, and a
criminal neglect Of tho truo interests
Of those who select mo.
l am rejoiced tonight to be in the
presence Of SO many of tho great
captains Of Southern industry. You
are tho men whose energy and outer
prise and developing our natural ro-
sources and thus laying the founda-
ton for tho full enjoyment by our
section of oil that must follow in tho
wake of the expanding glory of our
republic; and this in spite of the fact
that it has become the fashion in
some quarters to snper at what is
termed the "sordid commercially ar
gument in favor Of expansion and
other national issues.
o." political leaders should not
forget the fact that modern Dcmoc-
racy had its origin in this samo COM
mercial instinct. Two hundred and
fifty years ago it had its birth in
those cities along tho river Rhine,
whore, through trade and manufnc.
turing, tho people could compel the
foudal lords to grant them civil
rights. Tho FREQ institutions of
which wo boast grew up undor tho
fostering care Of commerce. Tho
rights Of the individual expanded
into rights for his city and those for
the State, SO that modern Democracy
does not teach that there is an ubso-
Lutte rule for government, ana that
any particular theory Of government
is Of permanent valuo and adapted
under all circumstances for the VOL
fare Of man. The fathers Of this Ro-
public never intended to lay found
alton which was to be always of tho
same circumscribed proportions, with
a superstructure Of nicely moasurcd,
parts all to exist permanently just as
CONSTRUCTED!
They aimed to create a giant not a
pigmy.
For q nation the century has boon
content to grapple with tho questions
of internal development, but sud
denly in the evolution of Y national
destiny, we have become 40 of the
great powers Of the world, and can
no longer move in circumscribed
orhit. If we would maintain our SUI
premacy or even quality among the
nations of the world, tho shacklos
forged by narrow, sectional preiu-
dices must be broken.
| GOVERNMENTS MOULD THEMSELVES.
| The question OF the hour is not
whether this Republic is what it's
founders with the light boforo
them) intended to make it; not wheth
or this is theoretically al ideal Dom
ocratic government, at all times in
exact conformity to the technical ro-
quirements Of written constitution,
but whether with the spirit rather
than the letter of that constitution,
we are making the most of our ma
tional opportunities and meeting the
political economic conditions grow
ing out Of the constantly changing
needs of the people. It is histori.
cally true that no form Of govern.
mont ever did result from deliberate
choice; it has always boon tho logi
cal result Of conditions.
| The nation is nothing but the typo
of individual life, and as from child
hood to manhood we outgrow gar
ments and duties, these are put aside
80 it is in the evolutionary develop
mont Of nation, social, political, ant
industrial aystems that havo thci
day and thrust aside for now moth
ods and new systems to moet
changed and higher state Of exist
} once. We have reached stage O
} development in tho South whero i
is unprofitablo to rake the dc;sd ashe
and chassod ombers Of The past ant
whore we must look forward rathe
than backward. True statesman
: ship, while vigilant as to tho present
looks with prophetic eye to tho fu
ture.