Jamestown weekly alert. [volume] (Jamestown, Stutsman County, D.T. [N.D.]) 1882-1925, 1901-10-24
TRIBUTE TO TONNE

inspiration in the presence Of such a
one.
TRIBUTE TO ToWNE.
ut is sometimes difficult to select a
SUBJECT for an after-dinner speech, but
when | received an invitation to par
tlclpate in the farewell banquet ten
| dcred by the people of Duluth to their
distinguished townsman, and to nv
friend, the sentiment, moral courage,
al once occurred to me, for he has
given signal evidence OF the possession
OF that manly quality which makes
him welcome defeatrather tina sur
render that which to him seems right.
I'VE need this moral courage FOR
the protection and preservation of our
government today. We need it among
public officials, that they may prize
above pecuniary rewards and above
the f1attering whispers of ambition.
the honor that comes from faith full
service and clean record.
moral courage is needed among our
private citizens, that they may be as
bold to punish unfaithful officials as
they are ready to commend the faith
ful. In times Of war the individual is
ready to give his life, if needed, in the
service Of his country; the demands OF
peace are equally imperative. The
nation is entitled to the brain and
heart as well as to the body; it claims
the best thought and the best con.
science of its citizens.
"Some may be disposed to stamp
the word failure upon the political
career Of our distinguished guest: I
hope that the future may have in
store for him reward that will be
worthy of his high merit, but, even if
he were 10 die tonight, he would not
have lived in vain. He has set an ex-
ample that must weigh heavily on the
side of civic virtue. He has faced
without flinching a fire as hot and
hellish as ever came from cannon's
mouth, and he has won victory
greater and more glorious than ever
crowned the life Of one who fawned at
the feet of power or bartered away his
manhood to secure an Otfice.'
In opening the meeting Toast Mas
ter Joseph Reynolds said in part:
"We are here to say to the world
that in all the crises of life, political
as well as others, right is better than
wrong. that devotion to duty in jublic
affairs is worthy of the praise and en-
ulation of all men. and that he who
sees his duty to his fellow men and
performs it at whatever personal sac
riice is the true hero.
''Lulled by the false cry Of his fata-
list that it is our manifest Destiny
we drift supinely under the curse of
Imperialism and milltarism, and the
nation dare not shake it of. We suf-
fer under an unjust tariff which in
viteS and protects the extOrtiOn of
trusts and similar combinations Of
capital and levies unequal burdens on
the masses, and we dare not abolish it.
We shudder at the evil power of COM
bined capital which holds the nation
by the throat and threatens its very
existence, and we dare not oppose it.
We OOAOSAAfA0VS Oh lo4 StSUCW
| which piles up useless millions at the
feet of the capitalists. while the
laborer for his hire receives Scarcely
the bare necessaries of life, and we
dare not condemn it. / believe that
all is need to sweep away from the
land the evils Of imperialism, militar-
ism, trusts, unequal distribution of
property, is an aroused public demand
for freedom and independence of
thought, the freedom and indepen-
dence which defeS the coercion of
power, despires the influence of
wealth, and acknowledges only the
true and divine principle OF equal and
and impartial justice to all-the free
dom and independence which has been
so signally eXemplitied in the career of
our distinguished and honored guest
and friend, Charles A. Towne.
sit is a political aphorism that 'sHe
is the freeman whom the truth makes
free. all else are slaves BESIDES"
'The need Of the times dehes our
duty as citizens. The lesson of the
hour is obvisious. 1t devolves upon US
to inculcate in the nation the spirit
OF untrammeled thought and uncon-
trolled action in political affairs, and
the hope and promise of happy results
may be tittingly stated in the words
of the stanZaS:
The world is well lost when the world
is wrong,
No matter how men deride you.
For, If you are patient and firm and
strong.
| You will ind in time Though the time
be long,
That the world wheels around be-
side you.
II you dare to sail first DER a new
thought track,
For while it will scourge and
score you;
Then coming abreast with skilful
tack
1t will clasp your hand and slap your
back
And vow it was there before you.
The world means well, though it wan
der and stray
From the straight, short cut to
duty;
So 60 ahead in that path, say,
For after while it will come your