The sea coast echo. [volume] (Bay Saint Louis, Miss.) 1892-current, 1901-01-26
"TnE coriMoNER."

ed Dy william y. Bryan, at Lin
coin Nebraska, was issued We'd
nesday afternoon. The follow
ing is the salutatory:
THE CoMMoNER.
Webster defines a commoner as
Zone of the common people. "
The name has been selected for
this paper because The Common
or will endeavor to aid the COM
mon people in the protection of
their rights, the advancement of
their interests and the realization
of their aspirations.
Ii Is not necessary to apologize
for the use of a term which dis
tinguishes the great body of the
population from the comparative.
ly few who for one reason or an
other Withdraw themselves from
sympathetic connection with their
fellows. Among the Greeks Hoi
Xpolloi was used to describe the
many, while among che Romans
the word "plobs' was employed
for the same purpose, These ap-
peIlations, like ''tbe commou peo-
ple." have been assumed with
pride by those to whom they were
applied, while they have been used
as terms of repr zach by hose who
counted themselves among the
arIstocratic classes. Within re-
cent years there has been a grow
ing tendency in some quarters to
denuunce as demagogic any refer
ence 10 or praise of the common
people.
One editor in n late issue of his
paper takes exception to the
phrase aud says:
'This expression is an ill-chos-
en- one and should have no lodg-
ment in the vocabulary OF an Am
eriean patriot and statesman. If
we sought its origin we would
look for it in that spacious dema-
gogy which has evolved the pro-
fessional politician, arrayed coun-
try against town--the farmer and
Ills sons and daughters against the
business and professional men and
their sons and daughters--capital
against labor, and built up against
neighbors the impregnable bar
riers of prejudice and hate"
This quotation is reproduced be-
cause il fairly represents the views
of those who criticize the express
sion. Ii has, however, an emf
nently respectable origin. In the
SAME chapter in which Christ con-
dcnsed N tu's duty to his fellows
unto tue commandment. "Thou
shal' layet i, neighbor as thyself;"
in the same ch lpter in which he
denounced those who devour wi
dows' houses and for a pretense
make long prayers---in this chap
ter it is said of him: "The com
mon people heard him gladly"
No higher compliment was ever
paid any class,
The term, the common people,
is properly used to describe the
large majority of the people -
those who earn their living aud
give to society II fair return for
the benefits bestowed by society--.
those who in their daily lives recog-
nizc the ties whicn bind together
the mass of The people who have
a common lot and u common hope.
Sometimes they are called "the
middle classes" because baupers
and criminals are excluded on one
hand, while on the other hand some
exclude themselves because Of
wealth or on the other hand some
exclude themselves because OF
wealth or position or pride of
birth. The common people form
the industrious, intelligent and pa
,triotic element of our population;
they produce the nations wealth
in time of peace and fight the ma.
tons battles in time of war. They
are self-reliant and Independent;
they ask of government nothing
but justice and will not be satisfied
with less. They are not seeking
to get their hands into other peo.
pies pockets, but are content il
they can keep other peoples
hands out of their pockets.
The common people do not con
stitute an exclusive -ociety-the,
are not Of the 400, any one Oar
becomea member If he is willing
to contribute by brain or muscle
to the nations strength and great
ness. Only those are barred, ant
they are barred by their owr
choice, who imagine themselye,
made of o superior kind Of ola,
and who deny the equality of al
before the law.
A rich man who has honestly &C
quired his wealth and who is no
afraid to intrust its care To law,
made by his fellows can coun
himself among the common peo
pie, while u poor man is not real
~ one of them il he fawns before
a plutocrat and has no higher am
bition than to be a cqurtier or I
sycophant,
The Commoner will he satisfied
if, by fidelity to the common peo
pie, it proves its right to the nam'
which it has chosen.
----e-.--@===-zS
GOOD ADVICE.
The most miserable beings Il