Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1901-01-25
FOR CONSERVATISM.
Ex-Prosident Cleveland Talks to q
Holland Society.
He Denounces the Wars OF Aggression Now
Being Waged by Great Britain in South
Africa and by the United States in
the Philippines.


the Philippines.
New York, Jan. 19.-The Holland
society held it's sixteenth annual din
her at the Waldorf-Astoria last night.
Rev. DIR. Henry Van Dyke, president
of the society, presided. On his right
sat ex-President Cleveland, and Tunis
G. Bergen at his left, while covers
were laid for 800, and all places were
taken. The speakers were Grover
Cleveland, DR.. Andrew III. Smith and
Charles W. Dayton. Ex-President
Cleveland said:
The cordial welcome you extend to me
Is exceedingly grateful and comforting,
for 1t gives me a grain OF satisfaction
In the ordeal that confronts me. I am
convinced that the art of making an
after-dinner speech without distress is for
me a sealed book; and as the years pass,
I am only saved from complete wretched-
ness In my efforts in that direction by the
kindness and liberation Of those who are
good enough to listen to me. cannot re-
sent the charge that am apt to preach
sermon on occasions of this kind, for
am afraid this accusation is justified. It
has been my lot to be much on the sober
side of life, and to feel the pressure OF
great responsibilities. Besides, believe 1T
sometimes happens that an excess of light
hearted gayety creates a condition of pop
liar thought and impulse, that may profit
ably be steadied by sedate suggestions
and the expression of conservative sem
timent-even though it may be called SER
monizing. At any rate am quite will
Ing to take any humble place among the
sermonizers, in this time of headlong ma
tional heedleSSneSS and to invoke the Gull
tivation and saving grace of Dutch con-
servatism that counts the cost, but for
the sake Of principle and freedom will dis
regard cost; that lays out voyage by
chart and compass and follows chart and
compass to the end; that loves the liberty
and national happiness which rest upon
tried and sure foundations; that teaches
reverence for national traditions and en-
courages the peoples satisfaction with
their country's mission. 1t is the kind
of conservatism in which our constitution
had its birth and which has thus far been
the source of our nations safety and
strength-the conservatism of justice, of
honor, of honesty. of industry, OF fru-
gality and of contented homes.
In this aSsemblage of those who know
SO well the meaning of these things. the
question is suggested whether in present
conditions this conservatism characterizeS
the conduct or guides the sentiment of our
people. There can be but one answer to
this question. Conservatism has in a great
degree been jauntily cast aside. or con-
demned as opposed to our country's well
fare and glory. A strange voyage has
been entered upon without count or cost,
and without chart or compass. The tried
and sure foundations of our liberty and
| national happiness have been discredited.
been relaxed, and satisfaction with our
country's mission has been undermined.
The restraints and limitations of our con-
stitution have become calling and irksome
under the temptations of national greed
and ACKNOWLEDGMENT. Our old love OF
peace, honor and justice has been weak
ened and frugality and contentment are
now traits inseparable from American
character.
War, even with the worlds advanced
civilization, may still be sometimes neces-
sary and justifiable; but whether neceSsa-
ry and justifable or not the demoraliza-
ton that follows its train can never be
| evaded. It teaches bloody instructions
| which in a country whose citizens do the
| fighting cannot fail to leave their impress
] for time at least. upon public and pri-
| vate life in time of peace.
Thirty years after the close of the war
| for the preservation of the union, treaty
| of arbitration was formulated between the
United States and Great Britain, which, If
| completed, would have gone far toward
| removing every pretext of war between
| theStwo countries. Thus these two great
English-speaking nations then assumed
| leadership in the path of peace, and in
| advocacy of the abolition Of WARMTH the
| hope and expectation that the example
| would be followed by other nations, and
| that q more general adoption of arbitra-
| ton a means of settling international
| disputes would result in a great advance
| toward the abandonment of war through
| out the world. The treaty failed bf con-
firmation in the senate of the United
| States. Less than five years passed, and
| these English-speaking champions of
! In parallel lines-one in the Philippines
| and the other in South Africa-but no
| longer for peace and arbitration. Both
| are killing natives in an effort to possess
| their lands.
| This indicates a sad relapse: and in our
| case it is most serious one. If England
succeeds in her attempt in South Africa
| she will but add another to her list OF
i RjyY1f1 a
| be subjugated; and because Of our engage
| ment in similar venture in another quar-
ter they will miss the expressions OF
/ American sympathy which we are accuS-
| toned to extend to those who struggle for
| national life and independence On the other
| hand, with success in our subjugatfon ef-
fort, a new, untried and exceedingly peril
| Gus situation will be forced upon us. We
| can conquer the Philippines. and after
conQuering them can probably govern
them. It is in the strain upon our In
! stitutions. the decentralization of our peo-
| pie. the evasion of our constitutional linn
itations, and the perversion OF our nation
| al mission that our danger lies.
The problem Is a momentous one It's
solution depends upon the extent to which
the old patriotism and good sense OF our
| countrymen can be rescued from impend-
| ing danger. Thus these are sober days
for thoughtful citizens-days for preach
| ing-days for sermonizing. If we are to
| be saved from disaster it must be through
the cultivation and enforcement of that
sort or conservatism that should ma
congenial home in the Holland society. In
the midst of reckless tumult and In the
confused rage of national greed and
bloodiness the conservatism should def
| antly stand forth and demand hearing.
| Let it be known that American freedom
and popular rule cannot perish except
/ through the madness Of those who have
| them in their keeping and by the blood
and sacrifices Of our fathers. by the lofty
/ achievements Of the free institutions they
| established, by our glorious victories OF
peace and by our reliance on the promises
Of God. let Dutch conservatism enjoin