Lexington gazette. [volume] (Lexington, Va.) 1871-1962, 1901-01-23
1T MUST COME FROM THE TOP,
SAYS EX-GOVERNOR No
CORKLE.

EX-GOVerrTr fulum N. Hh0Ooi Ao,
of Wet VlrgIula, delivered an address
b fore tie Nineteenth Co fury Club of
New York Iuesda, night, desoting n
Considerable portion of bis remarks t.
the suffrage question. Af,er discuss
ing the difficulties of the situation III
the South and reiterating the his previ-
ously expressed views in favor OF an
inAexible educational or property basis
administered fairly for both black ana
white, Governor McCcrkle continued;
81 would be false to the spirit which
brought me here were to say there
were no dangers and no fears in the
tendencies OF the democracy. There
are dangers. There are tendencies
winch excite the apprehension, if not the
fear, of those who love the republic and
it's hallowed faith and ancestral truths.
When there are no fears and no appre'
tensions in this free government, the
world will again witness people which
only wants breld and the games, and
- hose genius is emasculated and whose
vitality is stagnant.
"The epoch of todly into which the
people are passing is the era Of com-
rnercialism. It's relation is most impor-
tant to the question under discussion.
With homage for its power so mention
the spirit of American commercialism
lmpelIed by the restleFs genius Of Thu
people. The danger to the republic
f.om this era is that the legitimate
spirit of commereialism will become
political commercialism. 1t is rapidly
50 becoming. I submit that this epoch
Of political commercialism if unchecked
in its tendencies, will destroy the true
IDEAL of the republic. In our natural
haste to grasp and utilize the maxwell
GUS material conditions vouchsafed to
us by new continent, we are losing
sight of the Republican principles in
culcating those high and noble virtues
which attended the birth of the repub-
lie and which should live as its very
texture. The love of the welfare of the
welfare Of the whole people, the wealth
OF patriotism, that pride Of high char.
acter of those in high places, that jeal-
Gus desire for an exalted ideal for the
ration, that thorough knowledge Of the
AIMS of the government, looking not
o one to self-utilization, seem to me 10
be lie sening under the fierce assault Of /
those conditions which allow the citizen
10 such vast extent to better his ma
terial welfare. 1t will surely beget
lower standard of civil lise and desire.
It is weakening the true spirit Of de-
mocracy. Under the spirit as well az
the letter Of our institutions we can
have no patent of nobility, but have we
not established class with success in
accumulation as its patent OF nobility I
Are we not making the standard of our
ideal Of citizenship, that OF breadth of
acres and numbers of stocks and wealth
rather than that OF
craftsmanship, profound learning, e1-
allied patriotism and unselfsh citizen
ship?
"The trouble with the higher classes
of the American people has been that
they have not been ingenious in deal
ing with this great question. 1t is re-
markable, but it is true, that anything
that concerns the commercial life OF the
people is touched tenderly by the in.
telligent classes. 1t seems TO me that
the tendency Of the democracy de-
nlands plain speaking on the pant Of
those who are interested in the immor-