Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1902-09-10

.bat ma NAV realize how trivial ar t IN.
noirfs of Dnlikeness, and how edsentlai
are points of likeness. tAppiause).A goou
American is good American. ana . I uoi :. !.
care a snap OF my finger fWnetne e. ne
comes from the North or the oout -n. =, =.
the East or the West. II ne Is stta. !. , ~
and decent man. am for MIN. an ls - = ne
is not, Z am not {Applause.)
"Oh. my friends, the lesson OF brotnel
hood. the lesson that is taught by such
greeting as I am receiving at TINS mo- mo-
ment. the lesson that is taught whenever
you see valiant and true men VINO wore
the blue meet valiant and true men WHO
wore the gray and shake hands win
them. that lesson applies through all our
national life, and it applies just as mucn
In forming a Judgment between class ana
class as between section and section. " E
never can succeed in making this country
what it can and shall be made until we
work together, not primarily as North
erners, Southerners, Fasteners. or West
erners; not primarily as employees or
employed townsmen or countrymen. CAPT.
talists or wage-workers. but primarily
as American citizens (applause). to whom
the right of brotherly friendship and COM
radeship with all other decent American
citizens comes as the first and greatest
of privileges. We need good laws, we
need honest and upright administra ton
OF the laws, but we need as the fund.-
mental prerequisite for good government
a high average standard Of citizenship IN
the men who make the laws and stand
back of them. (Applause.) The best law
by itself will not bring good citizenship.
A bad law will do incalculable harm. and
no greater damage can be done to any
community than NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS., dis-
honest or unfair administration of law.
Law badly administered can do great
harm and often most harm to those who
at any given moment think It is to their
interest to have the law violated, or to
have it put upon the atute books. Bad
laws can do harm. Good laws do a meas
ure of good, but 1t Is the man behind the
law who will ultimately. by the way in
which he performs his duties. determine
whether tho country is to go up or down.
(Applause.)
Character Is what counts. The men
here who fought in the Union army, the
men who fought in the Confederate army.
let them look back. What did they care
for most as to the men who were their
comrades. who fought on their right
hand and their left hand in time of ac.
ton? It was not as to the mans ante
cedents 1t was not as to whether he were
rich or poor, or what his social position
had been; it was to know whether when
the time of crisis came he would stay.
daughter and applause). If the need
came to go forward you wanted to be
dead sure when he moved that he would
move in the right direction. You wanted
to know that you could count on his be-
ing there as good friend, and as foe
to look out for you. You wanted to have
him devoted to his country. devoted to
his flag, loyal to his regiment. but don't
care how fine his feelings were. If he ran
away he was no good. Gaughter) It is
SO In civil life. for if a citizen is to be
worth his salt he needs character, and
into character many elements enter If
r man is not decent then the ADLER he is
the more dangerous he is to the com
munity.
In the Revolutionary war one of the
bravest and most brilliant soldiers during
the carly years of the contest was
the man who has left his name
as hEword of infamy to the
nations for all time; the man who
fought with distinguished gallantry
In Canada. the man who led all the Amer
lean forces in the great decisive battle
at Saratoga, and left his leg on the field
Of victory