Twice-a-week plain dealer. (Cresco, Howard County, Iowa) 1895-1913, 1902-08-05
BASIS OF HARMONY.
Subject Of Speech Delivered by Hon.
VIM. ]. Bryan.

w Als j. III eths
Addresses Democrats of New Eng
land at Boston--says Party Must
Always Fight for the
People.
At the dinner of the New England
Democratic league, held at Boston,
July "a, Hon. William j. Bryan re-
sponded to the toast, THE Basis of
Harmony" and spoke as follows:
I'm view Of numerous harmony dinners,
and the discord they have created. 1t may
not be out of place to consider the basis
OF harmony The word harmony 10
suphonious, and the idea which 1t conveys
Is delightful one Harmony! Flow 1t
soothes the ear and calls up visions Of peace
and love and JOY Harmony. whether
among the heavenly bodies whose move
nents make the music of the spheres, or
among the bodies terrestrial, with their
conflicting interests and varying mooda.
who can resist its claims or dispute us
s8nay2 Harmony is but a synonym Tor or
Ger and Is not the result of chance, but
product Of memorable law. The musician
must learn the scale and properly arrange
earnestly wo0ed, can never be won.
Harmony In government is likewise the
result of fixed and interchangeable rules.
Jefferson states two OF these rules-name-
", absolute acquiesceHce In the VIII OF the
majority and frequent elections-the sec
ond aids the first by giving hope of a rem
edy from present Ills, however grievous.
If he were living to-day his observation
would probably suggest third rule. name
~. the ascertainment of the will OF the
methods SO direct. SO fair and SO honest
that the minority cannot doubt that that
will has been actually expressed.
Jefferson also laid down the rules by
which. and by which alone. real harmony
can be secured within a party. say real
harmony, for that harmony cannot be con-
slGered worthy of the name which, like the
harmony temporarily existing between the
confidence man and his victim. is purpose
ly employed for deception and injury.
The great founder of the democratic
party whose profound philosophy sounded
all the depths of human nature and meas
uredl the height and breadth of human gov
eminent, not long before the end Of his
eyentful life said in letter to Mr.. Lee.
that there were but two permanent parties,
the aristocratic and the democratic; that
these two parties existed in every coun-
try. and that where there was freedom to
think, speak and write, these parties would
become apparent With the aristocratio
party he classed those who fear and dis
trust the people and wish to draw all
power from them into the hands of the
higher classes With the democratic party
he classed those who identify Themselves
with the people, have confidence In them.
cherish and consider them as the most
honest and safe. though not the most wise.
depository of the public interests Every
well informed student of history will REG
ognize this distinction. In every commun'
lily you can draw a line separating the
| aristocrat from the democrat. 1t will not
be a perpendicular line. nor will 1T be q
horizontal one; 1t Will not separate those
of illustrious lineage from those Of humble
birth; 1t Will not separate the rich from the
poor; 1t will not separate the educated from
the uneducated; it will not be along lines
Of vocation or occupation: but 1t will sep
arate those with the tastes. spirit, as
sumption and fractions Of the aristocracy'
from those who believe in government
controlled by the people and favor political
and legal equality
Democracy of Jefferson.
Jefferson was born of refined and we'll
TODD parents; he was even rich for one Of
that period and he was educated far above
the most Of his associates; he was lawyer
and his social connections were favorable
| to aristocratio ideas, but he was demo-
| crat He believed in the brotherhood OF
i
not be granted to all; he claimed no rights
that all did not enjoy, and he sought fo1
himself no governmental care that he did
not demand for others. He believed in the
| rule OF tho people, In their capacity for
self-goyernment and In their right to the
control Of their own affairs, He did not
doubt that they would make mistakes, but
he knew that they would bear punishment
| tor their own mistakes with more COM
placency than they would endure punish
ment for the mistakes of others. and he
was certain that their errors would be
unintentional ones He knew that, as they
| found no profit in bad laws. they would
strive to correct them and would profit
| by experience. He was q friend of every
thing that helped the people, and the un-
relentins foe Of everything that injured
them He was identified with the masses.
| and considered that insofar as by inherit
| arlce or by his own efforts he posses sc
any advantage over Others he held that
advantage as trustee for those less for.
| tunate. The people loved, him because he
hrst loved them He organized a party
that has lived for more than century, and
he so impressed his IDEAS upon the party
that no defeat. however Overwhelming, has
been able to crush it's spirit or disintegrate
1t.
| There can always be harmony among
democrats who have the purpose that JEFF
ferson had and are willing to employ the
methods that Jefferson employed. There
can always be harmony among democrats
| who believe in a government of the peo-
| Pile and are willing that all the depart
ments of the government shall be operated
by the people and for the benefit of the
people. Differences Of the mind can be rec
onciled; differences of purpose cannot. Be-
tween one who is at heart an aristocrat
and one who Is in reality democrat there
Is a great gulf fixed. And, it may be added,
a 81 fN1V ~
the same division that exists among the
beasts of prey-some have the courage of
| the lion, and others the cunning and treach-
| cry of the fox. but they can hunt together
II their object is spoil, whether 1t be
aYowed OF concealed Between those real
Ivy democratic In purpose there can be no
| personal or permanent alienation. because
having no Interior motives. they are open
10 arguments and amenable to reason; be-
Ing honest in purpose, they have confi1 ence
In the triumph of their cause, and are con-
tent to employ honest methods They Will
neither conspire against others nor against
| each other. II they make mistakes In judy
ment, as all are liable to do, they are not
| only willing, but anxious to correct their
| mistakes. In politics, as in religion, there
| ts an essential difference between a doubt
Of the head and doubt Of the heart
Aristocrnt VIZ. Democrat,
at is impossible TO secure harmony be-
| tween people of opposite sympathies. and
1t is difficult thing to change a mans
Sympathles; 1t requires a political re-
generation TO make a democrat out of an
aristocrat. 1t is a much easier task TO
show man that the principles he has
been advocating and the policies which he
has been supporting are aristocratis in
their present effect CIR in their tendencies
The republican party of to-day is ar!sto-
cratic in Its policies and tendencies for II