The Plymouth tribune. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1901-1911, 1902-03-06
ONE LIES MEANING
Senator Beveridge Gives An Estimate
OF Washington's Influence On
History.
NEED OF AMERICAN CHARACTER
The Cultivation of Discipline, That
Force for Which Washington Stood
So Largely, Is Urged in Eloquent
Terms Amid Fitting Surroundings.


Following is the address delivered
by the Hon. Albert ]. Beveridge under
the auspices of the Union League
Club, at the Auditorium. Chicago. on
the afternoon of Feb. p, 1902:
Ladies and Gentlemen:
The meaning of Washington in
American history is discipline. The
message of Washington's life to the
American people is discipline. The
need of American character is the cul-
tivation of discipline.
Washington did not give patriotism
to the American colonies. The people
had that as abundantly as he He did
not give them courage. That quality
was and is in the American blood. He
did not even give them resource
There were intellects more productive
than his. But Washington gave bal
ance and direction to elemental forces.
He was the genius of order. He was
poise personified. He was the spirit
of discipline. He was the great con-
sentative. 1t was this that made all
other elements of the Revolution eff
fective 1t was this that organized
nebulous independence into a nation
OF liberty. The parts of machine are
useless until assembled and fitted
each to its appropriate place. Wash
ington did that And so it is that we
are people.
But we are not yet a perfect people
any more than youth is yet a per-
feet man. We are yet in the making
1t is a glorious circumstance. Youth
is the nOblest of Gods great gifts.
The life of nation is like the life
of a man. Read the history of a peo-
pie who have done things in their day.
Read the life of man who has done
things in his day. They are as SIM
liar as sea and ocean. 1t is only
question of magnitude. The American
people are young? Yes. Vital? Yes
Powerful? Yes. Masterful? Yes.
Disciplined? Not entirely. Reserved?
Not yet, but will be. Moderate? Not
yet. but growing in that grace. And
l.
the message of Washington-he,
whose sanity, orderliness and calm
have reached through the century,
steadying us when untamed passions
of riotous youth had all but reached
the climax of chaos.
The American people have finally
overcome every CONFUSION? True.
The element of sobriety has never
failed to master the maddest agita-
tons? True again. But the cost of
the struggle in every instance has
been measured by the strength of the
instinct of discipline at the time. To-
day we are calm, and are conscious
of no need of self-restraint. Yes.
But yesterday we were delirious, and
the rumble of cannon on your streets
and the rattle of musketry at your
doors was hailed with feelings of Sc
curity and relief. And many crises
may be recalled by men not yet old.
The political CONFUSION of five years
ago is a peaceful example of popular
hysteria, overcome by strenuous work
that tested the powers of conservatism
to the ultimate limit. Popular re-
serve, the self-restraint of the people,
the Preside conference, would have
lessened every excited circumstance
in our history, and prevented many
or most of them. Reason is better
than bayonets. Sober second thought
Is better than the destroying violence
of campaign over passion-born prop
ositions.
The Labor and Capital Arbitration
Committee.
In the daily press We read of a CO.
operative council of capitalists, clergy,
workers and publicists to settle the
conflicts between labor and productive
wealth. We applaud it, and we should
But not because it will be effective
for 1t may not be effective. But we
hail it as an evidence that the spirit
of forbearance is spreading among the
people. 1t is an expression of the
instinct of order which must become
the ruling element in American civil
cation. And this it is which, more and
more, will settle strikes, and in the
end prevent them. This 1t is which,
more and more will take wildness out
of our politics, until reasonable issues
only remain. The remedy for friction
between employer and employed is in
the breasts of the men themselves and
their employers. The saving of the
people is In the hands of the people
themselves. and nowhere else. Better
than councils and commissions and
congresses is the self-discipline, the
reasoning reserve, the regulated con-
science of a free people. And con-
crosses and councils are effective only
as they are expressions of this.
Indeed, we have awakened to the
fundamental fact that written laws
are not everything and that the peo-
pie are everything. Back of our stat
utes stands our constitution, and back
of our constitution stands our institu-
lions. and back of our institutions
stands our race. Let us remember
that the people are the real founda-
lion: not laws, not even constitu-
lions. 1t is the people from which
statutes, constitutions and even in.
utitutions spring that give these forms
of civil method their meaning The
constitution of this republic would
be a different instrument as the fun.
damenyal law of Latin nation ever
though that nation copied it word for
word. 1t would be Interpreted by
their racial spirit, expounded In the