The Kinsley graphic. [volume] (Kinsley, Kan.) 1890-1940, 1902-08-01
BASIS OF. HARMONY.
Subject of Speech Delivered by Hon.
VIM. ]. Bryan.
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:
'In 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 is
euphonious, and the idea which it conveys
is a delightful one Harmony! How 1t
soothes the ear and calls up visions OF peace
and love and joy. Harmony, whether
among the heavenly bodies. whose move
ments make the music of the spheres. or
among the bodies terrestrial. with their
conflicting interests and varying moods,
who can resist its claims or dispute its
sway? Harmony is but a synonym for or
der and is not the result Of chance, but a
product of memorable law. The musician
must learn the scale and properly arrange
the notes, or harmony. no matter how
earnestly wooed, can never be won.
Harmony in government is likewise the
result of fixed and Interchangeable rules.
Jefferson states two of these rules-name-
ly, absolute acquiescence in the will OF the
majority and frequent elections-the sec
ond aids the first by giving hope OF rem
edy from present ills, however grievous.
If he were living to-day his observation
would probably suggest a third rule, name
ly, the entertainment 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 party. say real
harmony, for that harmony cannot be con-
sidered 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
ured the height and breadth of human gov
eminent. not long before the end of his
eventful life, said in a 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 aristocratic
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 the most
honest and safe, though not the most wise,
depository of the public interests Every
well informed student of history will rec
ogniZe this distinction. In every commun-
tty you can draw a line separating the
aristocrat from the democrat 1t will not
be perpendicular line, will It be
horizontal one; 1t will not separate those
of illustrious lineage from those of humble
birth; 1t VIII not separate the rich from the
poor; 1t will not separa tie the educated from
the uneducated; 1t will not be along lines
of vocation or occupation; but 1t will sep
arate those with the tastes, spirit as
sumption and traditions of the aristocracy'
from those who believe in a 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 a lawyer
and his social connections were favorable
to aristocratic ideas, but he was a demo-
crat. He believed in the brotherhood of
man; he asked for no privileges that could
not be granted to all: he claimed no rights
= that all did not enjoy, and he sought for
himself no governmental care that he did
not demand for others. He believed in the
rule of the people, In their capacity for
self-government 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
for 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
unintenuonal 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 friend of every
thing that helped the people. and the un-
relenting foe of everything that injured
them. He was identified with the masses,
and considered that insofar as by Inherit
ance or by his own efforts he possessed
any advantage over others, he held that
advantage trustee for those less for
tunate. The people loved him because he
first loved them. He organized a party
that has lived for more than a century, and
n
that no defeat, however overwhelming. has
been able to crush its spirit or 6isintegrate
It.
There can always be harmony among
democrats who have the purpose that JET
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-
pie 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 a democrat there
is a great gulf fixed. And, 1t may be added,
among the aristocrats there will be found
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
avowed or concealed. Between those real
ly democratic in purpose there can be no
personal or permanent alienation, because
having no Interior motives, they are open
to arguments and amenable to reason; be-
ing honest in purpose, they have confidence
In the triumph of their cause and are cor
tent to employ honest methods. They will
neither conspire against others nor against
each other. If they make mistakes in judg-
ment, as all are liable to 90, they are rot
only willing. but anxious to correct their
mistakes. In politics. as In religion, there
is an essential difference between a doubt
Of the head and doubt of the heart
Aristocrat va. Democrat
"It is impossible to secure harmony be-
tween people of opposite sympathies, and
1t is a difficult thing to change a mans
sympathies; it requires a political re-
generation to make democrat out of an
ariStacrat. Ii is much ga sier ask 70