The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-09-18

On, my friends, the lesson {
) brotherhood, the lesson that is taugl
by such greeting as l am receivin
at this moment, the lesson that
taught whoncvcr you sec valiant an
true men who wore the blue meet val
liant and truo men who wore the gre
and shake hands with them, that lessor
applies through all our national life
and it applies just as much in forming
q judgment between class and class a
between section and section. w
never can succeed in making this cOun
try what it can and shall be made unit
we work together, not primarily as
Northcrncrs and Southcrners, East
erners and Wcsterncrs, not primarily
as employee or employer, townsmeI
or countrymcn, capitalists or wage
workers, but primarily as American
citizens, (applausc,) to whom the right
of brotherly friendship and comradc-
ship, with all other decent American
citizens comes as the first and greatest
of privileges. We need good laws, VIC
need honest and upright admlnistra-
| ton Of the laws, but we need as The
fundamental prerequisite for good
government a high average standard
OF citizenship in the men who make
the laws and stand back of them.
(Applausc.) 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 maladministration
dishonest of unfair administration of
laws. A law badly administered can
40 great harm, aud often most harm to
those who at any given IuNmcnt may
think that it is to their interest to have
the la" violated or to have it put upon
The statute books. Bad laws can do
harm. Good laws can do measure of
good, but it is the man behind tho law
who will ultimately, by the way in
which he performs his duties determine
whether this country is TO go up or
down. (Applause.)
The men here who fought in the
Union army, the men who fought in
tho Confederate army, let them look
back. What did they care for most in
the men who were their comrades,
who fought on their right hand and
their left hand in time of action? 1t
1t was not as to whether he was rich
or poor, or what his social position had
been; it was to know what he was and
when the time Of crisis came If he
would stay. daughter and applausc.)
Ii the need came to go forward you
wanted to be sure when he moved that
he would move in the right direction.
You wanted TO know that you could
count on his being there as a good
friend or as foe to look out for. 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. Oaughter.) 1t is so in
civil life; for if a citizen is TO be worth
his salt he nocds character, and into
character many clements enter. If a
man is not decent, then the ADLER he
is the more dangerous he is to the
community. In tho Revolutionary
war one Of the bravcst and most bril-
liant soldiers during the carly years of
the contest was the man who has left
his name as a byword Of infamy to the
nations for all time; the man who
fought with distinguished gallantry in
Canada, the man who led all the Amcri-
can forces in the great battle at Sara
toga and left his leg on the field of
victory. That man, with all his cour-
age, all his daring, all his superb mill
tary genius, turned because the root Of
Righteousness was not in him, sought
to betray his comrades for money and
left the name of Bcnouict Arnold hiss
ing f0rcVermOre.
In civil life the danger ls not 80
patent, but it ls just as great, if ability
ls not accompanied by rightful sense
of accountability to the moral law. In
addition TO honesty and deccncy you
must have courage. / want TO soc
every one good man, and in addition
to that l want TO sec him man. We
must have the manly virtues deeply
imbcdded as part Of our natural charac.
tcristlcs if we are to do our work q.
right IN peace or in war. But honesty
and courage together are not enough
| care not how brave and how honest
a man is, if he was born foolish YOU
can do but little with him. (Laughtc,
and applause.) We need honesty, We
need courage and we need in addition
the saving grace of common sonse.
There Is no patent device by which
we can make this country prosper, and
there is no patont device by which W.
can make the average citizen credit
to the country; make him hold higher
the standard of good government. Th,
average citizen must make himself
worthy citizen of the Republic. Th'
average citizen must realize that it il
upon his shoulders that tho entlr,
, government structure rests. We get il
The habit of speaking of the govern
, mcnt as if 1t were something apar
, from us. Now the government is lis
7 we arestho government, you and |
= (Applause.) And the government i
| going to do we'll or i'll accordingly a
we, with sanity, with resolution, wit,
0 broad character and sound commo
D sonse, make up our minds how tn
affairs Of The government shall b
n managed. No man can take the bu
u den of government off the shoulder
Q of a people fitted for self-governmen
NO man can make it easy for any pc'
8 pie TO govern themselves. They ha,
II got to determine for themselves VIII
j the government shall be, and in Il