The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-09-10
Ten Thousand Hear ROose=
Welt at Asheville,
Continued from First Page.)

zenship in the men who make the laws
aud stand back of them (Applause.)
The best law by itself will not bring good
citizenship A bad law will do incalcula-
bic harm. and no greater damage can be
done to any community than maladmin-
| istration, dishonest or unfair administra-
ton of laws. A law badly administered
can do great harm, and often most harm
TO those who 1T any given moment may
think that it is TO their interest to have
the law violated or to have it put upon
the statute books. Bad laws can do
harm. Good laws can do a measure of
good, but it is the man behind the law
who will ultimately by the way in which
he performs his duties determine wheth-
er this 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 of the men who
were their comrades, who fought on their
right hand and their left hand in time
of action. 1t was not as to the mans
antecedants, it was not as to whether
he was rich or poor, or what his social
position had been, it was to know wheth-
er when the time of crisis came he would
stay daughter and applause) 1t 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
a 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 bravcst and most brilliant sold
icrs during the early years of the con-
test was the man who has left his name
as a by-wOrd of infamy to the nations
for all time; the man who fought with
distinguished gallantry in Canada, the
man who led all the American forces
in the great decisive battle at Saratoga
and left his leg on the field of victory.
THAT man with all his courage, all
his daring, all his superb military genius,
turned because the root of righteousness
was not in him, sought 20 betray his
comrades for money and left the name
of Benedict Arnold as Kissing forever
more.
I'm civil life the danger is not so pa
tent, but it is just as great if ability is
lot accompanied by a rightful sense of
accounta bility to the moral law.
I'VE need honesty, we need courage
and we need in addition the saving grace
of common sense. There is no patent
device by which we can make this coun-
try prosper and there is not patent de-
vice BY which we can make the average
citizen a credit to the country; make
him hold higher the standard of good
government
1--WE get in the habit of speaking of the
government as if it were something apart
from us. Now the government is US, we
are the government. you and l. CAP
plause) And the government is going to
do we'll or i'll accordingly as we, with
sanity, with resolution, with broad char
ity and sound common sense make UP our
minds how the affairs of the government
shall be managed. No man can take the
burden of government off the shoulders
of people fitted for self government. No
man can make it easy for any people to
govern themselves. They have got to
determine for themselves what the gov
eminent shall be. and in the long run
the government will represent their
wishes, their wishes for good or their
wishes for evil. or else they are indif-
ferent to good or evil (Applause.) And
so my plea to you, my fellow Americans.
as to every citizen in every section of
the country is, remember that in this
country nothing, no law, no leadership,
can possibly take the place of the ex-
ercise by the average citizen of the fun
damental virtues of good citizenship, the
exercise of the fundamental qualities of
honesty courage and common sense"
The President was given three hearty
cheers as he finished his speech. Car
riages then were entered and the party
was driven to Biltmore. the home OF
George Vanderbilt. More than an hour
was spent in inspecting the grounds.
While n )ne of the summer houses the
President shook hands with number or
Confederate veterans. His train LETT
promptly at 80 p. m, for Washington.