The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-01-16
THE LESSON OF
STEADFASTNESS.
" TO BE Right Is More Important
Than to be Successful

II Hon. William j. Bryan spoke at til
4 Jack 'on Day banquet in Wooster
1 ONO, i'll which he made an tlOqucI
I appeal to the Democratic party to stan
) by its principles. His subject wa
l /" "Stcadfastncss," and he said in part
Among the traits of characte
which distinguished Andrew Jackson
no TRAIT was more prominent or nor
helpful to his country than his stead
fastncss. When he believed tim!
he believed it, " here duty led he fol
lowed without questioning. When h,
decided that anything ought to be don,
nc did it and no power could Ovcrawt
him. He did not have in his veins
single drop Of "anythiny to win" blood
When Nichols l}iddlc declared thai
through the national bank he coulc
make and unmakc Congresses jackson
replied that that was more power than
any one man ought TO have in this
country, and he then began his wal
against Biddlc aud his bank, which re-.
suited III the overthrow of that great
linancicr and the institution which he
so automatically controlled. Others
were afraid that Bildlr's iutlu nee, if
antaconized, w"ulI defeat the Dem =
cratic party, but jackson saw in 1t a
! menace to his country, and he did not
stop to consider what effect an attack
on the bank would have on himself or
his party, and VIC revere his name and
celebrate his day.
Benton, in reviewing j Jlckson's
work, said that, az Cicero overthrcw
the conspiracy OF Cataline and saved
Rome, so jackson overthrow The bank
and saved America. We shall observe
! this day in vain if we do not gather
from the life OF Jackson inspiration
and encouragement for the work which
lies before us. 10 day the Democratic
party needs to lcaln from the hero OF
New Orleans the lesson OF steadfast.
ness; it needs TO learn from him not
only that TO be right is more important
tsan TO be successful, but that to be
right is the best way to insure success.
{" a party must have principles or it
can have no claim up1n pubic conf
dcncc, and how can it commend It's
principles better than by standing by
them? Who will have faith in the
creed of II party if the party stands
ready to barter away its creed IN OK
change for the promise Of patronage? {?
a halting, vacillatiD9 course not only
fails to invite recruits, but it alcnatcs
and drives away veterans.
" Another reason for steadfastncsa
is found IN the fact that no one can tell
until the attempt ls made what OBJ
staclcs courage can overcome. The
hold and fearless TRUMP where he
timd fail. The victories which live
and light us on to noble deeds are the
victories snatchcd from the jaws of de-
feat by intrepid spirits who preferred
death to retreat.
" There Isl u protOun philosophy as
well as a religious truth in the words:
He that stvcth his l'fc shall lose it,
The party that has no higher purpose
than TO :avC It's own life will die be-
cause it deserves to die, if need be, for
the sake Of il great cause will live be-
| cause II deserves to live.
! Who says that the money power
Is omnipotcnt and that the Democratic
party must compromise with it or sur
render to II? Not until human nature
is entirely changed can the linancicrs
be entrusted with the guardianship Of
the producers of wealth; not until greed
becomes just can the money changers
construct a system for themselves
which will be fair to any one else. a
top can be balanced upon the point
only when it Is in rapid motion, and sc
tho great financial structure designed
by Wall street for the benefit of Wall
street will stand upright only so long
as il can be kept whirlmg; the collapse
Will come when the speed is slackcncd
Who says that we cannot afford TO
measure strength with the great mono
poiics which now arrogantly assume tC
control the domain Of politics as well
as the field of industry? Not until we
can gather good fruit from an evil tree,
and liss from thstlcs, can VIC expect q
private monopoly to bring forth public
blessings. The water that has beer
poured into the stocks Of our great cor
20 ations has for the most part beer
drawn from the agricultural rcgon'
and the drought that IS sure to follow
will teach tho farmer the meaning O
the trust system.
"Must we abandon the sclf.cvidcn
truth that governments derive thei
Just powers from the consent of tn
governed? Must we accept imperialism
as an accomplished fact and join il
the shout for blood and conquest? Gu
Republic rests upon solid rock, an
while its principles are revealed
cannot be overthrow from With
or from without, but if all partlc
. Joined together to erect an cmpr
upon American soil they would bull
upon the sand and the cGilcc c0ul
not endure. 1t is law divine in il
origin, irresistible III its force and etc
nal in its duration, that wrong-doin
5 ultimately destroys the wrong-docr, an
no nation CT combination of natio ,s
strong enough to cvadc or resist rctril
utive justice.
{ "But suppose what no one shou
s assume, and what no, one can prove
s that steadiast adherence 10 Democrat
s principles would result in repeated 4
o feat, is there any reason why we shou
- abandon those principles and ado
Y others, or have none at all? Tho
ia. who prefer prison fare or servilc su
= ipct,s lot TO the dangers of the bait