Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 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, 1.-THE Basis of
Harmony" and spoke as follows:
I'm 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 it
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 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 now
earnestly wooed, can never be Won
Harmony in government is likewise the
result of fixed and Interchangeable rules
Jefferson states two of these rules-na me
ly, absolute acquiescence in the Will OF the
ma jority and frequent elections-the sec
ond aids the first by giving hope or a rem
edy from present his, however grievous.
If he were living to-day his observation
would probably suggest third rule, name
ly, the ascertainment Of the will or 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 secure6i within party. 1 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
ureGi the height and breadth of human gov
eminent, not long before the end of his
eventful life, said in 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 hanCS 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 as 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-
ity you can draw a line separating the
aristocrat from the democrat. 1t will not
be a perpendicular line, nor will it be a
horizontal one; it will not separate those
birth; it will not separate the rich from the
poor; it will not separateacac Educated from
the uneducated; 1t will not be along lines
Of vocation or occupation; but it will sep
arate those with the tastes, spirit, as
sumption and tradftions-of the aristocracy'
from those who believe in 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 associa tes; he was a lawyer
and his social connections were favorable
to aristocratic ideas, but he was a demo-
Graf. 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 fer 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 mis- takes, 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
unintentionaI ones. He knew that, 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 poSsesSs
any advantage over Others he held thai
advantage a 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, an6
| that no defeat, however overwhelming, has
been able to crush it's spirit or disintegra te
| it.
There can always be harmony among
| democrats who have the purpose that JEFF
| ferson had and are willing to employ the
| methods that Jefferson employed. There
| can always be harmony among democrat:
| who believe in a government of the PEG
/ pie and are willing that all the depart
| ments of the government shall be operated
| by the people and for the benefit of tn
people. Differences of the mind can be rec
| onciled; differences of purpose cannot. Be
| tween one who is at heart an aristocra
and one who is in reality democrat Their,
| is a great gulf fixed. And, it may be added
| among the aristocrats there will be foun,
| the same division that exists among tn
| beasts of prey-some have the courage O
| the lion, and others the cunning and trea CHI
| cry of the fox, but they can hunt togethe
If their object is spoil, whether it b,
| avowed or concealed. Between those real
| ly democratic in purpose there can be n
personal or permanent alienation, becauS
| having no Interior motives, they are opel
| to arguments and amenabie to reason; be
| ing honest in purpose, they have confid enc
| in the triumph of their cause and are con
tent to employ honest methods. They vii
neither conspire against others nor agains
| each other. If they make mistakes in juds
| ment, as all are liable to do, they are no
| only willing, but anxious to correct thei
mistakes. In politics, as in religion, ther
is an essential difference between a douh
of the head and a doubt of the heart.
ArisfOcraf VS. neu,o~raf
at is impossible to secure harmony be
| tween people of opposite sympathies an
it is a difficult thing to change man
sympathies; it requires a political re
generation to make democrat out of a
| aristocrat. 1t is a much easier task I
LII not he rim cir,l< H. IL,