Ottumwa semi-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1899-1903, 1903-01-13

republication. on the other extreme
socialism. We are drifting to one or
the other of these extremes.
ut is alone by the acts of conserva-
tive democracy believing in the right
of self government. freedom of trade
and declaration of independence, that
the perpetuity of our country will be
maintained On such an occasion as
you are having, it is well to remember
that the success of democracy lies not
in words but in actions; not in high
sounding praises, but in getting togeth-
err upon the essential questions that
mean the good and welfare of our
country. When we do this we are do
ing our duty to our country, our par
ty, and ourselves.
with kindest regards remain,
yours truly,
81. B. Sullivan"
w. H. C. Jaques.
Captain w. H. G. Jaques, was next
called upon for an address on water
and It's Uses" and responded very
happily with short but humorous
speech in which he told of the many
uses to which water is put, not for
getting Incidentally to express his dis
dain for the article which, he said, is
called water by the City Water Supply
Co., which concern he characterized
as little Jim Grow concern down in
Maine.
George F. HeindeI.
George F. Heindel. on Insular Pos
sessions, was the next speaker. He
said:
'It is my purpose to consider this
question, not from historical or a
financial side, but to its effect on our
institutions. A Frenchman who at
tended the ceremony of the unwilling
of the Rochambeau monument in
Washington last spring is reported to
have said to one of our officials, This
country of yours is a wonderful expert
ment." 1t struck me as an unusual
statement, but | desire to make it the
text for what | shall say My first i'm
pulse. and presume that of every
American citizen would be the same,
was that of resentment; my second,
that Of denial, and lastly, that of in
vestigation. / asked myself what did
he mean anyway? 1t seems almost
preposterous that Frenchman, of all
men, should refer to our government
as an experiment, but the man who
uttered this sentiment was an educated
man, familiar with our institutions,
and acquainted with our history, and
he must have meant something. He
could not have meant that our history
of government was an experiment, for
1875 years of national life have demon
strated that it is correct. Its essen
tial is that every man is created with
a capacity for self government, there
fore, free and equal to every
other man, that each individ
ual has the same right to govern him
self that every other has, and no man
has any inherent right to govern an
| other.
| In this assemblage of democrats
may be permitted to refer to the Dec
| laration of independence, although
| that document seems to have been lost
sight of during the past few years, and
even venture to go so far as to quote
from it, because it states in plain un
mistakable language the underlying
4 principles of this government; we
| hold these truths to be self evident
4 that all men are created equal, tina
they are endowed by their Creator
4 with certain inalienable rights; tina
among them are life, liberty and the
pursuit of happiness. That to secure
! these rights, governments were insti
tuted among men, deriving the jus
powers from the consent of the gov
erned
Another document, nearly as OLE
as the Declaration of independence
has been very popular of late and has
been used to justify some of the mos
inconsistent actions. | speak of tina
document which announced the Mon
/ roe doctrine. 1t contains thi
language: That the institution o
government to be lawful, must be spe
cific; that is, founded upon consent
and by the agreement of those who ar
governed
The principles SO stated are undis
puted, and they cannot be destroyed
or modified We may misconstrue and
misapply them, or we may depart from
/ them, but a government by the people
cannot endure without them. 1t may
be that single departure will not de
stroy popular government, but we
might as well justify the clearing Of
few stones from the foundation OF
our court house, saying that the house
will still stand, as to depart from the
principles which form the foundation
of this government and justify it by
pointing to our prosperity.
In either case persistence in such
action will surely result in the de
struction of the entire structure.
"In view of the fact that at that
time we had for several years beer
waging war against the people of the
Philippine islands and had persistent
4 ly refused to define our position as tc
giving them independence or gov
eminent of their own, submit the
conclusion would have been fair thai
/ it was our purpose to apply to then
some other than republican form Of
government, and if SO it certainly
would be wonderful experiment fol
government which has for centu