The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1903-12-26
The Distinguished American and Brillian
Orator is Received With Marked
Enthusiasm.
Eloquent and Witty Speech of the Gres
Democrat in Answer to the Toast
Proposed.

are. I believe that our grea tness is
going to be due largely to the COM
posite character Of our people. 1
know you have much here, that has
been developed in the longer period of
YOUR national life that we can learn
by. [ am not vain enough to believe
that we are going to bestow every
thing and receive nothing. I know
there is no country in Europe from
which we may not learn some lesson
According to my theory of govern
ment, these things that can pass free.
ly from country to country are really
great things. The material things of
life are not always the most impor-
tant. We have to have food and
clothing, but these minister to our
bodies. and have been taught to be-
licve that the mind is greater than
the body, and that the heart is great
or than the mind. In studying the
subject of civilization 1 was surprised
to find how little has been spoken
and learned on this familiar theme. 1
WAS surprised to find how few have
attempted to give a definition of civ
ilization. In fact, when l began to
search for one, cannot find one that
seems to me to be apt and correct.
Buckle. in his "History of Civiliza-
tion," measured civilization by the
mastery of the human mind over the
forces of nature. That at first sight
seems to be very plausible defini-
ton, but OH examining it you will
find he left entirely out of considera-
ton the material element. If you
measured your civilization merely by
the mastery of the human mind over
the forces of nature, it applies merely
to intellectual progress. I find that
Buckle left the material element out
Intentionally, because the great moral
principles that underlie society have
been accepted by people in all ages,
and, therefore, their advance must be
measured by intellectual progress. I
am, however, compelled to dissent
from this distinguished man. Ny in
vestigation of history has convinced
me that the moral element is not only
important but predominant. This
moral element, in my opinion, is the
| predominant element in civilization.
have studied the question, and I
have found in the last analysis that
every economic question is at bottom
great moral one, and that no ques-
tion is ever settled until it is settled
| right, and that it is never settled right
until the moral principles involved in
it are ascertained and passed upon.
am not going to discuss any par
ticular questions here, because in the
! first place, don't want to discuss
American politics outside the United
States, and still less your politics or
the politics of any other land. But in
| discussing those questions in our own
country we have been helped by what
has been said by people who live in
other lands. And there is this about
every real argument and every great
truth-it does not change in passing
from land to land and from nation to
nation (applause). Neither does it
change from age to age. Truth is
| eternal, it is universal, and when cir
cumstances require the application Of
any truth it is the same everywhere
In discussing the silver question in
1896 I found that one of the most use-
full pamphlets we had to present for
the consideration Of our readers was
a pamphlet that emanated from this
I city, and it was in that way became
acquainted with the name and learned
to respect and revere Archbishop
Walsh Qoud applause). l remember
that that pamphlet grew out of the
facts of the existing situation. AS
recall 1t, his grace was called on to
testify in regard to the fall of rental,
and took up the position that with
falling prices, no rent that was Just
to-day would be just a few years
hence, because while the amount of
the rent was fixed in dollars, pounds
or shillings. the ability of the tenant
II n =