Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1903-07-03

have now a great nation. stretching
from the Atlantic TO the Pacific and
from the gulf Of Mexico TO the great
lakes-a nation OF over 10000, 900 souls.
But our people VIII remain great ma
ton only so long as they are AN honor
oble and an honored people. Beware
OF the legislation that would make one
law for the rich man and smother for
the poor man Beware OF the law
that would send an ignorant criminal
10 prison and yst permit a brutnlly
selfish coal baron to traffic I'm child
labor. Beware of social condition
which makes it possible for capital TO
starNe and grind down labor while la
Dor. with an honest heart is ready to
give capital full days work for a
fair days wage Our laws should toll
crate neither tyranny of capital nor
tyranny Of labor. but should afford
equal protection to both and facilitate
mutually of interests and friendly re-
lationS between them. II is only when
government honestly tries TO admins
ter equal justice and AFFORD equal pro-
lection TO all its subjects that it gathers
the robes OF Immortality about its
loinS. When government by unwise
laws and administrative neglect makes
possible the enslavement or oppression
of its seemingly helpless ones such n
government is paving the way for its
own disintegration. Had King George
III. been u wise ruler and had Britain
tried TO be as just to the thirteen colo
MES in 1776 as she is honestly trying
10 be to her colonies at the present
fifnn
the brightest jewel in the British
crown. Would that our own land.
profiting by this great lesson. so closely
interviewer with our national birth and
childhood. might always be just 10 the
helpless, the weak and the poor as well
as 10 the rich. the influential and the
strong.
Strength In the Right.
The. strength of our present govern
ment is due TO the fact that il tries to
be just TO all it's people, irrespective OF
class. Ours is Il government" said
Theodore Roosevelt I'm recent speech
of liberty through and under the law.
No man is above it, and no man Is be-
low it, The crime of the cunning, the
crime of greed, the crime of violence
them all alike the law must set its face.
This is not and never shall be gov
eminent of the plutocracy or of the
mob. 1t is. as il has been and as Il
will be, government of the people.
including alike the people of great
wealth, OF moderate wealth, the people
who employ others, the people who are
employed-including them all. protect
ing each aud every one If he acts de-
Gently and squarely and discriminating
against any one If he does not act
squarely and fairly, IL he does not
obey the law. While all people are
foolish il they violate the law or rebel
against it-wickcd as well as foolish,
but all foolish - yet the most foolish
man in this republic Is the man of
wealth who complains because the law
is administered with impartial Justice"
May God always continue TO give 10
us for the office OF chief executive men
who are presidents of the whole peo-
pie, who will see that the government
is not Wall street hireling or n gigan-
tic monopolizing trusts employee; who
will protect the rich ms well as poor.
black rs well MS white. Jew as well as
gentle. woman's virtue as well as
mans honor; who will not cringe 10 a
class, but who will protect and guide
all honest people alikei
The Declaration OF Independence
proves the power of Inherited character.
! am not nearly SO much impressed
with the surnamcs which have been
placed at the foot of this important
Il Y L..
themselvesA- When I mention certain
names there seem TO cluster about
them many other names. John Adams!
Who was he? He was our colossus I'm
Debate" wrote Jefferson. But as
speak the name OF John Adams speak
also OF Samuel Adams, John Quincy
Adams, Charles Francis Adams. senior
and Junior. and other Adamses who
have added lustcr TO the Adams name
When I speak the name OF Richard
Henry Lee. who prepared the famous
resolution the outcome OF which was
this Declaration OF Independence, see
Il great number OF Virginia Lees pass
ing before me-Arthur and Francis
Lightfoot and Robert Edward and
Fitz-Hugh and, greatest of all, Robert
+. Lee, the pride OF the south" and the
loved and honored OF the north When
speak the name of benjamin Harri-
son, another si2ner, we find him the
father OF William II. Harrison, the
ninth president of the United States.
and the great-grandfather OF Benjamin
Harrison. the twenty third president of
the United States. The name OF Philip
L Livingston thA Sf.r
those OF Robert II. and Edward aud
William. Roger sherman, who was
one OF the great speakers ut this con-
vention, was n member OF the tlistin-
guishcd Connecticut family OF that
name, among whose descendants IS the
present able senator from Massa-
chuSetts, George Frisbie Hoar. FL
bridge Gerry's name suggests not one
Elbridge Gerry, but many Elbridges.
Morris not only means Lewis Norris.
but also that of his great brother.
Gouverneur Norris The recounting
or these family names alone would
prove conclusively that there Is some
thing in heredity. 1t would prove that |
when Il man comes from a good ances-
tral stock it is not as difficult for him
nobody, the grandson and the great |
grandson of nobodies.
An Encouraging Assurance.
My friends, iii whose veins flows the |
blood of ancestors who fought at Bun |
ker Hill and Brandywine and Saratoga !
ana Princeton, shall you not serve your |
country as nobly and faithfully as did !!
the soldier boys and statesmen of ITO |
and 1888? Can IL be that we, whose |
forefathers had so glorious a share In |
the struggle for national independence, !
shall ourselves have no part. no honor |
able position in the struggles that are |
going on in 1903 TO keep our nation |
pure and good and true? In olden |
times the Scottish youths were inspir- |
cd TO deeds OF valor by the knowledge |
that they were members of the clan |
MacGregor or Campbell or Stuart or |
Mccoy. They We're Inspired with the |
never to disgrace the |