Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1905-04-17
TALKS TO new YORK DEMOCRACY
AT JEFFERSON DAY BANQUET
The Spirit of Jefferson Still Lives.
Political Issues Are the Result of
Conditions. History of the World
May be Said TO be the Biography of
Great Men.

AT the Jefferson Day banquet at New
York last Thursday. Judge Augustus
Van Wyck made the chief address, which
abounded in excellent advice to demo.
Gratis. Judge Van Wyck said in part:
"Mr. jefferson believed the safety of
free institutions rested upon the rule of
the masses, and that the surrender of a
portion of the rights OF the individual,
which, constituting the powers of gov
ernment, were held in trust for the com
mon benefit Of all. That these powers
ought to be divided in three classes and
each contided to a separate set of trustees,
viz: the executive, legislative and judi.
clal, each independent Of the others-the
power to deal with foreign nations by
way of treaty requiring concurrent judy
ment of the Executive and Senate.
u
tissues are not made by the declara-
tions of leaders or their followers. but by
the conditions and conduct which at
times make it wise for a people to turn
out the party in power. Not the present
conditions alone, but that which will
exist in 1908. How unwise for man to
attempt to fix now issues depending
upon the conditions of four years hence.
Leaders should not mistake their mis-
sion. 1t is not to make now his platform
for 1908 and say to the other leaders and
to the masses that they must believe in
the same or be considered outside of the
breastworks. Voters are constantly dis
posing OF issues as they are passed upon
at elections and taking up new ones as
conditions and conduct call for them.
Our leaders have the power to do much
good work. They can guide and help to
organize watchful. vigorous and united
party consisting OF those opposed to the
party in power. No party should coun-
tenance any leadership that insists upon
substituting his ideaa for those Of the
majority. No leadership that threatens
factional division if specified views are
not acquiesced in should be tolerated
The demand and the need OF the hour is
for an unselfsh, alert and we'll united
minority stimulating careful considera-
ton OF public affairs and the conduct Of
government subjecting the same to wise
and conservative criticism, holding
themselves in readiness for the great
fight Of 1908. Is such democracy posi-.
BILE or will our party continue to be di.
vided into factions like the clans of
Scotland fighting each other and flirting
with the fattery OF the chief OF the COM
mon enemy, or shall We find some Wal
lace or Bruce to lead US in useful service
to our country and to victory?
ut can be safely asserted that the
four greatest OF our presidents were
Washington, Jefferson, Jackson and
Lincoln. The matchIess Washington
and peerless Jackson were soldier states
men. Jefferson and Lincoln were civil.
ians and in nearer touch and sympathy
with the plain people and the strugg ing
masses than any of the others. They
were sincere and honest in their sym.
pathy and convictions. Lincoln was
Jeffersonian in these and in all respects
and in the belief that African slavery
was only temporary. They were men OF
peace, loved their fellow man and had
but little patience with reforms sough
to be accomplished by bloodshed. They
were the most distinguished apostles OF
the doctrine OF the Prince OF Love and
Peace-the star proclaimed Babe oI
Bethlehem, who de6ed Rome at ber
zenith of power as we'll as OF her i'm.
morality so wildly described in Quo
Vaiis,' who conquerlng, made her for all
time one of the centers of the Christian
Religion"