Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-09
TALKED ON THE SOUTH
REPRESENTATIVE SHERLEY OF
LOUISVILLE CHIEF ORATOR.
Annual Banquet of the Hamilton Club
at cago-Anniversary of
Lees Surrender

CHICAGO, April S.-Representatve Jos.
S. Sherley of Louisville was chief orator
tonight at the annual banquet of the Ham,
ilton Club, held on the anniversary of the
surrender of the army of Gen. Lee at APP
pomattoX.
Representative Sherley of Kentucky, in
responding to The South said in part:
There has not been in the SOUTH there
Is not now, any Intelligent opposition
party. With no real opposition, it follows
inevitably that the dominant party breaks
into factions, and, all being forced by nat
ural loyalty to obedience to national party
platforms, there is no national party plat
form; there is no national question for de-
bate, and the personal claims of candidates
become the only matters for determine
ton.
'"Thus the south has allied herself with
the conservatives and the radicals, with
the east or the west, asking nothing in her
own behalf but that in her solution of the
race question she be left alone.
Part in National Politics.
But if the south needs for her own sake
to play part in the national political life,
In equal degree does the north need to
have her play it. The country is Witness
ing wave of radicalism sweep over 1t.
that. while by virtue of the inertia of gov
eminent it has not yet wrought much in
affirmative legislation, has deeply perme-
ated the ideas of both political parties
And 1t is by no means an Anglo-SaXon
radcalism. 1t speaks not SO much for
progress as for socialism; not so much for
independence as for paternalism.
Called into existence by legislation that
has been controlled by few, and for the
benefit of a few, it would cure the pa
ternalism of a class by the paternalism of
the mass; protesting against the rich, it
would legislate only for the poor 1t
would cure bad law, not by repeating 1t,
but by making a worse one.
FESTIVE Under any Restraint.
Impatient at all things, it is FESTIVE
under any restraint the Constitution may
interpose to its quick forming plan of
relief Censuring the courts for their de-
cisions, it would set aside the proved
safeguards of liberty for a temporary
benefit. Against this agitation is only the
conservatism of wealth, whose very OPP
position gives only too frequently fresh
ground of complaint for it is a conserva-
tism that is born not of conservative
thought, but the desire to hold what
wrong has frequently acquired.
There will be a great conservative
party that believes, breaches and acts a
true conservatism, one that is progress
sive always, that believes in the nation
deeply and periodically, but believes also
in an indestructible union of indestruc-
tibe states; that will freely admit and
use the powers of the nation. but will
also guard with jealous care the reserved
rights of the states, and that it may bet
ter guard them, will insist on effective,
honest state and local government; that
will favor more of repeal of law and less
of enactment; that will have a sufficient
faith in the people to believe they are
men, not children, capable in the daily
affairs of life of caring for themselves;
that will use the powers of government
to prevent oppression, but not to destroy
individual initiative.
This party is actually to be- They very
stars in their courses fight for it. You
may hasten or delay 1t only. The south
stands ready. Men of the north, throw
wide open the doors of your national life"