Fergus County argus. [volume] (Lewistown, Mont.) 1886-1946, 1905-06-14

influences of oppressive and tyranni-
cal monopolies; has the spirit OF COM
mercialism overshadowed the spirit
of patriotism? Has the principle OF
equal rights to all been consistently
adhere to? Have we surrendered the
control of our affairs to the worship
of wealth and the right Of might?
Have we surrendered government
by majorities to government by mil
itarism? Each man must answer
these questions for himself, he must
study and think and analize, he must
not be guided by others but must
come carefully and deliberately to his
own conclusion. We have been told
that eternal vigilance is the price
Of liberty and it will not do for us
to sit down blindly and accept tenn
porary conditions of prosperity while
our great principles of patriotic gov
eminent are being prostituted. This
is our country, it is your country,
it is my country, it was founded and
established as a land of liberty, a
haven of refuge for the prosecuted,
land of free speech, free press and
free men, and it is your duty and
it is my duty to preserve as such.
To preserve it as an illustration to
all the world oft he ability of the peo-
pie to govern themselves by their
own consent and authority.
The Ideal Government.
The nearer all classes come togeth.
er. the nearer the equality between
our people, the nearer will they ap.
proach an ideal form of government
When we see the farmer in the field
sowing his grain in the spring time
and reaping it at harvest time, and
when we see the banker counting his
dollars in his bank and riding in his
beautiful carriage or automobile, we
say to each other, there is no differ
ence between the avocations, there is
no honor attached to one that is not
attached to the other; when we see the
man with his tin pail going to the
mine in the morning and returning
after his eight hours work, sitting be
side the professional man in the street
car; then we are ready to admit and
acknowledge and say to all the world
that there is no humblest citizen, that
there is no citizen superior to the 9th
err, that there is no man, woman OF
child that the law makes any distinc
ton between, when we proclaim uni
versally that poverty is not a crime
and that wealth is not mark of dis
tinction, then we shall have the right
conception of ourselves and our fe1
low mOrtals. and shall have advanced
long way4tBward the progress of oul
ideal.
Likewise when we recognize thai
the man who tills the soil, the mar
who rides the range, the man who
works in the mine, the man who
clerks in the store, the man who
herds our fiocks, has every privilege
every honor, and no distinction car
be made between him and his employ
worth in the community, then we mus
know that this country is approach
ing it's ideal.
It will then be a form of govern
ment where labor and capital will re
| ceive their just rewards and their dit
ficulties will be no more.
But. my friends, in case of conflic
between the two, labor should havt
the more important place; labor il
performed by man, and man is tn
handiwork of God; capital is mad
by man and is the handiwork of man
and should take a less importan
place; in other words the handiworl
of man is always inferior to the hand
iwork of God.
The diamond sparkling on the ham
of royalty and wealth would hav'
been a poor and insignificant ston
indeed, if it had not been for tn
hand that cut away it's roughness an
released its imprisoned sunbeams.
| We stand enraptured as we hea
the tender strains and harmoniou
notes burst forth as subterranea
springs from a pipe organ or gran
piano. and forget that it is the embed
ment of kindly emotions and beautifr
sentiments of the laboring man VIII
constructed it. All. as her lily finger
glide over the ivory keys, little doe
the daughter of wealth think or car
of the sweat and blood of huma
life expended in that marvel of worl
manship before her.
Shut up the farms, close the worl
shops. discharge the men who wor
in the mines and herd our flocks a
over this nation and cobwebs wi
grow in the department stores of tn
Wanamakers and in the banks of Mo
gan.
say labor is and must ever be tn
basis of all things.
AAhILn A-,Ac coACE