The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1906-09-07
COL. BRYAN'S
WELCOME HOME
Continued from First Page.

necessity OF stamping out the OHSnS0
that strikes at the heart of free gov
eminent, and of making the govern
ment representative in fact as well
as in name.
The energies of this public con.
science have been extended from the
domain of the public wrongdoer to
that of the private wrongdoer, and are
probing into the insurance investi-
probing in the workings of rascals of
every kind. The insurance investi-
cations have sent forth their messages,
rebate revelations have been seen and
heard and innumerable grand juries
have been drawn aside, and reveal
ed to the startled gaze of the people
the anarchy of corruption and greco II
their bacchanal of avarice.
This awakening that has resulted
from the revelations of wrongs is the
spirit of true patriotism. This word
has almost ceased to have meaning,
and was often used as synonymous
with war. We are now learning that
there may be as much patriotism in
giving ones time to the betterment Of
civic conditions and in getting good
men into Office as in bearing ones
breast to the bullets of a public en-
envy in time of war. The highest pa
triotism is the patriotism of service.
The people are commencing to appre-
ciate the fact that the government of
city State and nation belongs to them
and that they can take the Government
into their own hands whenever they
wish. No government was ever bet
ter than the people made it, or worse
than they suffered it to become. The
public life of nation is but a refec-
ton of its private life. This Govern
ment is no better than any other ex-
cept as the virtue and patriotism of the
people make it so. The people are
beginning to understand that when
they undertake to be their kings they
assume the responsibilities as well as
the privileges of sovereignty. This
awakening will go on for while. Re-
forms sometimes die; revolutions new
er go backward, and this is a revo-
luton that is being wrought in the
hearts Of men.
"This movement ag linst wrongs is
not crusade against wealth. Wealth
in itself is a blessing; the abuse of
wealth is curse. Wealth gained by
honest industry is commendable. The
poverty of Incidence is contemplate.
This Government does not rest upon
the idle rich nor the idle poor, but up
on the industry and patriotism of the
middle classes. There can be no OBJ
lection to honest riches, but there is
objection to the crimes and privi-
leges out of which tainted riches
grow. There is no disposition to in
jure corporations that obey the law,
but the demand is that corporations,
even the greatest, obey the law just
like anyone else Special interests
should be made to respect the law
regulating their conduct, as they ask
others to respect the law protecting
their property. The need is not so
much for new laws as to enforce those
laws we have. There has been too
much of making of laws to please all
of the people and too little of enforce
ment of those laws to please special
interests.
1.-THE regenerated conscience of the
people has been assailing these abuses
one by one and has now commenced
to attack the deeper evil of privilege.
Graft is privilege which is exer-
cised either against the law or one
which the law itself may give. No one
ever heard of legislator being bribed
to give equal rights to all the people.
1t is always for the purpose of obtain
ing privileges for the few. Graft can
not be fully done away with until spec
ial privileges are .exterminated and
the doctrine Of equal rights becomes
the standard for governmental action.
1t matters not whether this privilege
be in the form of a tariff so arranged
as to foster monopoly or a trust to
control the price of the necessities of !,
life or rebates to favored shippers. No !
protection for monopoly is the battle
cry of the newborn patriotism. AS ,
monopoly is founded on privilege,
without privilege monopoly must fail. !,
The platform of privilege for the few
is opposed by the platform of privilege I
for none. The doctrine of protection
for monopoly as against the peple is
opposed by the doctrine of protection
for the people as against monopoly.
1.-The light is breaking and good men
and true will say, let there be light