The Lafayette advertiser. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], La.) 1865-19??, 1907-06-05

a never run against genuine HOH-
esty. Though three generations have
passed since the State repudiated
obligations on which her great seal
had been set, it is not too late to right
q wrong and thereby become a stain
less example to every one of her loyal
citizens. 1t weakens any appeal of
the State for ner own name to be link
ed with the word repuGiation-a word
that contains the very exhaustion of
disgrace and disgust. Every reading
of that mournful history of the Plant
ers and Union Bank bonds and their
formal reputation, after a fierce
fractional struggle and over the sol
emn deliverance of the Supreme
Court of the State affirming their va
lidity. stirs within me the hope that
some day that whole record may be
sponged out by the unanimous and in
dignant voice of an aroused common
wealth.
Another cardinal doctrine must be
insisted upon with endless iteration
and ever-increas!ng emphasis-the
doctrine so tersely stated by Th mas
Jefferson in his first inaugural ad-
dress-''equal and exact justice to all
men, of whatever state or persuasion,
religious or political" The highest
and the hnmblest. the richest and the
poorest. the strongest and the weak
est. the greatest and the ~obscurist, the
whitest and the blacklist, must have
the SAM legal and governmental on
s%ideration and protection. There is
no darker or deeper blot upon a State
or a nation than the sustained indict-
ment of its gross injustice. In u
legislation there must be the avoid
ance of agrarianism on the one hand
and of pampered favoritism on the
other. In our administration there
must be no suggestion of fear or
favor. and the same bloOdhOunds
should be trained to trail the white
fiend'' and the ''black brute"
This, furthermore, suggests the
ethical relation of the State to its
less favored citizens. There are the
helpless for whom we must provide,
the diseased and unfortunate that
demand special care, the ignorant to
be enlightened. the oppressed to be
protected and the fallen to be up
lifted. Ignorance is a cure for
nothing" therefore the r~edemptive
forces of education must be employed
with a wise but generous hand. A
State is no stronger than It's ability to
lift up the submerged and to success
fully grapple with its most difficult,
and delicate problems.
Some of the service may be unpleas-
ant, and is often discouraging. but il
is the imperative duty as we'll as the
greatest glory of a republic. "Lepers
are not %nice,'' said the eloquent ora
tor, "but the cleanest hands in al
history touched the leper in his foul.
ness and the beggar in his rags
And no higher honor al come to any
citizen than the privilege of enlighten'
ing ignorance and of becoming a
providence to the poor" On the
tomb of General Chinese Gordon,
in st. Paul's Cathedral, London
that great En%glishman. who was a
0-ao n co;~< n~l N 1ochtprp 1no6np ~
victorious armies-is the beautiful
epitaph: "Who at all times an(
everywhere gave his strength to tn
weak, his substance to the poor, hi.
, sympathy to the suffering, and hi.
heart to God"
;, Our great nation will lack fo1
{ noble spirits, courageous and unself
, ish, loving country more than per
= sonal gain, who, in the hour of tria
f: or peril, will point to victory AM
f lead the way. And every such leade
q becomes
AN EXAMPLE AND INSPIRATION
e to another generation of patriots. ]
is wonderful how persuasive and pc
tential is a single act of lofty an
heroic service. The midnight ride Q
Paul Revere from Boston to Lexing
ton, at the beginning of the America
Revolutions seemingly importan
incident in a time of political excite
ment-will kindle the patriotic fires i
r every brave soul to the latest genera
ton.
l count it a most significant and er
couraging coincidence that on th