Durango semi-weekly herald., 1907-06-03

we behold
To repeat every tale that has Otter
been told.
We, like them, love and scorn. ant
srieve and joy.
They died-ey. they died-we, things
that are now,
That walk on the turf that lies OF
their brow,
And make in their dwellings transi
ent abode,
Meet the things that they met on their
pilgrimage road.
1t is 20 that thought-the repeti
ton of the problems of human life
and OF national life-tc which for a
moment | would direct your attention.
The two prominent questions of the
days OF Gettysburg involved, first. per
sonal liberty, the freedom of man in
his relation to his fellow men and to
the government under which he lived /;
and, secondly, the question OF national
unity and strength, and the relation
which the various states of this great
country bear to the central national
| authority. Have those questions ceased
| TO be with us2 Their form has chang
ed, the conditions presented and to
be acted upon are not the same now
| as then, but the underlying principles
| are still the same Then the great
| question of personal liberty turned up
on the institution of slavery. upon
whether labor should be free, or
whether the very bone, blood and mus
Gle which produced it should be the
| chattel property of another Today.
the question of individual freedom
| arises from the intense economic and
commercial struggle between men, in
which each seeks to obtain for him
self larger portion of the aggregate
wealth-a struggle in which too often
the strong overrides the weak. 1t is
manifested not only in the relations of
capital to labor. but of capital to CAPT
tai, of labor to labor. In the contest
OF capital against capital, some of the
operations OF modern trusts and COM
binations present phases for thought
tul consideration, and demand effec-
tive action in defense of individual
equality of right. But again, it is a
day of organization, rigid and strong,
in the ranks of labor. How far shall
the levelling tyranny of an organized
majority coerce the individual and de-
prive him of his freedom of action,
and OF his opportunities to live and
advance? The field of discussion
which these thoughts suggest, of trusts
and combinations upon the one hand,
of the open shop or the CLOSED
shop" on the other, is too extensive to
he even entered on such an occasion
as this, further than to suggest an
underlying principle which invoked
the action of our fathers, and invokes
our action today. That principle in
wolves the right of the individual man
TO have every opportunity, under equal
| and just laws, to make the most of
himself for his own benefit and that
OF his family, and for the welfare of
the community In which he lives. The
progress of this country from its birth
to Its present greatness has resulted
from the free play of individuality
Economy. industry. thrift. initiative.
nterprise-hopefulne and courage
in the undertaking of great things
these are individual virtues. 1t Is
the free and untrammeled exercise of
these virtues by the individual man
tbnt
All men are not created equal in
mental power or physical strength, or
in the accessories of environment: but
all men are created equal in their
right to live under just and impartial
laws which shall assure-so far as
legislation can-equality OF opportun-
ity to all, whether rich or poor, wheth-
er strong or weak, whether of great
and transcending talent, or of meagre
ability. Law can do no more, and the
administration of law can do no more
than to accord that equality of oppor-
tunity. Those laws and the manner of
their administration should, indeed,
protect the citizen from the fraud or
violence of others-year, they should
protect such other citizens from his
fraud or his violence but this being
done, the individual should be per-
mitted to work out his own destiny,
Tor in so doing merit prevails and the
best results come to the man him
self and for his country. / am g
| thorough believer in individuality, and
| In giving free reign to the play OF
individual effort. 4 submit that we
should hold to the cardinal principle
that whatever laws are to be made.
and whatever governmental action is
TO be taken, they should never invade
| the right to a just freedom of actioi,
on the part OF the individual, free
dom, however, which recognizes, and
must be compelled to recognize, the
corresponding equal rights of OF. err
| But the other great question has at
the present moment some special sig
nificance. Fifty years ago, In thu
movements of American politics, the
pendulum had swung strongly away
to the doctrine of state sovereignty
A large part of the people of this
country were claiming that .his was