The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1908-06-03
KEYNOTE FOR DEMOCRATS

having mingled with their constitu-
ents and not knowing the crying de-
for such revision, that they might fail
| to carry out this recommends ton?
| Was it for this reason and was 1t for
| the reason that they feared that the
elections once being carried, that I'M
less these members were at once hal
ed to Washington while the cry of the
| people was yet in their ears, they
would still refuse to do anything? Did
! they think that they would forget be-
tween early in November and the first
| Monday in December that which the
people wanted? Did they imagine that
| if the people can stand 1t from now
until early in November they could
not also stand 1t until the first Mon
| day in December? Is it not true that
large number of the representatives.
Of this country have serious doubts
about the genuinenesS OF the profess
sions of many of their leaders with
reference TO tariff reform?
The other day | came upon an old
| editorial written in 1914 by William
| Cullen Bryant, which seems to be APP
rOpos to the present time. 1t is head
ed, "Friar Tuck Legislation" The ar
ticle is based upon a legend told in
some of the old chronicles OF Robin
Hood and his merry fOresters at a
| time when they were assembled to be-
liberate on the distribution Of very
| large amount of sDoils. They were
| persuaded TO leave the framing of a
law for the distribution thereof to
Friar Tuck who so formed it as to
get the larger portion of the SpOils
| himself. A controversy at once arose
| over the fairness and tegrity of such
| a law. The friar was a bold man and
promptly made the Merry FOresters
of England this inquiry: For whose
| benefit are laws made. l should like
to know?" And then without waiting
for an answer: Except first. for the
benefit Of those who make them. and
afterwards, as it may happen. Am |
not the lawmaker, and shall | not pro-
fit by my own law" Thereupon, the
| friar proceeded to take his share of
| the booty and left his unreasonable
| companions to make the best of that
which remained. Without imputing
| personal motives and cOnceding that
| it Is a matter of education. environ
ment and viewpoint. may inquire if a
large number of you are not convinced
| that the present attitude Of most of
the repre- sentative officials is not the
attitude of Friar Tuck. Do they not
believe that laws are enacted for the
| benefit of those who make them and
afterwards as it may happen?
| Have they not for many years been
| imposing high duties, filling the peck
cts of the interests they have served,
taking all they could get, letting such
interests take all they could get, and
as to the people, the great mass of
laborers and consumers, why, has not
it been just as it may happen?
| There has been but one difference
in the legislation of Friar Tuck and
| the legislation of the interests of re-
cent years. Friar Tuck was bold
enough to avow that he made the law
for his own benefit. but these gentle
men have been beguiling the people
| by the statement that 1t was made in
their interests and in the interest of
it is only my own point of view, but
| cannot look upon the great material
to the greatness of a people.
Vast domain does not fix the world.
Alexander at twenty-five, had conquer
ed the habtable globe, and yet upon
his death, mis- empire sank into moth,
ingness. Russia is a vast domain, but
not one of the great powers of the
world. You may take the map OF
Europe, if you please, and with your
thumbnail you may cover little spot
called Greece. 1t was not large in
territory, but so long as art, sculpture
and literature are loved, the name OF
Greece must be lisped lovingly upon
the human lips. Off the coast of Eu.
rope, you will see a little island about
the size of pin head. This is the
island of Corsica, barren, inhospitab BILE
yet so long as military prowess and
genius shall charm the world, that
long shall the island of Corsica not be
forgotten.
1t is not great material prosperity
| SilliCl, tllaL maj lu6 STATUS Vi Il p6U
pie. In the inaccessible Alps there
dwell people so poor as to have but
barely the necessities of life and yet
for AGO years Switzerland has been
free and the Swiss a happy people
No one knows who was the richest
man when Aristides ruled over Greece
No one knows who had gathered the
most money to himself when Caesar
found Rome brick and made it marble
No one knows who was the wealthies
when Shakespeare sounded for Eng
land and for all time, the shoals anC
depths of human passions, no one
knows who had the most money wher
the footsore soldiers of WASHINGTON
incarnadined the SHOWS of Valley
Forge with their lifes blood. No one
knows, ard no one cares. But. my
countrymen, let us be prosperous il
We may; let us make honest money il
we can. but let us know of a verify
that liberty and justice and truth and
righteousness are the great powers
which make and keep safely a people
ahnr and