Belding banner. (Belding, Mich.) 1889-1918, 1908-05-07
NO MORE EXPEDIENCY
Candidate Johnson Stands by the
Written Law.

"E<pedlency never COT NATION any
thing" He says-Thomas Jefferson
No Weather Vane--What the De-
nnocracy Should Do.
Governor Johnson was the principal
speaker ut the jefferson day dinner in
Louisville. He was received with
cheers. He said in part:
Il realize. my friends, that on the
grounds OF eXpediency executives are
sometimes prone to temptation 70 do
things which are not justified by the
written law of the country. | believe
that the written law of the country has
majesty which cornpels the allegi-
ance of every man who lives under the
government, and | should like to see
the time come in this country again
when we were willing to abide by the
constitutional forms of government
and not be ruled by those expedients
which change with the tides. | remem-
Der, in the history Of Henry of Ma
varre, that plumed knight who led the
hosts from one camp to another fight
ing for a sacred cause, when he be-
came king of France, on the ground
of eXpediency he renowned the old
faith and took up new which be had
been fighting. and what became of the
people by whom and with whom he
had been fighting all the years of that
turmoil and trouble? They disappear
ed as the dew before the morning sun.
and the Huguenot had to come to
America to live.
"EXpediency never got nation any
thing; it never got n people anything;
1t never will get the Democratic party
anything. When the Democratic party
in its national convention plants its
cause upon the ground OF expediency
and adopts a platform based on expe-
diency 1t cannot win and it ought not
to win. What we want today is to go
before the people with patriotic, man.
ly declaration and ask for the concur
renee of the people in that declaration.
The Democratic party has not always
been worthy of Thomas jefferson, but
he has always been worthy of the
Democratic party. He was worthy of it
because lie was not weather vane in
politics. He was there yesterday and
tomorrow, and If the Democratic party
is to build wisely and well 1t will
stand by Thomas Jefferson and the
things he stood for and abate the
wrong wherever it might exist.
Il know 1t may be long road TO the
victory which we all want to see come.
If we have the patience to endure it, If
we have the faith that ought to be in
us and If we have the intrepidity
which ought to be characteristic of
Democrat we will get there. ! remem-
Der a few years ago that stood with
my wife overlooking Puget sound.
heard much of the place, and | wanted
to see it first from the Mount Rainier
side and then from the Mount Tacoma
side. We went over there one of those
misty days when the bay was over
cast We hadn't anything to do down
town, and we went and stood and
looked from Mount Rainier. A half
hour, an hour perhaps, had passed.
We were about ready to give up and go
back TO town when suddenly the
clouds began to separate. My wife
said TO me. There is the mountain
! said: NO: It IS not in that direction.
1t is over here She said: You are
mistaken. Ii is there. | said to the
driver, Where is Mount RainierY He
said, Over there felt Endorsed.
Suddenly the clouds began to break
away. the gloom disappeared, and the
sun broke through and sent its slanting
light down on the snow capped peaks
of the Olympic mountains, $50 miles
away. We saw the glory of heaven
reflected upon the mountains of Olym-
pus, and they were greater and better
and brighter than those over yonder.
IL we shall stand long enough and look
for the sunlight to shine through the
clouds Of gloom and do our share to
lift the clouds, we will see the noun
tain of Olympus, and we will be able
TO get up there on the summit and
look down into the caves OF gloom
where we once had lived, and we will
sec bright and glorious the heavenly
triumph of the Democracy OF u united
no tf0n -