The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-04-23

power Tor service represented II, mis-
religlous Congress 10 be made an
erslzing and dominant in State ..-
fslatures and IN the National Congress
q washington and in Provincial
Legislatures and in the Dominion
Parliament at ottawa
Questions such as these ar. s,e-
gested by the theme of this evenings
program. such questions must have
been in the minds OF the N
responsible for assigning to this theme
an American political edder and a
canadian eWspa errna II that BE
true 1t IS ou- duty 70 face such uues-
tons, and to make this Congress face
tne1n, without mincing words and
Wlthout fadlng issues. | shall there
iore press upDn you some points
which seem 70 be pertinent and y
call for recognition.
Cd The fact Of American democra-
y puts responsibility for American
government directly and immovab!y
on the American people. If there is
eVll IN the land, injustice, oppression.
W~rongdolng, the people are response
pie. 1here was a time when RESPONSE
Dlllty rested IN the king. His was
the authority and his The blame. But
II We. the people, lave dismissed the
hlng, II we have put on the royal D,Ir-
pie and climbed up to the throne Of
- ~ III II LII diiA odiS
the disgrace-ours and our c%hildren's
after Us. For his is the distinction
OF our democracy: that we have taken
the scepLre OF government from the
nand OF the King and put it INFO the
hand of the crowd.
80 The character of governmen is
judged not By its forms. but by It's
fruits. Names and phrases and SYM
bOls do not signify. We may talk OF
hn MONA r, ~ nr cf = 10 rnYi,j1:.. Wa
may pirate about ~autocracy or about
democracy. That government is best
which produces best results IN individ-
ual freedom, in civic efficiency, in IA
tiOnal character. A system is judged
not by its favored few, its ~aristocIa.y
OF privilege, but by what il does for
the average man. In England there IS
or rather was, for it is passing with
the steadily rising tide Of British dem
OcTacy-in England there is the rem
nant of an a~riStOcracy OF birth and Of
privileged position which through
generations dominated English life
and character. In America, both III
the United States and in Canada. there
is growing up an arlStocracy OF
wealth and Of the power OF politics
and in industry that wealth controls
Under both flags every special priv
lege to the few involves a special loss
W az ply AASot - 80
side means danger to class rights or
the other side. That danger is none
the less in America because We have
changed from one type OF class doni
nation to another. Our forefather'
came to these United States and t
Canada to escape the injustice OF lane
laws and the exactionS of landlords.
ask you if our children will inheri
from us that larger personal libert.
and that i31Star oul2iifV of ODDOrfNNl
ty which we inherited from the plon
: GERS Of this continent? If the olde
, landed aristocracy Of Britain cha5tls
ed the people with whips, what hay
. we whereof to boast if our privilege
American pIutocracy chaStise the PEG
pie with scorpions:
go In SO far as government unde
our democracy has come short. tina
shortcoming is due not to the made
ulacy OF democratic institutions. on
to the fraiities and failures or tn
people, who are themselves the gov
j: eminent. Henry Ward Beecher use
y to go through h cOuntry 'ecIurin
e on the Reign Of the Common PEG
e pie" He gloried in the opportunity Q
a America to give to the world 4 tru
a Interpretation Of the government 9
: the people, by the people. and for tn
: neoDle. He caught the Vision. II
~ ECU l4lS A'AS
n one generation passed when from,
: stage wider than ven Beecher com
manded there arose Il Hany-Volce
cry. surging all h way from Main
e to California, that the promise c
,uali made in the Declaration {
6 Independence had not been fulfilled
and that Lincoln's inpiring dictum
Gettysour3 had been degraded ,ot
n government Of the people. by ia
rascals, for the rich On ali sides tn
q cry is raised against Trusts and Con
= bines and Big Interests. Each part
u sets itself to cutlery the other IN tn
70 name of law and justice and the CON
- mon people. But. deeper than ii
voices OF the constituted authorit
- more determined than the slogans {
- political parties. there rises a neS
~ strange and alien cry. not heard
Congress. ominous. threatening. VI
- e.diy. ali the way from New York