Martinsburg statesman-democrat. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1906-1921, 1912-08-23


Judge Parker and Gentlemen of the
Notification Committee-Permit me to
say that it Is not my purpose on this
occasion to present details wish
merely to present some general ooser-
vations clothed in homespun language
in the belief that they may be of value
In fixing the opinion and determining
the conduct of the intelligent voter
this year.
Try as we may to separate the reh'
gious from the civic. the fact yet re-
mains that good government has In u
an element of morality. Neither con-
situations nor laws nor ordinances can
completely divorce civil government
from religious sentiment There are
periods In the history Of a people
when the conflict between the good
and the bad may Involve almost all or
the commandments. There is rarely
conflict In which at least the one COM
mandment against covetousness does
not become an issue, and this cam
paign is no exception TO the rule.
IL VIII NC nCil lpI AllG fCA~A ~ 1900
up some hazy definitions. We have
for many years been entertaining
belief, founded upon no fact whatever,
that Democracy and Bepublicanism
represent different ideas of govern
ment. The Republican has looked
upon the Democrat as man opposed
to the government. The Democrat has
looked upon the Republican as man
opposed to the peoples rule and in IA
vor of aristocratic sway. 1t is time
for us to remember that Democracy is
not system of government Indeed
Democracy may find its expression In
any one of numerous systems.
Tho Rule Of tho People.
The rule of the people is not essen
tally rule by the people. BY their
votes. even when Democracy has I'M
folded to full manhood suffrage, the
people may have monarchical form OF
government The peoples rule does
not depend upon the number of votes
nor. necessarily upon the system Of
government under which they vote.
Good OF bad government must go back
to good or bad citizenship, to intelli-
gent or ignorant. to honest or dishon-
est electors. 1 venture the assertion
that If the electoral franchise were now
granted to all the citizens of Russia the
Little Father would again be crowned
in Peters city.
American Democracy In its purity
was intended TO mean and l believe
does mean something more than vot-
ing, something more than selecting OF
ficers. Like the sunlight, we cannot
see II, yet we cannot see without 1t.
And, like the sunlight. it has not only
bathed this republic in n sea of beauty
and glory, but it has warmed and nur-
tured every fruitage planted in the
garden of universal brotherhood.
American Democracy does not de
pend upon caste or creed or condition,
upon race or color, upon wealth or
poverty, upon success or failure. But,
unerringly, 1t does depend upon the
inner life of the individual citizen. II
Is an inspiration and an aspiration. 1t
does not always depend upon the ticket
which a man votes. 1t does depend
always upon the motive back of the
ballot.
The historic Democratic party OF
America had its inspiration and its
aspiration IN the life and conduct Of
its great founder. 1t is time now to
have perfect concept of that Democ-
racy, for in recent years, we have di.
vided ourselves into three classes. and
the classification has been made not
by the heart throbs of men, but by their
social condition. We have those who are
UNNECESSARILY rich and who are looking
for more, and we have those who are
unutterably poor and who'are growing
poorer. Between these extremes we
have a great middle class living
well and reasonably content except for
the uncertainty of not knowing wheth'
er they are to rise into the first class
or sink into the third
jefferson and Hamilton.
Many have assumed that only the
unutterably poor and those sinking into
that class were Democrats and that
the immeasuraby rich and the climb
ers were Republicans. But these dlyi'
sIons have not been logical 1t was
not the outward and visible which
marked the inward and spiritual OF
Thomas Jefferson. Born of the bluest
blood In the Old Dominion end accus'
toned as gentleman. scholar. diplomat
and statesman TO all the Injuries OF
his generation, he was the man who
declared that all men were created
equal and that all were endowed With
certain inalienable rights, such as HE.
liberty and the pursuit of happiness,
Even to his dying hour this seeming
aristocrat had not a single heart throb
which was not in unison with the
heart throbs OF his fellow men His
great opponent In statecraft spranG
from a lineage so lowly as to be m
known With none Of the advantages
of either fortune OF family. Hamilton
believed in hanging on princes favors