Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1913-01-23

attitude which we assumed in the be-
ginning of the nineteenth century.
The nineteenth century, with all its
associations of the setting up of 4
free government in America, looked
froward to an age in which humanity,
the rank and file of men, should be
served by the institutions of govern
ment.
But we had set up this happy ex-
pertinent in country so abundant}y
furnished with wealth, so extraordi-
narily provided with opportunity for
all sorts ond conditions of men, that
| suddenly we got drunk with the mere
wine of prosperity, and for a little
while forgot that our mission was not
to pile up great wealth, but to serve
mankind with humanity and justice.
Through this long century, during
which it has seemed from time 10
time as if we were forgetting what
America was set up to do, the world
has slowly come around to the point
of view which the men who set up the
government of the United States had
l.
in the beginning. We are now aware
that we are not going to be served by
institutions; that mere finely conceiv-
ed constitutions do not constitute the
body of liberty; that the body of lib
erty can be had only in he use of in
situations to serve the permanent
needs of the rank and file.
So We are learning again that the
service of humanity is the business Of
mankind, and that the business of
mankind must be set forward by the
governments which mankind has set
up, in order that justice may be done
and mercy not forgotten.
What is it that we wish to do now
in the year 1913? 1t must be plain
to all of us that the people of this
country wish two things. They wish
first, to clear their government for ac-
ton by making it free, and then, when
] it is free, they wish to use it, not TO
serve any class or any party, but 70
serve civilization and the human race.
If the government of the United
States has drifted away from the
ideals of the fathers, the democratic
party Is not responsible for that
drift. If the economic control of the
United States is now in the hands of
a small body of men, it is not due to
any policy that the democratic party
has advocated, or promoted or con-
scented to.
The democratic party has been
preaching these doctrines of liberty
and service and offerings leaders 10
carry them out in season and out Of
season.
We did not wait until the year 1912
to discover that the plain people of
the United States had nothing to say
about their government. We have
been talking about that for half
generation and more; we have been
giving warnings of the very things
that have come to pass time out of
mind; we have kept a straight course;
we have never turned our faces for
one moment from the faith that was
in us, the faith of the common people
of this great commonwealth, this
great body of commonwealth, this
great nation, and now what is hap
Iening?
With renewed hopes, with renewed
+. confidence, with renewed ardor, under
leaders chosen after the freest fash
on that our politics have ever wit
nessed-untrammeled leaders - the
democratic party is proceedings along
these paths of conviction.
The great democratic party, for the
fist time in our generation, has
change to show whether it can RI.
turn the government to the people
f." this is the enterprise to which &
has been ever devoted. Ever since the
great Jefferson spoke the immortal
truths which are the foundation stones