New Britain herald., 1915-04-14
DEMOCRACY [AODED
 BY SEC. GARRISON
h Address at Jefferson Day OIn-
 ncT in New York

an address on "Democracy" at the Jefferson Day dinner of the National Democratic club at the Hotel Savoy in this city last night. Mir Garrison said:
 "One hundred and seventy-two years ago Jefferson was born eighty-nine years ago he died. Between those dates a nation was born, passed suc- cessfully through it's early perils, and had grown lusty and strong. He took great part in all that went on and had much to do with the way it went He had an acute mind, an observing eye, a sensitive temperament, and an ardent imagination.
 Quick to Observe.
 He was very quick to observe the manifestations of the newborn spirit of mankind, to realize the immense importance of its awakening, and to endeavor to give it proper form and substance.
 He read inteliigently and consider Cd profoundly what they had to say Who, if they had not caused the change, had caught its spirit and ex- pressed it.
 Founder of Great Party.
 rom these sources ana by these causes Jefferson's own conceptions were formed, his political philosophy was formulated. and he became the founder of great party which has survived every sort of political vicis- sitrde and is today strong, virile and militant.
 This, of course, could not be if there were not something vital and n ir1Cr tt, ttc. Nriy thing that got into the blood and Ininds of men and made them cling to it and cherish it through the days of Encouragement and defeat-days when it seemed as if it had been done to death and never could arise again days that were in very truth it's Valley Forge. From these depths it never would have arisen had 1t not been for the great principles which had given it birth; principles towards which mankind had been tending for long ages-ages of tyranny, of suffer- ing, of blood and tears; principles born of mans conscience and his manhood, evolved in his agony and defended with his life; principles which spell liberty and opportunity and hope to ali who embrace them and can enforce them.
 Goes Back to Early Days.
 Let Us go back and dwell a while in the atm osphere of those early days; let us realize the conditions and ob- serve their consequences. We will no doubt be astonished to recollect that what has become customary and ap- parently self-evident to us, was novel, extra ordinary and entirely revolution ary then. Then practically all the nations of the earth were governed by self-imposed rulers. Knowledge then, as now, was power-but only the powerful had knowledge. The great mass of mankind was inert, un- conscious of itself and its potentialites. What it had was given to it or allowed tC it. The burdens of the world were borne by it-but as to the direction in which they should be borne, the mass Cf mankind had nothing to say; they must be encouraged to live and to multiply and to labor, but their voices were dumb, their wishes unheeded, and their desires unsatisfied.
 Slight revolts on too narrow foun- dations had taken place, but nothing of importance had been achieved, and mankind was divided into those who ordered and those who obeyed,
 
 from one class to another.
 Seed of Change Sown.
 But the seed of change had been sown. Men were beginning to realize that something was wrong with the existing philosophy and con- duct of life. There seemed to be no reason in the claim that some might have full play for their talents and
 
 gate to themselves the making of the jaws and the enforcing of them and that others should have nothing to do herewith; that there should be self-appointed drivers and involun- tarily driven.
 Great souls evolved these ideas; great minds pondered them and gave expression to them; and little by lit tie, like pollen blown over fertile fields, the ideas spread and took root and f1ourished.
 Thus was born the idea of de- l mocracy-that life and opportunity and hope were the heritage of each and all equally; that when men gath cred in human societies and formed governments, justice must be the foundation and the cornerstone and the pillars and the roof. Justice which means liberty to each equally; whicl. means no preference or favor For any; no thing given to one and withheld from the other; equality of voice in the making of the laws and | in their endorsements: equality of voice in the making of the laws and minister the laws; and an equal op- l portunity, unhampered by unjust l laws, to expand and develop and ob- 1 tain just returns for what talents, strength and skill each possessed This is what democracy with l little d means, and what Democracy 1 to1