The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1918-06-07

Dl4utlDic VI lIlu. it''6I 1-DSi - 40
principle Of individual liberty. 1t
national conduct. and down through
the darkness Of the middle ages We
see the leaven OF democracy at work.
Many times but at long intervals We
observe the political skies Of man.;
nations reflecting this new principle
Of national conduct as well as in the
social institutions of mankind. We
SION and look with amaZement how
she made great the cities Of Greece
only to watch them crumble and decay
We observe, too, that she made glo-
r;ous the hills Of Rome; how she
stood by the patriots of Holland and
wept at the downfall Of Poland, and
how she tarried on the barre Alps
re switzerland. Finally. we see her
ra.s of light streaming across the AT
lantic, giving inspiration and guidance
to the earliest American settlers to lay
the foundation of the great civil gov
ernment which is ours-and the es'
Enlistment Of our great democratic
institutions. all of which were bougnt
with the intelligence and wisdom of
our fore-fathers, paid for and mad"
sacred by the sacrifice of their lives
On the altar of democracy at Lexing-
ton. Bunker Hill, Camden and York
town.
Later, when it was asserted by the
fifty-fve representatives Of the Amer
ian colonies in 1897 that every human
being is born with an inalienable
right to life to liberty. to the earn
ings of!his labor. and to the protection
of his person. the foundation stone
Of democracy was laid and when the
PEOPLE agreed the following year to
protect the life. liberty. and property
of each other, the structure was rails
ed. democracy vitalized and made 2
living principle Of government.
Under its guidance and protection
our country with its various demo
cratic institutions has grown and
prcsDered until today it stands as q
leader among the nations and as
foremost exponent Of this great pri,i-
ciple which hes freed men and VIC
man from religious bondage, removed
the sbackles Of servitude. and vouch-
safed unto us freedom Of conscience.
political liberty, tl'a right to property
and the pursuit CT happiness What
more could we want and with what
less would we he content? While W.
rejoice in our personal security We
should remember that this great
scheme Of government is founded on
rot1ra1 and :na}iarahIo rights Of man
kind: that orr oraat do-r,no~atic insti-
tUtionS are based upon the dictates
of conscioo"o o~d rao~n-, p-d that
both must be supported. maintained
and fortified by the intelligence and
wisdom of the people. We must not
forget that orr personal liberties are
net without limitations hut must real
:ize that for every privilege and right
guaranteed the~o is a corresponding
duty owed to : guarantor. The
sovereign CITIZENSHIP cannot become
intoxicated with the idea of persona;
l'hortv and lu'1ed to sleep by civic in
difference and expect it's government
and our cherished institutions to sur
Tive. for the pathway of history IS
st~own with the wreckage of democ-
racies lacking in civic consciousness
It is appropriate therefore. in this
hour of unrest and threatened change
We invite the support of the college
graduates to that institution which
has in the past stood as fbulwark
against the encroachments of arbitr-
arv power and oppression. For our form
of government is not only being tested
by the war lords and autocracy of
Europe but our democratic institu-
tons. our public integrity and ma
tional well-beino are in the refining
pot, and when the war clouds have
rolled away and the political sky IS
cleared once more a new democracy,
as it were will be evolved. Political
rights of the individual will no longer
be an issue but more attention will
have to be given to social and econ
omic rights of men, more thought
will have to be given to the educa-