The Connecticut labor news., 1923-02-02
Ornburn Addresses
(Continued from Page One.)

litical power Good government
 rather than f-government seemed
 to be the desire. All history teaches of liberty, and that 1t is equally our 1 duty to serve our country in times of peace as 1t Is in times of war and that even in a Democracy power may be arrogated to a few, so that in the l name of lf-government there may actually be autocracy, and the rights of the individual throttled
 Our Declaration of Independence stated: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, ib-
 erty and the pursuit of happiness, | that to secure these rights govern
 ments are instituted, deriving their | just powers from the consent of the Government"
 This equality would seem to em- brace civil, political, social and natural equality. Civil equality giving all an equal right to be protected in respect
 to person and property and an appeal to the courts for such protection; political equality to give. all a like share in the government of a com
 munity and like opportunity to hold
 any position in government service; social equality, the right to have no distinction drawn by law or custom between different classes or ranks, and natural equality, denoting sini- larity which exists or seems to exist at birth between all human beings
 born with the same five senses. The poor man has the same flesh and blood as the rich man. He has an interest in his country's welfare and
 suffers quite as much as, if not more, than the rich man by its misfortunes.
 His labor is an indispensable contri- button to the country's welfare. He is liable to military service in time of war and in every country he constl- tutes a majority of the population.
 To successfully conduct any form of democratic governments, political parties are essential. In our own country, we seem to have been welded to the idea of two great par ties. The natural division would be a conservative and a radical party, one with liberal and the other with stand-pat tendencies. Our own demo- cratic party was founded and exists upon the doctrine of equal rights to all and special privileges to none." Any departure from the spirit of that principle would be the signal for the disinteg grafton of that party. It IS the very essence of Democracy.
 Special privilege is now and always has been in the entire history of the world endeavoring to enthrone itself. The success of our democratic insti- tutions may only be guaranteed by a ~fo ,h0 seek power for the selfish purposes of a few as against the common in- terest of the many. The democratic party has been the party that has un- selhshly sought to benefit all of the people. It should continue to be the medium through which the common every day men and women in this country may seek the best govern ment for all and the agency through which they may acquire that share of opportunity which IS guaranteed to them by the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. We have many problems, both as a | Government and as a party There are many questions in which we, as individuals, differ. There is one to which we are additionally bound. | Our party was conceived with the | idea of perpetuating a great Democ- | racy. It must remain true to its tTa-e ditions and it's principles. We must | be ever vigilant to legislate for the | benefit of that great mass of human | ity, which is least able to care for it. | self. Our history. has shown in a l of political affiliations orI
 
 to rush to the defense of our flag and | to unselhshly serve the common cause. Equally our history teaches | that in times of peace, selfshness is | rampant and that we carry partisan ship to that extreme which places it above patriotism. There have been times when we have seemed to have placed a greater premium upon petty politics than upon exalted statesman ship Political success may be pur- chased at too great a price.
 Selhshness has little, if any, vision. It seldom looks or sees beyond the horizon. Its mental out look is wizened and puny. It warps the brain and closes the eyes of the mind It acts for today and seems to forget the tomorrow. Selhshness contaminates and reduces. to sordid ness everything that it touches. It withers and decays that with which it comes in contact. It is the very worst feature of special privilege. It acts like a growth on the body polite which would eventually kill if not eradicated. It is the splendid privil- ege of the democratic party to be pledged to service to forget self in | terest and to remember only the good that may be accomplished for man.
 Our elections have demonstrated that the American people may, for the moment, be controlled by the petty arguments of the small mind, that an appeal based on prejudice may for the time be received with acclaim, but the great, sober, common sense of Amer 1or,or ho o.,c1a,roI