Year: 1872

SlNClNNATl, aug. q, 1917


Hon. Stanley Matthews delivered a
long and elaborately prepared speech at
Clifton Hall tonight, of which the fol-
lowing are extracts:


FRIENDS AND FELLOW CITIZENS: /
hardly know what excuse or apology
to make for attempting to address you
this evening, or whether either is neces-
sary or expected. l have not come en-
tirely uninvited; nor am insensible to
the compliment of such call, for it i'm
plies the fiattery of an opinion that l
may be able to say something worth
hearing. And yet should not have
come merely in response to an invita-
tiOn; for have reluctance amount
ing to distaste for public speaking, not
strictly professional; but 1 confess that
in the present instance that reluctance
is seasoned by desire to express some
of my views concerning our national
politics.


l should probably experience less en-
barrassment if 1 occupied public Of
ficial position, or were recognized as an
authoritative expounder of a party faith,
for such leaders of public opinion are
invested with right and duty to de-
fend their opinions and vindicate their
public conduct. l am in no such posi-
ton. hold no office. I represent no
one; l speak for myself alone. l do
not, in the usual sense of the words,
belong to any party organization, nor
have for many years. / am not a par
tisan in any sense. am not and have
not been in the confidence of any party
leaders. l am simply private individ-
ual citizen. My opinions have been
formed for my own use, not without
reflection, and an anxious desire tOebe
right; nor without sense of response
bility to my own conscience, and to an
enlightened public opinion which ought
to reflect the common conscience of the
community; not without desire to find
myself in agreement with wise and
good men, imbued with and led by dis
interested love of the public good; but
also with determination to think and
act for myself, upon such grounds as
should seem convincing, without re-
gard to personal consequences, and
without surrender of self-respect,
Party fidelity-meaning by that an ad-
hesion through thick and thin to par
ty organization, without regard to the
correctness of its principles, the patri-
otism of its aims, the morality of its
purposes, the consistency of its course
its ability to achieve public good-an
unreasoning subserviency to the dicta-
tion of others, to accomplish q success
full partnership of selfish pursuits-has
its rewards. Public station, official in
fuence, the dispensing of patronage
or the enjoyment of its fruits and en-
oluments, the eulogies of party press
the applause of partisans are some Of
them. But personal independence OF
thought and action has rewards of its
own. The approval of conscience and
the silent influence of character that
many respect who cannot initiate, in
the long run outweigh the gains Of al
who sacrificed it for the bubble reputa.
ton which, however brilliantly it may
glow with iridescent glory for time in
the sunshine, becomes invisible under
the cloud, and with the slightest breath
of opposition bursts and vanishes for
ever.


Upon my sole responsibility as pri
vate citizen, profound and sacred as
regard it, have marked out for mysel
the path of political duty. My conclu.
sions have been reached, not hastily ant
upon sudden impulse. They hav,
forced themselves upon me, after Sc
rious reflection upon the political his
tory of the country for the last twelv
years, careful consideration of tn
course and causes of public events du