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The Commoner.
VOLUME 7, NUMBER 27
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ing to exorcise and to the strongthpnlug of tho
body such timo ns may bo necessary.
Intellectual training Is also necessary, and
moro necessary than it used to.be When but
few had tho advantages of a cqllege education,
the lack of such advantages Was not so apparent.
Now when so many of tho lawyers, physicians,,
journalists, and even business men, are college
graduates, one can not afford to enter any field
without the best possiblo intellectual prepara
tion. When one comes into competition with
his follows, he soon recognizes his own intel
lectual superiority or inferiority as-compared
with others. In China they have a very inter
esting bird contest. Tho singing lark is a very
popular bird there, and as you go along tho
streets of a Chinese city you see Chinamen out
airing thoir birds. These singing larks are en
tored in contests, and tho contests are decided
by the birds themselves. If, for instance, 'a
dozen are entered, they all begin to sing lustily,
but as they sing, one after another recognizes
that it is outclassed and gotp down off of its
porch, puts'its head under its wing and will not
sing any moro. At last there is just one bird
loft singing, and it sings with an enthusiasm
that shows that it recognizes Its victory. So
it is in all Intellectual contests. Put twenty
men in the room and let them discuss any im
portant question. At first all will take part
in the discussion, but as the discussion pro
ceeds, ono after another drops out until finally
two aro loft in debate, one on one side and one
on the othor. The rest aro content to have their
ideas presented by those who can present them
best. If you are going to havo faith, therefore,
in yourselves, you must bo prepared to meet
your competitors upon an equal plane, and if
you are prepared, they will be conscious' of it
ad well as you.
A high purpose is a necessary part of your
.preparation, you can not afford to put a low
purpose In competition with a high one. If you
g6 out to work from a purely selfish standpoint,
you will bo ashamed to stand in the presence of
those Who have higher aims- and nobler ambi
tions. Havo faith in yourselves, but to have
faith you must be prepared for your work, and
tills preparation imust be moraUand intellectual
as'well as physical. - -- -
.--second Have faith in mankind?". The great
fault of our Scholar ah In Ik tlmt H nf am
fiePtly sympathetic. It holds , itself aloof from
the struggling masses. It is too often cold and
cynical. It is better to trust your fellowmon
and be occasionally deceived than to be distrust
ful and live alone. Mankind deserves to be
trusted,, There is something good in every one,
and that good responds to sympathy. If you
speak to the multitude and they do not respond,
do not despise them, but. rather examine what
you have Baid.. If you speak from your heart,
you will .speak to their hearts, and they can
tell vory quickly whether you are interested in
them pr simply. in yourself. The ftfiart of man
kind is sound; tho sense of justice is universal.
Trust it, appeal to it, do not violate It. People
differ in race characteristics, in national tradi
tions, in language, in ideas of government, and
In forms of religion, but ,at heart they are very
much alike. I fear the plutocracy of wealth;
I respect the plutocracy oD learning;' I thank
God for the democracy of the heart; You must
love if you would be loved; . "They loved' Him
because He first loved them"4-this is the verdict
pronounced where men have unselfishly labored
for the welfare bf the whole people. Link your
selves in sympathy with your fellowmon; mingle
with them; know them and you will trust them
and they will trust you. If you are stronger
than others, boar heavier loads; Jf you are more
capable than others, Bhow it by your willing
ness to perform a larger service,
!. T1lir!rrIf you are 6n t0 accomplish anyr
thing in this country, you must have faith in
our form of government, and there is every rea
son why you should have faith in it. It is the
best form o government ever conceived by the
?iVf ma,n,,an? U '? ?Preai"& throughout e
world. It is best, not because it is perfect but
because it can bo made as perfect as the people
deserve to have. It is ,a people's government
and ".reflects the virtue and intelligence of the
people. As the people make progress in v rtue
and in intelligence, the government ought to
approach more and more nearly to perfection
Not that it will -oyer be free from' fan t The
cause it must bo administered by human beinst
f011 said a century ago that there were
2raewa oy rseirihoi111 7 contr one which
;f , tuose who trusted the peonle
the other those who distrusted the ieoSle
That was true when Jefferson said it" and it
true today. In every country there s a narlv
which is seeking to enlarge the participation
of the people in government, and that party
is the growing party. In every country there
is a party which is endeavoring to obstruct each
step toward popular government, and it is the
dying party. In this country the tendency is
constantly toward more popular government,
and -every effort which haa for its object tho
bringing of the government into closer touch
with the people is sure of ultimate triumph.
Our form of government is good. Call it a
democracy if you are a democrat, or a republic
if you are a republican, but help to make it a
government of the people, by tho people and for
the people. A democracy is wiser than an aris
tocracy because a democracy can draw from
the wisdom of the people, and all of the people
know more than arty part of the people. A
democracy is stronger than a monarchy because,
as the historian, Bancroft, has said: "It dares
to discard the implements of terror and build
its citadel in the hearts of men." And'a democ
racy is the most just form of government be
cause it is built upon the doctrine that men are
created equal, that governments are instituted
to protect the inalienable rights of the people
and that governments derive their just powers
from the consent of the governed.
We know that a grain of wheat planted in
the ground will, under the influence of sun
shine and rain, send forth a blade and then a
stalk, and then the full head, and we know that
there is behind the grain of wheat a force irre
sistible and constantly at work. There is be
hind moral economy and political truth a force
equally irresistible and always operating, and
just as we may expect the harvest in due sea
son ,we may be sure of the triumph of these
eternal forces that make the man's uplifting.
Have faith in your form of government, for it
rests-upon a growing idea, and if you will but
attach yourself to that idea, you will grow with
it.
But the subject presents itself in another
aspect. You must not only have faith in your
selves, in humanity 'and in the form of govern
ment under which we live, but if you would do
a .great work, you must have faith in God. Do
not cajl me -a preacher, for I am but a layman;
yet, I. am not willing that the minister shall
monopolism the blessings of Christianity, and I
do not know of any moral pr.ecept binding upon
the preacher behind the pulpit that is not bind
ing upon those who occupyHhe pews. And I
do not know of any moral truth binding upon
the Christian whose acceptance would not be
helpful to everyone. I am not speaking from
the minister's standpoint but fronrthe observa
tion of every day life when I say that there is a
wide difference between the desire to live so
that men will applaud you and the desire to
live so that God will be satisfied with you.
Man needs the inner strength thaV comes from
faith fp. God and bqljLef in His constant pres
ence. , The man who', is trying to be good so
that men will see him is sure to come upon the
time when he thinks that the world is not look
ing and that he can take a vacation. Then he
falls. The man who believes that God's eye
is ever tipon him a,rfd endeavors to live as in
ttt Jjjekt of God, is not looking for a' vacation
and is, not so apt to stumble. fWe-are weak
enoufeh in the presence of temptatidn1 even when
fortified by faith in- 'God. How' helpless and
hopeless we are if we do not admit responsibility
to a personal God. "n
Man needs faith in God, therefore, to
strengthen him in his hours of trial, and he
"j56, u 4 Sive hira courage to do the work
ffj & HiiW Can 011? fight f or a Principle un
less 'he believes in the triumph dfHhe right'
How can he believe in the triumpH of the right
if he does not believe that God sta'nds back of
the truth and that God is able to bring victory
to truth? The man of faith, believing that
every word spoken for truth will have its in
fluence and that no blow struck for righteous
ness is struck in vain, fights on without ask
ing whether he is to fall in the beginning of
the battle or to live to join in the shout! of
. triumpli. He knows not whether he is to live
for the truth or to die for it, and if he has th
faith h6 ought to have, he is as ready to die ?
it as to live for it.
Faith will not only give you strength when
you fight for righteousness, but your faith will
bring dismay to your enemies.- There is power
in the presence of an honest man who does
right because it is right and dares to do the
right in the face of all opposition. It is true
today, and has been true through alb historv
that "One with God shall chase aouLnd and
two put ton thousand to flight."
If your preparation is complete so that you
feel conscious of your ability to do great thimrs
if you Jiave faith in your fellowmon and become
a co-laborer with them in, the raising of the gen
eral level of society; if 'you have faith in our
form of government and seek, to purge it of if
imperfections so as to make it more anV more
acceptable to our own people- and to the
oppressed of other nations'; and if in addition
yqu havo faith in God and in the triumph of
the right, no one can set limits to your. achieve
ments. This is the greatest of all the ages in
which to live.. The railroads and the; tele
graph wires have brought the corners !of the
earth close tbgether, and it is easier today for
one to be helpful to the whole world than it
was a few centuries ago to be helpful to the in
habitants of a Bingle valley. This is the age of
great opportunity and of great responsibility
Let your faith be large, and let this large faith
inspire you to perform a larg'fe service. u
sooo
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WEAKENING THE T REPUBLIC" -
-. Imperialism is the poliqy of ,an empire, and
an empire is defined as "a ..territory or nation
governed by an emperor, composed generally of
sdveral countries once separated, but now united
by conquest, colonization , qr confederation."
The term does, not suggest a homogeneous na
tion in which the people share in a common
destiny and co-operate in the administration of
a government which they themselves have cre
ated. It rather implies variety in race and
method of government, and recalls the Roman
empire with its citizen at home and its subject
abroad, or the British empire with its parlia
ment in England, its governors-general in Can
ada, Australia and New Zealand, and its viceroy
and legislative council in India.
Imperialism is so objectionable a word that
in the United States it is only used in indict
ments. It is now more than eight years sinco
the word imperialism began., to be used in this
country, and yet no party has confessed that it
intended to establish an imperial policy. For
more than eight years we have been administer
ing a colonial system, and yet no party hs ven
tured a platfprm declaration in favor of colonial
ism. Strange that that can be retained, which
can not be defended! I, .J,
f When 3 Spanish War was entered upon
our nation went before the? world with ...declar
ation of its ,, intention, and, ftp nation ever' took
arms with greater disinterestedness or took more
pains, to deny selfish connection with ho contro
versy. Congress expressly declared that our, na
tion had no desire to extend its territory and
no purpose but to assist the Cubans to obtain
the freedom and Independence to which, ac
cording to our tlieory of government, they were
entitled. That promise, has, -been kept in regard
to Cuba, but it has not been kept in regard to
the Philippines, -although it applied to the Phil-ippines-in
spirit, and would .doubtless have been
applied to them specifically if the subject had
been presented to congress. .'
Porto Rico where no insurrection 'existed,
welcomed our troops, and, so far as could be
observed, desired annexation. The .treaty of
peace provided for the cession of Porto Rico
to the United States. It would have been more
in keeping with our Ideas of government to
have made the cession dependent upon a favor
able vote of the people of the Island, but -acquiescence
on their part has given sanction.; to the
action of the-two nations in making the .transfer
of allegiance. Our country has been,, slow to
clothe the Porto Ricans with the privilege of
citizenship; the party in power acting on che
theory that the constitution does not necessarily
follow tho flag. The president, however, has
recommended full citizenship for thetPorto
Ricans, and, it is only ff question of time, when
the people of that island will fully .share in
the privileges and guarantees of our constitu
tion. As Porto Rico is too small to maintain
an independent government without outside aid,
and so near to us that we could not afford to
have her under the protection of any other
country, we are in duty bound to admit' her to
fellowship It would be unjust to exclude her
ro5kth, b?neflts of our co-partnership and then
.forbid her to.j associate herself with any other
country. fJ
, i TIe conditions in the Philippines are en
tirely different. These islands have some eight
millions of people and are a part of another
hemisphere. The possession of them is a weak
ness to us and an aggravation to them. We can
.not afford to make them an integral part of
S25na m" ?nd: n.can not hold tliein. as sub-
?1Jh?itWV,olat,n a11 Ufat is fundamental
in our traditions and principles. Tho., ocean
'JJ ttJVMBUSSrom tlie Filipinos . makes
it as impossible for them to understand our do
mestic affairs as for ns , ,to. understand theirs.
?y c,a.n,BW intelligently in theM egisla-
SSSiiiSv0 C,0un7 needs' ande 'iot
intelligently devise the legislation which they
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