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About The commoner. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-1923 | View Entire Issue (Aug. 2, 1912)
AUGUST 2, 1912 3 The Commoner. Judge's Wescott's Great Speech Following is tho speech of Hon. John W. Wescott of Camden, N. J., nominating Wood row Wilson, of Now Jersey, for the presidency of the United States at the democratic conven tion at Baltimore, Juno 27, 1912: New Jersey, onco hound, but, by tho moral energy and intellectual greatness of a single soul, now free, comes to this historic conven tion, in the glory of her emancipation, to partici pate in your deliberations, aid in formulating your judgments and assist in executing your de crees. The New Jersey delegation is in no sense empowered to exercise tho attributes of pro prietorship. On the wreck and ruin of a bi partisan machine a master hand has erected an ideal commonwealth in less than two years. (Applause.) New Jersey is free. Therefore, the New Jersey delegation is commissioned to represent the great cause of democracy and to offer, as its militant and triumphant leader, a scholar, not a charlatan; a statesman, not a doctrinaire; a profound lawyer, not a splitter of legal hairs; a political economist, not an egotis tical theorist; a practical politician, who con structs, modifies, restrains without disturbance or destruction; a resistless debater and consum mate master of statement, not a mere phrase maker; a humanitarian, not a defamer of char acters and lives; a man whoso mind is at onco cosmopolitan and composite of all America; a gentleman of unpretentious habits, with the fear of God in his heart and the love of mankind ex hibited in every act of his life (applause) ; above all a public servant who has been tried to the uttermost and never found wanting peerless, matchless, unconquerable in the per formance of his duty, the ultimate democrat, the genius of liberty and the very incarnation of progress. (Applause.) New Jersey has reasons for her course. Let us not be deceived in the, essentials of tho premises upon which this convention will build, if it builds successfully. Campaigns of villift cation, corruption and false pretense have lost their usefulness. The evolution of national energy is toward .a more intelligent morality in politics and in all other relations. (Applause.) The line of cleavage is between those who treat politics as a game and those who regard it as tho serious business of government. The realign ment of political parties will be on this principle. The situation admits of no dispute and no com promise. Tho temper and purpose of the American people will tolerate no other view. The indifference of the American public to its politics has disappeared. Any platform, and any candidate on that platform, not fully responsive to this vast social, political and economical be hest will go down to ignominious defeat at the polls. (Applause.) Platforms are too often mere historic rubbish heaps of broken promises. Candidates are too often the unfortunate creatures of arrangements and calculations. Exigencies, conditions, national needs and necessities make better platforms and produce greater leaders than does the exercise of pro prietorship. (Applause.) Hence it is that a dis regard of tho premises will bring our dreams crashing in ruins next Novomber. Again the eternal conflict between equal opportunity and special privilege is upon us. Our fathers wrote the issue of that struggle in our constitutions. They declared all men to be free and equal. In a single century that principle developed tho North American conti nent, leavened tho world with Its beneficence, inspired all nations with hope and made the United States the asylum of all mankind. (Ap plause.) Yet America, at this very hour, pre sents the most stupendous contradiction in his tory a people politcally free, while econo mically bound by the most gigantic monopolies .of all time and burdened with a system of taxa tion which exploits millions to enrich a few. We have preserved the forms of freedom, but are fast losing its substance. The evils of this con dition are felt in a thousand ways throughout the land. Therefore it is that America Is awake. Therefore it Is that a mistake in our premises will be fatal. Therefore it is that the situation, the national exigency, the crisis, call for the right man. Therefore it is that a silent and resistless revolution demands our patriotic and .best judgment. Individuals are as nothing and personal ambitions are worse than nothing. Im personality should be the majesty of this con vention. If the chosen candidate fails In any sense or in any degree fully and completely to meet tho call of the nation, ho is doomed to de feat. (Applause.) . Men aro known by what thoy say and do. Men aro known by thoso who hato them and those who oppose them. (Applause.) Many years ago tho distinguished executivo of New Jersey said, "No man is great who thinks him self so, and no man is good who does not str-ivo to secure tho happiness and comfort of others." (Applause.) This Is tho secret of his life. This is, in the last analysis, tho explanation of his power. Later, in his raemorablo effort to retain high scholarship and simplo democracy in Princeton university, ho declared, "Tho great voice of America does not come from seats of learning. It comes in a murmur from the hills, and woods, and tho farms and factories and tho mills, rolling on and gaining volume until it comes to us from the homes of common men. Do these murmurs echo In tho corridors of our universities? I have not heard them." A clarion call to the spirit that now moves America. Still later ho shouted, "I will not cry poaco so long as social injustice and political wrong exist in the stato of New Jersey." (Applause.) Iloro is tho very soul of tho silent revolution now solidifying sentiment and purpose in our com mon country. Tho deeds of this moral and intellectual giant are known to all men. Thoy accord, not with tho shams and pretenses of diseased and dis organized politics, but mako national harmony with tho millions of patriots dotermlncd to cor roct the wrongs of plutocracy and reestablish tho maxims of American liberty in all thoir pregnant beauty and practical effectiveness. (Applause.) Now Jersey loves her governor, not for the enemies ho has made, but for what he is. All evil is his enemy. Ho is the enemy of all evil. The influences opposing him havo demonstrated his availability and fitness on tho one hand, and exposed the unavailability and unfitness of certain others on tho other hand. The Influence that has opposed him blights and blasts any cause and any person it espouses. That influence has appealed to tho sordid, tho low and tho criminal. That influenco fattens and gorges itself on ignorance and avarice. Any man who accepts the aid of that Influence would bo moro fortunate had a mill stono been tied about his neck and ho. had been cast into tho depths of the sea. (Applause.) New Jersey believes that tho opposition to her governor, such as it has been and such as it is, necessi tates and secures his triumph. Similar necessities, causes and motives impel all men similarly tho world over. Tho same necessities, causes and motives which draw, as by omnipotence, all New Jersey about this great and good man, are identically the same necessi ties, causes and motives that are In resistless motion in every state in the union. (Applause.) Its solidarity can not be disintegrated. False argument falls broken against it. A revolution of intelligent and patriotic millions is tho ex pression of these same necessities, causes and motives. Therefore, New Jersey argues that her splendid governor la the only candidate who can not only mako democratic success a certainty, but secure tho electoral vote of almost every state in tho union. (Applause.) New Jersey herself will indorse his nomination by a ma jority of one hundred thousand of her liberated citizens. What Now Jersey will do, every de batable state in the union will do. (Applause.) We are building, not for a day, or even a genera tion, but for all time. Let not the belief that any candidate may succeed rob us of sound judgment. What would It profit tho democratic party to win now, only to bo cast out four years hence? The democratic party is commissioned to carry on a great constructive program, hav ing for Its end a complete restoration of tho doctrine of equal rights and equal opportunity without Injury or wrong to anyone. Providence has given us, in the exalted character of Nov Jersey's executivo, the mental and moral equip ment to accomplish this reincarnation of de mocracy. New Jersey believes that there is an omni science in national Instinct That instinct centers in her governor. He is that instinct. (Applause.) How can his power in every state be explained? He has been in politcal life less .than two years. He has had no organization of the usual sort; only a practical ideal, the re establishment of equal opportunity. (Applause.) The logic of events points to him. The Imperial voice of patriotism calls to him. Not his deeds alone, not his deathless words alone, not his simple personality alone, not hin Incomparable powers alone, not his davotion to truth and principle alone, but all combined, compel na tional faith and confidence in him. (Applause) Every crisis ovolves its master. Time and cir cumstance havo evolved tho Immortal governor of Now Jersey. Tho north, tho south, tho oast and tho west unite In him. Deop calls to deep. Height calls to height. "From peak to peak, tho rattling crags among. Leaps tho live thundor. Not from ono lone cloud, But every mountain now hath found a tonguo, And Jura answers through her misty shrouds Back to the joyous Alps, who call to hor aloud." The lightning flash of his genius has cleared tho atmospjiorc. Wo now know whoro wo aro. The thundor of his sincerity is shaking tho very foundations of wrong and corruption. (Ap plauso.) This convention stands between ninety mil lions of people and a thousand monopolies. It stands between ninety millions of people who need a frco and fair opportunity and a thousand trusts that havo special privileges. Tho great issuo is to restoro to tho poople equal oppor tunity, and, at tho samo timo, to compel mo nopolies and trusts to proceed upon tho same principle. This Issue can not bo solved by a platform. Thousands of platforms will not solve it. Tho man on tho platform alone can solvo it. If ho has tho - moral forco and personal courago and mental ability, he will solvo it be cause ninoty millions of confiding mon, women and children stand behind him. (Applause.) Such is the meaning of tho appearance of the govornor of New Jersey at this time In tho his tory of tho nation. (Applause.) From tho roar and struggle and strife preceding this conven tion and now involving it, there arises in majesty ono character, unsullied and unsoiled. Ho has made but ono compact. That compact was with his conscience. Ho has made but one agreement. That agreement was with his coun try and Ills God. (Applause.) He is under but ono obligation. That obligation is to tho eternal principle of truth and right. It requires no sophistry to explain either his position or his character. Ho stands in tho quenchless light of truth, a bravo, fearless and patriotic soul. (Applause.) If providence could spare us a Washington to lay deop in the granite of human neod the foun dations of tho United States; If providence could spare us a' Jefferson to give form and vitality to tho most splendid democracy the sun ever shone upon; if providence could spare us a Lincoln to unite these states in impregnable unity and brothorhood, New Jersey appeals to tho patriot ism and good sense of this convention to give to tho country tho services of the distinguished govornor of New Jersey, that the doors of oppor tunity may again be opened wide to every man, woman and child under tho stars and stripes, so that, to uso his own matchless phrase, "their energies may bo released, intelligently, that peace, justice and prosperity may reign." New Jersey appreciates her deliverance. Now Jersey appreciates the great constructive re sults of her governor's efforts during tho past two years, but New Jersey appreciates moro than that tho honor which she now has, through hor freely chosen representatives sitting before me, of placing before this convention, as a candi date for the presidency of tho United States, the seer and philosopher of Princeton, tho "Prince ton schoolmaster," Woodrow Wilson. (Applause.) IMPORTANT Tho Davenport (Iowa) Democrat says that tho length of the presidential term is of very less Importance than tho identity of the maa who serves It. But tho man who appreciates tho importance of limiting the presidential term in, order that the occupant of tho office may be free to discharge his duty to the public with out tho embarrassments growing out of undue ambition, is likely to bo a pretty good sort of a man. In any event, it is just as well to take no chances with tho good, the bad, or the in different, by laying down a rule that will save men from the follies of jelflsh ambitions. APPRECIATED IN TEXAS R. N. Wilson, Texas: Accepting your clubbing offer for The Commoner, I made up a club of five in a few minutes this morning. If you will send me two more blanks for sets of five, I can fill them promptly. i illffftt-T-iii'nllritoit:iii-ii.afcat.-i nib.Wiiw .. it JUttA--rffe :yguil,k.i - .gUttMriHiTtf .t-w-. A- .i -.... -T , 4JU.J'aJiS&S&WrtJ,-V