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The Commoner
VOL. 16, NO. U
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thousand years older than the democratic party.
It describes an attitude of the human heart.
Nine-tenths of those who call themselves repub
licans are at heart democratic and some who call
themselves democrats are at heart aristocratic.
To discover whether any one is at heart a
democrat or an aristocrat, tell him the story of
Lazarus and Dives and note his comment. If ho
is a democrat ho will try to devise a plan for
decreasing the number of the poor; if he is an
aristocrat ho will say: "What a lucky thing for
Lazarus that there was a Dives near to furnish
crumbs,"
The democrat believes that society is built
from tho bottom, the aristocrat thinks society is
suspended from tho top. Tho democrat says:
Legislate for all tho people, for ho believes that
tho prosperity of the masses will find its way
up through tho classes that rest upon the masses.
The aristocrat, believing that society is suspona
od from the top, says, and he says it honestly
for ho believes it: Legislate for the well-to-do
and then bo patient and wait until their pros
perity leaks through on those below.
(From Campaign Speech of 191G.)
DEMOCRATIC IDEA OP REPRESENTATIVE
According to tho aristocratic idea, tho repre
sentative thinks FOR his constituents; accord
ing to tho democratic idea, tho representative
thinks WITH his constituents. A representative
has no right to defeat the wishes of those who
elect him, if ho knows their wishes.
(From Tho Price of a Soul.)
NO TWILIGHT ZONE
I am a strict constructionist, if that means
to beliovo that the federal government is ono of
delegated powors and that constitutional lim
itations should bo carefully observed. I am
jealous of any encroachment upon the rights
of tho states, believing that the states are as
indestructible as tho nation is indissoluble. It
Is, however, entirely consistent with this theory
to believe, as I do bollovo, that it is juBt as im
perative that tho general government shall dis
charge tho duties delogatod to it, as it is that
tho states shall exercise the powers reserved to
thorn. THERE IS NO TWILIGHT ZONE BE-.
TWEEN THE NATION ANDI-IE STATE, IN
WHICH EXPLOITING INTERESTS CAN TAKE
REFUGE FROM BOTH, and my observation is
that most riiot all, but most of the conten
tions over the lino botweon tho nation and the
state" are traceable to predatory corporations
which aro trying to shield themselves from de
Borved punishment, or endeavoring to prevent
needed restraining legislation.
(From speech at Conservation Conference,
White House, May 15, 1908.)
SHORT OFFICIAL TERMS
Jefferson was an advocate of Bhort terms, as
well as of popular elections. He believed that
Bhdrt terms, requiring frequent return of tho
representative to the people, the source of.
power, to be conducive to fidelity. It is also
a means of insuring more intimate acquaintance,
with his constituents and a more accurate
knowledge of their needs.
PATRIOTISM ABOVE PARTISANSHIP .
The patriot must desire the triumph of that
which is right more than tho triumph of that
which he may think to be right if he is, in fact,
mistaken, and so tho partizan, If he be an intelll-"
gent partizan, must be prepared to rejoice in his
own or his party's defeat If by that defeat his
country is tho gainer.
(From The Price of a Soul.)
THE STRENGTH OF A NATION
Aye, let us hero dedicate ourselves ' anew to
this unfinished work which requires of each gen
eration constant sacrifice and unceasing care.
Pericles, in speaking of those who fell in the
Peloponneasian war, lauded tho loyalty of his
countrymen when he said:
"It was for such a country, then, that these
men; nobly resolving not toSfeave it taken from
thorn, fell -fighting, and every one of their sur
Tivorsmay well he willing to suffer in Jtstbehalf ."
The. strength of a nation does not lie in forts,
nor innaYies, nor yet in great standing armiesj
but tin; chappy" and contented citizens, who are
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ever ready to protect for themselves and to pre
serve for posterity tho blessings which they en
joy. It is for us of this generation so to per
form the duties of citizenship that a "govern
ment of the people by the people an.d for tho
people" shall not perish from the earth.
(From Arlington Memorial Day Oration.)
"RIGHTEOUSNESS EXALTETH A NATION".
I challenge the doctrine, now being taught,
that wo must enter into a mad rivalry with the
Old World in the building of battleships the-,
doctrine that the only way to preserve peace is
to get ready for wars that ought never to come!
It is a barbarous, brutal, unchristian doctrine
the doctrine of the darkness, not tho doctrine
of the dawn.
Nation after nation, when at the zenith of its
power, has proclaimed itself invincible because
its army could shake the earth with its tread;
and Its ships could fill tho seas, but these na
tions aro dead, and we must build upon a differ
ent foundation if we would avoid their fate. u
Carlyle, in tho closing chapters of his "French
Revolution" says that thought is stronger than
artillery parks and at last molds the world like
soft clay, and then he adds that back of the
thought is love. Carlyle is right. Lbve is the
greatest power In the world. The nations that'
are dead boasted that their flag was feared; let'
it bo our boast that our flag is loved. The na
tions that are dead boasted that people bowed
before their flag, let us not be content until our
flag represents sentiments so high and holy that
the oppressed of every land will turn their faces
toward that flag. and thank God that there is one
flag that stands for self-government and the
rights of man.
Tho enlightened conscience of our nation
should proclaim as the country's creed that
"righteousness oxalteth a nation" and that
justice Is a nation's surest defense. If ever a
nation was called to put God's truth to the test,
it is ours; if there ever was a time it is now.
With an o.cean rolling on either side and a
mountain range along either coast that all the
armies of all the world could never climb, we
ought not to be afraid tor trust in "tho wisdom
of doing right."
Our government, conceived in freedom and
purchased with blood, can be preserved only by
constant vigilance. May we guard it as our
children's richest legacy, for what shall it profit
our nation if it shall gain the whole world and
lose "the spirit that prizes liberty as the herit
age of all men in all lands everywhere"?
(From The Price of a Soul.)
THE DIVINE LAW OF REWARDS
There is a Divine law of rewards. When the
Creator gave us the earth, with its fruitful soil,
the sunshine with its warmth, and the rains with
their moisture, He proclaimed, as clearly as if
His voice had thundered from the clouds: "Go,
work-, and according to your industry and your
intelligence, so shall be your reward," Only
where might has overthrown, cunning under-,
mined or government suspended this law, has a
different law prevailed. To conform the gov
ernment to this law ought to' be the ambition of
the. statesman; and no party can have a higher
mission than to make it a reality wherever gov
ernments can legitimately operate.
(From Acceptance Speech, 1908.)
THE D3EAL REPUBLIC
I can conceive of a national destiny surpass
ing the glories of the present and the past- a
destiny which meets the responsibilities of to
day and measures up to the possibilities of the
future.
Behold a republic, resting securely upon the
foundation stones quarried by revolutionary
patriots from the mountain of eternal truth a
republic applying In practise and proclaiming
to the world the self-evident propositions that
all men are created equal; that they are en
dowed by their Creator with inalienable rights-"
that governments aro instituted among men to
?S64 thfS6 rlgMs and that Governments derive
ern d P0Wers from the cousent of the gov-
Beholda republic in which civil and religious
liberty .stimulate all to. earneat endeavor and ?n
whioh.the, law.Testrains .Bwyand-utfUtoSfiS".
citizen Is a" sovereign, but in which no ono o
or dares to wear a crown. aros
Behold a republic standing erect whilp
pires all around are bowed beneath the welch? m
their own armaments a republic whose 01
loved while other flags are only feared
Behold a republic increasing in population i
wealth, in strength and in influence, solvinc ill
problems of civilization and hastening the com
ing of an universal brotherhood a renuhH
which shakes thrones and dissolves ariatocra
cles by Its silent example and gives light and in"
spiration to those that sit n darkness.
Behold a republic gradually but surely be
coming the supreme moral factor in the world's
progress and the accepted arbiter of the world's
disputes a republic whose history, like the
path of tho just, "is as the shining light that
shineth more and more unto the perfect day."
(From "Imperialism')
POLITICAL ISSUES
THE TARIFF
A REVENUE TARIFF
Tho whole aim of our party is to secure
justice in taxation. We believe that each indi
vidual should contribute to the support of the
government in proportion to the benefits which
he receives under the protection of the govern
ment. We believe that a revenue tariff, ap
proached gradually, according to the plan laid
down in our platform, will equalize the burdens
of taxation, and thai the addition of an income
tax will make taxation still more equitable. If
the republican party is to have the support of
those who find a pecuniary profit in the exercise
of 'the taxing power, as a private asset in their
business, we ought to have the support of that
large majority of the people who produce the
nation's wealth in time of peace, protect the na
tion's flag in time of war, and ask for nothing
from the government but even-handed justice.
(From Des Moines Tariff Speech, 1908.)
TARB7F NEEDED OR NOT NEEDED
I submit this proposition: Either a tariff' is
needed or it is not needed. If a tariff is needed,
It is in order to add the amount of the tariff to
the price of the home article to enable the Amer
ican manufacturer to compete with the foreign.
If it is not needed, who is going to justify it?
Now, which horn of the dilemma will you take?
Will you say that this tariff is needed and used;
or will you say it is not needed and ought to he
abolished?
(From Tariff Speech ofi 1892.)
THE REAXj HOME INDUSTRY
.When some young man selects a young wo
man who is willing to trust her future to his
strong right arm, and they start to build a little
home, that home which is the unit- of society
and upon which.. our government and our pros
perity must rest; when they start to build this
little home, and the man -who sells the lumber
reaches out his hand to collect a tariff upon
that; the man who sells paints and oils wants a
tariff upon them; the man who furnishes the
carpets, table-cloths, knives, v forks, dishes,
furniture, spoons, everything that enters into
the construction and operation of that home
when all these hands, I say, are stretched out
from every direction to lay their blighting
weight upon that cottage, and the democratic
party sayd, "Hands off, and let that home in
dustry live' ft Js protecting the grandest home
industry that .this or any other nation ever had.
(From Tariff Speech, 1892.)
THE GROUND CHUNK ILLUSTRATION
.Whenever you see the government, by oper
ation of law, 'sendv a dollar singing down into
one man's-pocket, you must remember that the
government has brought it crying up out of
some, other man's pocket. You might just as
well try to 'raise- a weight with a lever without
fulcrum as try to help some particular industry
by means -0$ taxation, -without placing the bur
den upon;tho 'consumer.
' sBack itf -HlfaioiB whence were- repairing a
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