Carl Schurz

“ What are these moral forces? They are the patriotism which subordinates every other consideration to the general welfare, honor and greatness of the country: that instinct of justice which loves right as right, abhors wrong as wrong, and wishes every man to have his due; that sense of duty which incites a conscientious endeavor to understand what is best for the country and for every citizen in it; that honest purpose and courage to do what is right which inspire sympathy and respect for honest purpose and courage in others ”

“ And how did these moral forces come into play? Here was a system of taxation flagrantly unjust in benefiting the few at the expense of the many; laws bought by the rich to make them still richer; a political party subsidized by a formidable money power to serve its greed; corruptions in elections developed into a political system threatening utterly to demoralize our political life; a settled purpose of the party in power to control the electoral machinery by government agents. ”

“ But be assured, as you are true to the moral forces in American politics which nominated and elected you, so those moral forces will be true to you to the end. Doubt nọt, whatever struggles and perplexities your efforts for good government may bring upon you, you may always confidently appeal to the good sense, the honesty and the patriotism of the American people—and you will never appeal in vain—against any unjust assault from the opposite party, as well as against any cabal of selfishness within your own. ”

“ So long as Democracy means the preservation of popular self-government in its whole sphere, the maintenance of sound constitutional doctrines, honesty and wise economy in administration, war upon the corrupting agencies in our political life, war upon selfish monopoly and favoritism by law, taxation not for the advantages of the few at the expense of the many, but just to all and for the benefit of all ”

“ That they have reserved to themselves future freedom of action is also true. But that they would be glad to be able to exercise that freedom of action in favor of permanently attaching themselves to the Democratic party is no less true. Let it not be said that they despise loyal attachment to party. They sincerely and highly appreciate and esteem organization in the service of principles, ideas and sound policies. But they distrust principles and ideas in the service of organization, and they condemn and despise organization without principle and ideas. ”

“ Some of them want to be postmasters, and they have friends to urge their claims; and there are politicians who clamor for places to build up their local machines. But the mass of citizens wish public place to be an honor, and are disgusted at heart when their party, after a victory, pounces upon the offices of the government like an army of mercenaries looting a conquered town. They may sometimes be carried away in their political action by the prospect of some small advantage to themselves ”

“ And thus wedding to itself those moral forces which made it invincible on November 8, the Democratic Party of our day will not only become stronger than it was before, but it will become intellectually, morally and numerically one of the most powerful national parties known in our history. ”

“ The political and economic errors are heresies which come like epidemics, and like epidemics they pass away. They would often pass away more quickly but for the cowardice of the politicians, who, although knowing better, bend before every breeze to save their little stock of popularity. ”

“ There may be politicians in this, as there are in other parties, to whom the accession of a large force of such recruits is not welcome. You may always be sure that politicians who, by repelling such recruits, seek to make their party conveniently select, want to keep it small for the purpose of keeping it subservient to their selfish ends. But those who think they can make use of the recent victory to turn the increased power of the victorious party to their selfish advantage and still preserve that power to enjoy it, are most woefully mistaken. ”

“ There are those, also, who think that the great mass of citizens care little about higher views and objects in politics. Surely, he who thinks so has too mean an opinion of the American people. Let me speak a word to the young men before me who can still look forward to a long life of public usefulness. It is true you may see here and there large numbers of men organized under selfish and unscrupulous leadership pursuing mercenary ends. ”

“ But still more came—thousands of old republicans, who reluctlantly severed the ties binding them to the party to which they had been long and warmly attached, and who, obeying the voice of their conscience, went where they could serve the public good. ”

“ There are and always will be differences of opinion among them and different conceptions of duty, but these differences are honest. They are partisan, but they honestly wish their parties to be honorable and pure and fit instruments of good government. ”

“ They thought that a man who, instead of truckling to other people's prejudices, had always expressed his own convictions of right and duty with defiant frankness, must have provoked an insuperable opposition and could not be popular ”

“ That public opinion is certainly finally to pronounce a substantially just and patriotic judgment. The politician is doomed to failure and disgrace who speculates upon the theory that the masses are mainly fools and knaves. ”

“ You may sometimes observe curious errors or heresies like mental contagion wield a strange sway over the minds of a multitude. I pray you let not those things, alarming as they seem, discourage your trust in the people. Those mercenary organizations are mostly born of vicious local circumstances and are local in their nature. ”