course, for the meanest of us would not claim that we possess a court treacherous enough to enforce a law against a railway company. But thank Heaven the railway companies are generally disposed to do the right and kindly thing without compulsion. I know of an instance which greatly touched me at the time. After an accident the company sent home the remains of a dear distant old relative of mine in a basket, with the remark, "Please state what figure you hold him at and return the basket." Now there couldn’t be anything friendlier than that.
But I must not stand here and brag all night. However, you won’t mind a body bragging a little about his country on the fourth of July. It is a fair and legitimate time to fly the eagle. I will say only one more word of brag — and a hopeful one. It is this. We have a form of government which gives each man a fair chance and no favour. With us no individual is born with a right to look down upon his neighbour and hold him in contempt. Let such of us as are not dukes find our consolation in that. And we may find hope for the future in the fact that as unhappy as is the condition of our political morality to-day, England has risen up out of a far fouler since the days when Charles I. ennobled courtezans and all political place was a matter of bargain and sale. There is hope for us yet.[1]
- ↑ At least the above is the speech which I was going to make, but our minister, Gen. Schenck, presided, and after the blessing, got up and made ft great long, inconceivably dull harangue, and wound up by saying that inas-
