Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1886-07-07

"ith OuI hdtuSS, oui lOltulltS dilu our
sacred honor give bond to the future
for the preservation of our blood
bought country.
The United States of America--a
Government of the people, by the
people and for the people! How
splendid in conceptionl How grand
i'll its sovereignty and boundless in its
possibilities! An hundred years are
as day in the life of Its men whose
strength is multiplied by the millions
of her sons; whose light shining to
the uttelmost parts of earth illumines
the bow of promise hung in the
heavens, at its birth, and whose shell
tering arch spans the years of Time
itself. A Government in which the
voice of the people is the voice of
God! A Government in which all
who wear the image of their Maker
are clothed with the purple robes of
sovereign power! A Government
within whose well-guarded lines man.
hood is the parole and pluck the coun-
tersien!
A Government in which disloyalty
is hell, and whose heaven is opened
to those who love their fellow-men.
A Government which believe will
live when every throne Of earth is
crumbled into dust; and which, when
time shall be declared to be no more,
will In spotless shroud, followed by
the sad music of the dying mourners'
sigh, deliver to Immortality the best
that mortals ever won.
In speaking of the Government,
refer to the great truth embodied in
the principles upon which it was
founded, and by which it has thus far
been preserved. know that mortals
are imperfect; that parties are selfish,
and to a certain extent governments
controlled by them are imperfect; but
believe in the correcting Influences
born of these truths and which do
and will prevail, and l believe in the
power of the people. While it NAV
be said that human nature is every
where alike, it is nevertheless true
that the wisdom Of the people of the
United States under the acknowl-
edged and restraining influences of
our form OF government, has proved
equal to the most trying emergen.
cies in which people and government
have ever been placed.
The people will never be less wise.
When Civilizations like those which
have fallen from my lips are uttered,
you will find cynics who point you to
Rome in the days of her greatest
power, and then point to her
PROSTATE among the lesser powers of
the world. But the reasons which
suhdued Rome do not exist to day,
and cannot prevail with US. You will
find fools among us who even now
write books forecasting the downfall
of the American Republic, But these
alarmists and calamity shriekers must
rapidly hide their diminished heads,
as we meet and overcome first one,
and then another of the elements of
National disgrace and destruction.
That there are elements of destruction
within our Government | grant. That
there are enemies of the liberties of
the people and of free government,
and i'll fact Of all governments, within
our borders, l grant. But the de,
graded and vicious must GO down be-
fore the enlightened and free; and
beside, it is not trait of American
character to qlail and surrender to
their enemies, be they from within or
without.
While l recognize the danger,
fail to discover the forces that are to
bring destruction upon us.
l believe in free schools, free
speech, free press, and fair ballot.
| believe in liberty, and am an enc
my to license l have abounding
faith in the educational influences and
patriotism of the age, and of those
which are to follow. ! believe in the
triumph of Progress. l believe the
unlocked vaults of the mountains of
Idaho alone contain wealth enough to
give home to every family in the
United States; and while ! have not
in the slightest degree the spirit of
prophesy, | feel safe in the redic-
ton that Americans, clothed with the
majesty of citizenship, clothed with
the power to write laws, clothed with
the power to overthrow corrupt rulers,
will never, no, never! surrender free
government, nor will their children's
children, down to the last syllable of
time, allow the Liberties of the people
to he overthrown.
The equality of the rights of man
is the great underlying principle of
free government. The individual, the
family and the community are the
units of such government. To Sc
cure a guarantee of the largest posi-.
BILE liberty for the individual consist
ent with the good of the other two;
to give shelter to the family and pro.
lection to the home, and to have the
laws of one community in harmony