Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1896-02-05
SENATOR TILLMAN'S SPEECH.

/ maj NoOlO CuOl Y. ~ Sldlluo Oub III
sharp contrast to the scholarly es-
says usually read in the Senate
chamber and labelled speeches
but even such great journals as the
Salt Lake Herald praise him for
fearlessly calling "a spade spade. y
The roughness of the speech doubt.
less grated harshly on the sensi-
lively refined ears of some eastern
senators, noted more for their schol-
arship than for plain, common
sense, but it is safe to say that this
harshness was not so disagreeable
to them as some of the unadorned
fruits uttered by the man from South
Carolina were to the Chief Execu-
tive of the nation, and his Secretary
of the Treasury. We are heartily
glad Mr.. Tillman delivered that
speech. 1t is time that public men
and the press return to the plain
ness of speech in discussing public
questions that admits no doubt as
to their meaning and to see to it
that those standing in high places
are not considered above criticism.
While 1t is right to give honor to
whom honor is due, yet is well to
have it remembered that these men
in public office in our American
theory of government are not the
masters Of the people, but their
servants, and that official conduct
is a proper subject of criticism.
1t appears to be so easy for poor,
weak humanity to look upon men
occupying official position, and dis
charging public duties as some how
or other above ordinary mortals,
and one Of the sovereign people who
has the presumption to take issue
with his actions is looked upon as a
sort OF rude disturber of the peace
1t is a good thing for the country
that once in a while there comes
from the ranks of the people man
in whose nature the spirit of de-
mocracy is SO ingrained that he as
serts the right of the people to take
to task the men who are unfaithful
to them and untrue to their inter
ests; and if the very lightning of
indignation flashes through his
speech, all the better.
The corrupting influence of Off
cial life in our national capital; the
moneyed influence that infects it;
the isolation of our chief national
officials from the plain people; the
adulation Of sycophants who smile
and crook the pregnant hinges of
the knee that thrift may follow
fawning-all this tends to remove
our chief officers further and ever
further from the people until all too
soon they forget their true relation
ship to the sovereigns of the coun-
try. Sometimes they fall uncon-
sciously under the influence of the
agents of special classes and their
interests; and at other times, with
a full sense of what they are doing
they wickedly betray the people in
order to become the friends of those
who may reward them with the
mammon of unrighteousness. In
either event it is well that from the
ranks of the people occasionally
some one speaks out in clear, bold
terms to arouse them from uncon-
seriousness if that be their condition,
and the cause Of their betrayal of
the people; or to seorch and burn
them with inveetive if knowingly
they are untrue to the trust i'm
posed in them.
Senator Tillman has rendered a
great public service to the country
in taking to task the chief officials
of the nation. 1t was well done.
1t is time these money changers in
the temple of government were at
least scourged with small ropes if
not driven from the building-and |
notice should be served upon those
who expect to succeed them that
the people will tolerate no more be-
In the language Of the west, Sen
ator Tillman gave Cleveland, Sher-
man, Carlisle, Reed & Co. 1.-The /
right stuff"
No Room for Doubt.
When the facts are before you, you