The Weiser signal. [volume] (Weiser, Idaho) 1890-1904, 1896-04-23
THE TRUE WEALTH OF THE STATE


Mothers, could you realize the fondest
and most cherished hopes that can throb
in a mothers breast, would you have
your sons rich IN gold and silver, or en-
dowed with those qualities which make
them rich in heart, rich in brain, and rich
in purpose? Far be 1t from me to beliltle
material wealth. Far be it from me to
nndervalue the power and usefulness Of
money. But to my mind it il as nothing
compared with the influence OF great
man, the power OF whose example will
continue to inspire human endeavor long
after the fieeting wealth OF Gould has
been swept into forgetfuness. While we
must admit that money may bring good
things. which none OF US need affect to
despise, we must also admit that we are
apt to think too much OF money, and that
we form our standards too much on money
values. We betray our every day criterion
when we ask, How much is he worth !?
not, How good citizen is hef We are
TOO apt to measure mans fitness for po-
litical honor by his material possessions
or achievement. rather than by h man
hood. We are too apt 10 give man the
support OF our votes Ia proportion 10 his
ability to control primaries and conven-
lions through questionable means, or by
certain superficial smartness, rather than
4 IN hot hal, l.;
equipped for the public service and worthy
OF public honor. We forget that as sove-
relgns we have the right 10 say who shall
serve us, and thereby make it popular to
seek rather than to deserve and receive
office ut our hands. We thereby place a
premium on politicians rather than on
statesmen, overlooking the fact that
politician is man who seeks to serve
himself through the State, while STATES
man is man who seeks to serve the State
through himself.
The charge is often brought against
western Americans that they are too much
engrossed In the material things of life. too
much absorbed In individual aggrandize-
ment, too careless OF the good of all, too
needless OF the meaning OF that grand old
English word. the commonweal The
charge is not unfounded, but there is a
very natural cause for this state of things,
and one which lies deep in the conditions
Of our western life. Our excuse is that
we have been pioneers. forced to cope with
all the disadvantages OF frontier life, all
our energies strained to the utmost to the
task OF subdung nature and converting
our undeyeloped natural resources to hui
man uses. To a certain extent this excuse
Is good, yet 1t is not farsighted in those
who have any love for the State and its
future character, and does not Justify
absorption in these material aims to the
neglect OF proper performance OF our
duties to society and the State. In his
great work, the American Commonwealth,
Mr.. Bryce tells us Of a significant incident
which happened to him during his travels
in this country. He was called upon in n
certain place to offer few remarks to a
western legislature, which. as he informs
u.s. were somewhat as follows:
why do things rudely and i'll which
need to be done well, seeing that the well
fare of your descendants may turn upon
them? Why in your hurry to subdue
and utilize nature, squander her splendid
gifts? Why allow the noxious weeds of
eastern politics to take root in your new
soil, when by little effort you might
keep II pure? You have opportunities
such as mankind never had before, and
may never have again. Your work is
great and noble; it is done for future
longer and vaster than our conception can
embrace. Why not make its outlines and
beginnings worthy of these destinies. the
thought of which gilds your hopes and
elevates your purposes"
Mr.. Bryce goes on to say that ''it was
surprising to hear several members who
afterwards conversed with him. remark
that the fact that they were the founders
OF new commonwealth, and responsible
to posterity for the foundations they laid.
had never crossed their minds"
This last sentence, this side remark, as
1t were,i TO me one Of the most impressive
warnings in the whole two volumes OF
the American Common wealth, than which
no more impartial or comprehensive sur
vey OF American political institutions has
ever been written. Let me repeat it: Tho
fact that they were the founders OF new
aud responsible to poster
ity for the foundation they LAID. had never
crossed their minds" And how often, let |
me ask, do we here In Idaho think seri-
ously and 70 good purpose OF that respon-
sibility! ! think we will all admit our
In that respect II we give the
subject moments thought, and would
like to suggest few OF the reasons why
i exists, before we proceed 10 consider the
necessity OF trying 70 overcome H. In
most Of tho oder States large majority (