Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1899-07-15
BLAcKfpor. IDAHO. JULY Is, 1899.
ELOQUENT GRAFTON


new ork, took the simple and i'm
pressive oath, to preserve, defend and
protect the constitution of the United
States. This was followed by the loud
acclatnations of the people, the BOOM
Ing OF cannon and the pealing OF bells.
Now that the English speaking race in
the new world is united under CON-
mon form ofgovernment, strong enough
Tor safety. liberal enough for freedom,
launched upon the ocean of destiny.
it takes its place with the sovereign
ties Of the world.
In the race for prestige, glory and
honor, have We kept pace with the
older powers, who at fret scorned our
form Of government as an experiment
and ephemeral?
Today a summary of American rec
ord is being told By eloquent tongue at
every hamlet and city where the peo-
Pile are won't TO congregate throughout
our dear land, but from none OF these
viii fall the expression OF OF any ire
Rret for aughs that has been.n
True it is that many a hearth amid
our fair homes .'sighs after many
vanished face" for our advancement
has not always been along the lines OF
peace. The bayonet has written many
OF our pages, but they only give q
brighter reflection to the pages OF peace.
The consolation is, we have never
waged an unrighteous war, and for
that reason have never submitted to a
defeat or been subjected to shameful
treaty. No country has ever had the
hnbroken line of success in military
and naval war that has come to Ameri-
can arms and battleships And what a
record has been inscribed during the
closing years of this country. We
speak today with new tongues of our
proves, our honor and our dignity.
Another country has been made to feel
the strength of American manhood
and valor, and on this summer dav the
tropical breezes are singing lullabys to
the long disturbed and distanced is
lands OF our southern seas, and the rim
ping waves around the shores of Cuba
and Puerto Rico are laughing in glad
ness that Spain has been driven for
ever from American waters. | am
glad OF that war, not only because OF
the rebuke and punishment that has
matld n
nation; not only because of the peace
and uplifting that will come to our on
pressed and enslaved population: but
am glad Of it on account of our own in
1ernal relations; because of the splen-
did demonstration OF fact that some
OF our citizens were inclined to doubt.
During long period of smiling peace
and unparalleled prosperity, men were
won't to say that the principle of patri.
otism-the vital principle in our ma
tional stability was waning into lerh-
argy; that the height OF American
ambition was the accretion of wealth.
which was creating a plutocracy, that
was establishing a caste among the neo-
pie and arraying the classes against
The masses: that the bond of union
equality and fraternal regard which
marked the lives of our forefatberv
had been broken in the mad race where
money was the goal. But on that
memorable and fateful day when the
shocking news Of the destruction of
our warship Maine, and the death ot
our valiant seamen was flashed acrose
the country, the nation rose as one
man Tor speedy retribution to this
cruel and cowardly outrage. There
was no difference between men then
The millionaire of Wall street stopned
10 talk to the man with the dinner nail
rs though it was their every dav ems.
TOM to discuss great and mighty sinh.
Jects. And when at last war wac do.
ciared the student OF our wealthy col
ieges stepped up to the recruiting of- |
hcer alongside the street sweeper and
the wharf laborer to enroll his name
with his country's volunteers. The
statesman, the lawyer, the broker
the mechanic, the miner, the Office
clerk' the store clerk and the rouob.
rioinR cowboy, all responded to the
ca'i ior volunteers with such zest that
mas never before been witnessed in any
country, and many patriot had TO be
turned away weeping because there
was no place for him to fill ia the ar,nv
shst WAS recruiting. Rich men Wed
with each other in rendering 10 tho
whatever credit their
vaults might contain, and in fitting ont
transports OF food and clothing for the
ttarving nations that would suffer more
severely perhaps, for time by reason
u our descent upon their foes. The
women OF our land, the ministerino
'oSels OF our being when pain and ,