Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1905-12-07
KEPT THE FAITH.


Bryan's position at the st. Louis
convention, there was unanimity
in the reception accorded his state
ment on that occasion to the effect
"You may dispute whether i have
fought good fight; you may dis
pute whether ! have finished my
course; but you cannot deny that
! have kept the faith"
Every man in that great conven-
vention, and every newspaper
reader throughout the world who
was interested in the proceedings
of that convention knew that when
Mr.. Bryan said 81 have kept the
faith" he stated an incontrovert-
ible fact.
In this great country of ours,
there are many men who, as demo-
Gratis, have kept the faith and
while some of them may have been
discouraged by repeated defeats,
they have the consolation of know
ing that now the stars are begin
ming to shine in the horizon of
democracy and there are every
where indications that democratic
doctrines are growing in favor
among the people. Men who,
during the darkest days, remained
faithful, now have the satisfaction
of seeing president move along
lines laid down by the democratic
party in three successive national
campaigns.
And it is consoling, also, to OBJ
serve that many of the men who
charged democrats with being
Dangerous radicals" because of
the character of certain of their
recommendations now embrace
those same policies and count them
as OF the patriotic order since,
without the dotting of an 81" or
the crossing of st." they have
received the sanction of the presi-
dent elected as republican. There
is nothing in the present day situa-
ton to discourage those who have
except the faith" Indeed, there is
every indication that the fine devo-
ton which, under the greatest
possible discouragements, demo-
Gratis have displayed for their prin-
ciples is soon to be rewarded.
There is constant strife between
truth and falsehood. The history
of the world is full of instances
where error has triumphed over
truth for period Of time, and yet
truth has finally prevailed; pre-
vailed, it is true, only for error to
once more seek the combat; pre-
vailed only for the contest to be
revived as it will again and again
be revived SO long as human self
ishness and human ignorance exist.
When the patriots of the colo
MES declared their right to be free
from the impositions of the British
crown, they stood for truth. When
the TRUCKERS of the day, living on
American soil, insisted that rebel
lion against the king was wicked,
that revolution was unstatesman-
like, that the effort to build gov.
eminent dedicated, under God, to
freedom, was an impossible effort
and would be disastrous to bust
ness interests, they stood for false
hood. And after eight years OF
Encouragement, after eight years
Of brave and faithful effort, after
eight years in which the colonial
forces were required to combat on
the one hand the British soldiery
and on the other the insidious in
huences Of tie tory element, truth
prevailed and new nation, bap.
tiled in the purest of blood, sprang
into existence.
1t is agreed today between the
men of the south and the men o
the north that when the abolition,
lists insisted that no man has {
right to place chains upon tn,
limbs OF another man they stooe
for truth. When the other men o
that day declared slavery to be
divine institution they stood fo
falsehood.
When Abraham Lincoln declared
that this nation could not surviy,
half slave and half free, he stoot
for truth. Truth triumphed, an,
the shackles fell from the limbs o