The Roswell daily record. [volume] (Roswell, N.M.) 1903-current, 1907-05-15

trained so as to see straight and to
take a comprehensive and intelligent
view of the situation that confronts
them, then and only then. will a gen.
eral public sentiment be formed that
will result in the permanent correc-
ton of those evils which have so long
injured our territory n retarded its
progress. As long as our opinions
are taken second hand from men
whose actions are directed not by the
ultimate good to be accomplished to
the whole community, but by h i'm
mediate results to be obtained by them
personally just SO long will we re-
main in mental, moral and political
bondage, selling for "a mess of pot
tage the glorious privilege of intel
lectual freedom, which is the BIRTH
right of every man. Do you under
stand the privilege that such freedom
involves? Do you realize now infin-
itely humiliating and horribly degrad-
ing it must be for a man to be forced
in order to maintain a temporary ad-
vantage Or retain some tranSitOry pow
er to acquiesce in opinions and adopt
policies which he knows to be wrong,
and sanction the acts of men whose
motives he is convinced are base and
unworthy? And yet that is what ma
a. IlICAl III 4 C. LAAd III
cation are doing at the present time;
not only in the autocracies OF Europe
but right here in the United States
of America, where freedom is the
watchword and each man is supposed
to be as independent as every other
one. That is what, often indeed, with
out realizing it, thousands of people
of this territory have been doing for
years. They have assented without
question to the self-imposed edicts
of the unprinoipled leaders, 4 obey
ed without roteS the commands of
men VINO have no more right to give
them and are not half as well quail
fed to form just and equitable con-
illusions as many of those who, regard
less of their selflrespect, have SO sub
serviently knelt down and obeyed. |
cannot believe that such a condition
can permanently endure, in spite of
setbacks and difficulties which those
who are attempting to change 1t have
encountered. / have an abiding faith
in the sound sense, good Judgment
and the power to ultimately see thru
fraud I hypocrisy which, while Of
ten dormant, are essential character
istics of the great mass of American
people. 1 also believe that a great
majority Of the people of this terri
tory, however great the handicaps
they may temporarily be subjected to.
will II the end find the courage to
proclaim their ideas and not allow
them to be submerged ia the unwhole
some sea of petty politics. l u
confess that you who are about to en-
ter the field of business and of public
life, will find many arguments to lead
you to believe hat it will be far bet
- 60 IN O-IA- 40 o1fo ~ fnn
material success you doubtless hope
for, to always play safe when a diff
cult question comes up for your deter
mination. But, while it perhaps may
he said that it lily becomes me to
offer you much advice, 1 also think
that, il the end, you will find it far
greater to your credit as well as to
your peace of mind, and ultimately to
your material prosperity, when such
emergencies arise, to try to play fair,
whatever the immediate results may
be. No man ever amounted to much
who was constantly trying to shift
the responsibility of acting on to some
one else, who had not the nerve to do
himself what he thought to be right,
ecauS he would rather let others
take the blame, If it happened to. be
called into question, for any reason.
good Or bad. / have no patience, and
never can have, with that class of PEG
pie of whom there seems to be so ma
in the world, whose main point
Of view seems to be, when they are
called upon to act, the point of view
that looks merely to the selfish and
personal results of the action. While
this may be called extremely quix-
otic and very impractical. according
to what many call modern Ideas, and
4 position which it is uRwise to call
to your notice at this time in your
ives. 1t Is one which 1 am firmly con-
7inced should be installed into every
,itizen of this territory, who desires
a better state of affairs to prevail
n our economic and political life.
There are thousands of people here
Who are doing nothing but play safe"
every moment Of their lives whose
only motive seems to be in their every
lction to so arrange their course that
whatever happens, their own affairs
will not be interfered with, Those
men, when called upon to take part
i some movement for the welfare of
heir community, or for the good of
he territory. either refuse e7tirely.