The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1908-10-23

pating power and opportunity.
Says Professor James, psycholo-
gist: The ceaseless whisper Of the
more permanent ideals, the steady
tug OF truth and justice, give them
but time, must warp the world in
their direction"
Witness the truth of this, exempli-
fed in the temperance movement OF
the passing half century. We have
not yet learned In Idaho to use this
powerful agent, the press. ! quote
from the last biennial:
American journalism leads the
world. American club women lead
all others. Let them go hand in
hand and what shall they not
achieve!"
We are only now entering upon
an understanding and appreciation Of
the power of thought and it is not
force, we can lay aside or use at
Wilt is a power we do use con-
sciously or unconsciously every wax
ing hour. Do we use 1t to the best
advantage?
IL we could but realize the dig
nifty of the human soul, it would
modify every thought and act of our
lives We do not realize that our
influence has no bounds, and that
the interdependence Of human ma
ture and human affairs girdles the
world and extends into the extremi-
ties. Nothing happens in our nation
that does not affect all other nations.
1t means something to us that the
Car of Russia has decreed that all
women students, over 2000-many
almost ready for graduation-be ex-
PEELED from Russian universities and
none to be admitted henceforth. That
Tolstoi is living today unmolested
upon his farm instead Of serving in a
Siberian mine-that Dreyfus is alive
is due largely to your thought and
that of others like you, in the rest
of the civilized world
That the women of England will
eventually be given the suffrage is as
certain as that night follows day, for
the world moves onward and not
backward But how much agoniz-
ing has to be gone through with be-
fore it is accomplished depends part
w upon you and me.
My heart has ached many times as
/ have heard women of Idaho speak
lightly or disparagingly of our united
privilege and responsibility in our
citizenship. 1t is ours to demon
strate that conscience, honesty and
purpose shall be exercised in our use
of the ballot, and upon our use of it
depends largely the enfranchisement
of the women of the world
The state is but the larger family
and the national housekeeping is all
out of order for want of that virtue,
love of order and above all, con-
science, which women especially rep
resent.
We need city mothers as well as
city fathers. They are the trained
economists of the world and If al
lowed to exert their influence on
economic questions will prove to be
of public affairs.
But have wandered from "our
which simply illustrates
how we fail to direct our thinking.
Almost everyone plans for and con-
directs what their hands
shall do, but for hours we allow our
minds to wander aimlessly about
like ship without rudder Con-
slider some of the problems which
must be solved by our thinking-the
of the people of this COM
There is the divorce question. We
need uniform Jaws, but the remedy
does not lie wholly in legislation
we must Look deeper into our chang
ing social conditions. Milton makes
Eve say to her husband:
my master and disposer, what thou
biddest
Unargued obey--so God ordains;
God is thy law-thou mine-to know
no more
Is woman's happiest knowledge and
her praise"
AS late as 25 years ago, we find a
Christian minister preaching to-
women that husband can do no sin
which absolves a wife from strict
obedience. Sentiment has changed.
Teach the oncoming generation to
believe in and demand "a white life
for two" and Danish the drink curse
and the divorce evil will be reduced
to almost nothing.
Then there is the worldwide labor
problem which rightly demands most
serious study by every sane man and
woman