The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1909-07-16
PRIZES OFFERED IN THE
BI6LE QUESTION CONTEST
OLOF p. LARSON, OF SQUIRREL,
IDAHO, A BOOSTER
Continued from Page %

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ter; no other has done so much in al
the history of our country to lift bur
dens from the backs of the poor an,
open the door of opportunity to thos'
willing to make the effort that mus
always constitute the cornerstone o
any successful career; no other ha
done so much to elevate the mora
tone-the moral atmosphere-whicl
is and must always remain the chic
factor in making us really great as {
! people; no other state has done 81
much to advance all the interests tina
tend to improve the lot of all oul
people, giving them broader hort
zon and laying deeper those founda
tions of character which are essentia
to those higher enjoyments of life
toward which it is our priceless priv
4 eye to aspire.
!. Idaho is, indeed, grand and
/ growing state. Its imprint is upo.
the mighty achievements of the mos
glorious half century that, not on y
this country, but that the world has
ever known. Its people may have al
times CROPPED but they have never lost
sight Of the pole star of duty, steer
ing always toward the light and all
ways leading on to higher and better
things. We cannot and must not for
get the fact that the people Of Idaho
have always been the embodiment OF
the spirit of progress. 1t is a spirit
that has always led us on to shining
! heights in the realms of achievement.
! There is a great good accom-
plished by celebrating the Fourth Of
July-by concentrating Independ-
ence Dayonce every year. Exer-
cises such as these and sentiments
which are invariably uttered by
speakers upon such an occasion, bark
the people back to the principle up
on which our government was found
ed and upon which it relies for its
strength today. 1t is almost neces-
sary that we stop in the midst of our
commercial, industrial and political
strife, and remember that the United
States Of America was. brought into
being in order that all men may be
free and equal in order that each
individual may be ciyilly independ-
ent.
There We're but two great writ
ings prior to the nineteenth century
which recognizes the absolute equal
ity in government of all men. /
have named those two; they are the
Declaration of Independence and the
constitution. The articles of confed-
GRAFTON, formed in 1873, and under
which the revolutionary war was
fought, made mere league between
the states and limited their privileges
for war purposes. 1t is often cited
as one of the great documents of per-
sonal liberty, but that is a mistake.
The principle that the people stood
for was set forth in the Declaration
OF independence and was made the
everlasting foundation of our govern
ment by the adoption of our consti-
tuition in 1887. These two documents
are the instruments that will always
be looked upon as the greatest and
grandest in favor of personal liberty.
English history points with pride
to the Magma Charta, or Great Char
ter, wrested from the unwilling hands
of King John, as the first Of all dec
larations of equality amog men. But
that very paper recognizes the fact
that some were rulers and others
We're vassals. 1t remained for the
daring pioneers of the American con-
tinent, who were not afraid to seek
their futures and their fortunes in
an unsettled and undeveloped land,
to voice the great principle. of inde-
pendence for the first time.
For one hundred and twenty-five
years the constitution has stood the
test of three foreign wars and has
gone through civil strife and varying
periods OF expansion. Every people
looking for freedom the world over
have taken our constitution as mod
ell. France follows us, Mexico fol-
lows us, Switzerland follows us, the
South American republics follow us,
Panama follows us. With the eyes
OF all nations upon us, let us rise
up to the full height of the nobility
Of citizenship in such republic.
We of the west preserve that spir-
1t OF liberty in its original fervor.
We have come here because we are
freer to forge ahead, unhampered
by narrow traditions and congested
scopes for action
so long as the individual--so long
as every citizen takes an interest
In government and performs his part, |
our American republic is safe. 1t |
will only be when the individual neg
lects his privileges that danger will
come. The republics and empires
that have fallen in the past, and are
now remembered only as wrecks, fell
because of lack of general support |
by the people. The words of lincoln
that our nation was of the people, by
the people, and for the people, are
correct. II we come to a time when
! few persons shall control our coun-
try and direct its legislation, an end
70 this republic will be near. do
not believe we shall ever approach
such a catastrophe, but it is well that
we should keep away from any in
,lination toward that end 1t is we'll
hat we be on our guard and protect
1t all times that cardinal principle
hat our forefathers set forth in the
Declaration OF Independence.
The Progress of the Nation
On July 4, 1875, the Declaration of
independence of the United States
vas signed. Within few days there