The Ellensburg dawn. [volume] (Ellensburg, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1909-05-20
GOV. FOLKS
FINE ADDRESS
PLAIN COMMON SENSE TALK
Full of Words of Wisdom That
Should be Needed By All
Good American People

1t has been your good fortune to
witness the birth of a new epoch in
our national life, which is now in
process of development. There
have been great movements along
moral lines in DAYS gone by. but
they were merely local. brought on
BY local conditions, which died
away with the cause that gave
them birth The vampires of graft
would be driven away to remain
for a season, and then return after
the storm of public indignation had
spent its fury. Today presents a
situation of bri Shter promise to the
vision. The ethical awakening
shows signs of becoming universal
and lasting. instead OF local and
transitory From the Yesterday of
six years ago today is revolution
in the conscience of men.
Conscience is the faculty in man
whereby he distinguishes right from
wrong. and which imperativelv
commands and obigates him to do
the right and abstain from the
wrong. When that faculty is
lacking the man is said to be con
scienceless. \ conscience is need
ed for the public, as we'll as for
the individual. whereby the right
is approved and the wrong con
demned. Conscience in the sense
We speak OF it now is the moral
sense OF the public. it is educated
public opinion Up to few years
ago the public was considered as a
stupid, ignorant creature, void OF
understanding, and incapable OF
protecting itself That the public
has eyes that can see, and ears that
can hear. and conscience that
can tell right from wrong, Is
thought of comparatively recent
origin. Some financiers and many
professional politicians do not I'm
derstand it even now, and with
strange blindness fail to perceive
the strength of moral idea. What
remarkable change has come over
the American people during the
last six years, Things are not
tolerated for a moment now that
half dozen years ago were SUB
mitted to in silence. Then bribery
was the common accepted Things
all over the land; not that all men
gave brides, or that a majority OF
the officials took brides, but 1t was
generally regarded either with III
difference or despair. Men gave
brides and thought nothing OF H.
men accepted brides and boastc'
of the fact; legislative halls were
made dens of thieves, Whi'c inc
conscience of the people was asleep
Then came the revelations, ana t"e
people awoke to arealizatlon OF inc
fact that no government can !o'1R
exist where official acts can DC
bought and sold like merchandise
They realize that a government ny
corporation was not a government
representative Of the people, p"'
was government BY a few WIN
wealth enough to purchase oiilC''i
favors From one end Of the lana
to the other there has been clF''
awakening and a stern demand 70
Stamp out the offensc THAI St''Ne'
at the heart Of free government,
Six years ago men would give ana
take brides and still pride thc'"
selves on their honesty "0'
have learned better than thA' ~"
The public conscience has 'a'E"'
them better 1t has not pee" ''"9
Since men high up in the CONNER
cial world deemed il cntlre'F l'l "P
to accept rebates from ra'Ir'"'7
contrarv 10 law. They SCENE" a."