Omaha daily bee., 1910-09-15
BURKETT TALKS AT BLAIR
Senator Opens Speaking Campaign al
Fontanelle and Blair.
SCORES GRAFT IN HIGH PLACES
With Democracy Opposed TO Interests
of People, They WIN Look 10 RE-
publicnns for Energetic,
ViriIe StatemRnship.

BLAIR, Neb.. Sept. H.-(SpecsL )--Sena-
tor Burkett,- i'm his address here tonight at
the banquet given i'm his honor by the
republican organization of Washington
county. laid particular stress upon the
value of organization and the necessity of
political parties in this country. He also
paid his respects 10 those persons who were
inclined to criticize progressive legislation
and the Roosel - olieies 8Ee. dwelt at
considerable Length Ssapon the vast amount
of progressive legislation that had been
enacted In the last ten years and character
lied 1t as the greatest decade of reform
that the world has ever seen.
Graft in high prices" said the speaker
has not only become unpopular but il
has become Improbable. Men who come
into public office must come with clean
hands, for otherwise they will receive the
anathemas and scorn of public opinion.
There has been an awakening in the con-
sciences OF men and an elevating of stand
ards such as was never witnessed before -
He said, however that this was not only
true in political life, but in social and
moral affairs as well-that the practices of
men in private life were watched more
carefully than they had even been before.
He characterized Roosevelt as the greatest
reformer of this century and as one who
could not only see the evils of the hour as
they exist, but who also has the ability to
define those evils and point them out so
other men can see them. He declared that
the ten years of the administrations of
Roosevelt and Taft would forver stand out
in the history of the republic as the era
OF the great moral crusade in business
methods. 1T will be known" said the
senator, 'as the ten years war for honesty
in the lives and practices Of men"
Parties Are Essential.
He said that parties are essential in ouI
political system. but they are only the in
strumentalities of national life and the
peoples welfare. Parties can only I've il
action when there pOllces are right be,
cause wrong policies will not produce good
results, and the American people judge
parties by results. There have always
been those who treat party lines lightly
and some who treat them contemptuousls'
but the number is not large and never viii
be large, because there has never been any
other practical way of furnishing the peo
pie an opportunity to express their opin
ions as to how they want public affair
conducted. We sometimes hear 1t sait
that party lines arc breaking down Blu
let me tel you thal that party lines Wi
| never break down so long as the aggres
sive, progressive spirit of Amerieanisn
/ controls the minds and hearts of IN,
American people so long as the state
rights doctrines and strict construction
| theories rule the councils OF democrac
and lead them to oppose the postal say
ings bank legislation, meat inspection laws
regulation OF the issuance of stocks an
bonds of railroads. there will be repugl.
! can party TO stand for the progressiv
4 spirit of this day and believes in such leg
islat.on
II recall in the last session Of congrcs
the struggle we had in passing a posts
savings hank bill. II has been the drear
of tho American people for forty years
one postmaster general after another ha
recOmmened il, commercial organization