Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1910-06-17
Plnehot Before Roosevelt Club


honest, but mere OF them are not.
They were trained in a wrong school,
and they cannot forget their train
ing. Clay hardens by immobiIIty-
mems minds by standing pat. Both
lose the power TO take new impress
sions. Many OF the old style leaders
regard the political truths which
alone insure the progress of the ma
ton, and will hereafter completely
dominate IL, as the mere meaningless
babble OF political infants. They
nave grown old in the belief that
money has the right To rule, and
they can never underestimate the
point of view OF the men who recog-
nize i'm the corrupt political activity
OF "A railroad or trust most dam
gerous Kind OF treason To government
by the people.
When party leaders go wrong 1t
requires high sense Of public duty,
true courage and strong belief in the
people for man in politics to take
his future in his hands and stand
dBalhSI Ineln.
The black shadow Of party regu-
larity as the supreme test in public
affairs has passed away from the
public mind. 1t is great deliver
ance. The man in the street no long
er asks about a measure OF a poIicv
merely whether i: Is good Republi-
can or good Democrat doctrine. Now
be asks whether il is honest and
means what it says, whether it will
promote the public interest, weaken
special privilege and help to give
e"ery man fair chance Ii it will,
IL is good, no matter who proposed it
Ii ii will not, il is bad, no matter
who defends it.
1t is a greater thing to be IA good
citizen than to be a good Republican
or good Democrat.
The protest against politics for
revenue only is rs strong in one par
j ty as In the other, for the servants
OF the interests are plentiful in both.
In that respect there is little TO
choose between them.
Difference OF purpose and belief
between political parties today are
vastly less than the difference with
i'm the parties. The great gulf of di-
vision which sIriKes across our whole
people pays little heed TO fading par
w lines, or TO any distinction in
name only. The vital separation is
between the partisans OF government
10y money for profit and the believers
In governemnt by men for human
welfare.
When political parties come 10 be
badly led, when their leaders lose
touch with the people, when their
object ceases TO be everVbody's well
fare and becomes somebody's profit.
1T Is time 10 change the leaders. One
of the most significant facts of the
Time is that the professional politi-
clans appear To be wholly unaware
OF the great moIal change which has
come over political thinKing in the
last decade. They fail TO see that the
poilt dogmas, the political slo.
gans, and the political methods of
the past generation have lost theiI
power, and that our people have
come nj last To judge of politics bv
the eternal rules Of right and wrong.
a new life is stirring among the
dry bones OF formal platforms and
artificial issues. Morality has brok-
en-, into politics. Political leaders.
Trust and Trust-fed, fud il
harder and harder TO conceal their
actual character. The brass bound
collar OF privilege has become plain
upon the necks for all men TO see.
They are known for what they are.
and their time is short. But when
they come to be retired ii will be of
little use TO replace an unfaithful
public servant who wears the collar
by another public servant with the
same collar around his neck. Above
all, what we need in every office is
free men representing "A free peopIe.
The motto in every primary-in
every election-should be this: mol
watch dog of the interests need APP
ply.
The old order, standing pat i'm
dull misunderstanding of the great
forward sweep of a Nation determin-
ed on honesty and publicity in pub
lie affairs, is already wearing thin
under the ceaseless hammering of
the progressive onset. The demand OF
the people for political progress will
not be denied. Does any man, not
blinded by personal interest or by
t1e dust of political dry rot, suppose
that the bulk of our people are any
thing else but progressive? If such
there be, let him ask the young men
IN whose minds the policies of to-
morrow first see the light.
The people OF the United States