The Idaho Republican. [volume] (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1904-1932, 1910-11-04
foRAL QUESTION ISSUE nrr, :,
THE PEOPLE.
governor Brady Delivers Vigorous
Address TO Big Crowd nc Harrison.
Especial Dispatch.)

iouse and his address was NOR
Pret'llly prepared than any other h
las delivered. In discussing the tenn
1erance question, he said:
MY friends, we are confronte,
18th a new issue in the politics o
his state, moral issue involving tn
happiness and welfare Of our men
IA Eomen and children and the integ
ity and efficiency of our politica
H |ystem. l refer to the problem nov
W before us Of solving the saloon ant
he liquor traffic question. I have
Eaid that the liquor question is pri
ynairily the moral issue. Everybod!
.hSws it is an evil.
I'm 81 appeal to all the loyal Republi
# pans to tell me how long our party
# eould live if it got the reputation Of
IN standing for wrong and immortality
kIEIow long could it endure as a great
BNknstitution if everybody believed II
was operated to protect the saloon
ID iThe strength of this party depends
&tupon there being full agreement
n among the party leaders on questions
n Fundamentally moral where the party
"A should stand overwhelmingly for the
# maintenance of those principles of
N government, which favor honesty, in
u dustry and sobriety among men and
@,against those influences which cor
lrupt our youth, decrease the useful
GNness of our men and inflict unhappi-
ktneSS on our women. On no other
basis can parties be of service to good
Elgovernment and on no other basis
lean they continue to exist. Princi-
\ piles of morality should be the foun-
N dation of parties and honest disagree
ments upon policy the issues upon
(which they win or lose. 1t is better
for the usefulness and integrity Of
N great political parties that their is
Y sues should be matters of policy,
rather than matters Of morals.
4 "All parties are supposed to stand
NJ for morality. They were primarily
\ devised to deal with the settlement of
honest differences of opinion as to
how desired social and moral stand
ings are to be achieved, not to BATTLE
the expressions Of existing belief as
to right and wrong. But when the
forces of self-interest and immoral
ity try to force themselves into the
community of a party or a govern
ment it is essential that moral issues
shall become party issues.
To Safeguard Community.
"There is no other way to safe
guard the ideas for which the COM
llluHlly olclluS w z CdlliOI llAOW IhO
self-interest of a minority to seize a
part of a government, we dare not
when that minority is a league in
favor of evil. the liquor interests
must not be allowed to usurp the ma
chinery of government for the pro-
lection of themselves. They must
not be allowed to make an illeglti-
mate use of party machinery.
"Since they have forced upon us
this struggle for the protection of our
party and our government, we must
accept the saloon question as a polit-
ical issue and fight it out before the
people.
Gives His Private Views.
8 "As a private citizen, with the right
to his own honest opinion, l believe
that the evils Of the liquor traffic and
the power of the liquor interests cam
not finally be put down without clos
ing every saloon in this state. This
is my personal judgment after study
ing the experiences of other states.
Yet if 1 had the power to coerce my
own party into such declaration
against the wishes of majority of
it's members, 1 would not do so. If,
as governor of the state, I could
force the legislature to pass a state
PWluC " OllIUllloh ctSt, WAthooe bSii6
Pertain that my party and majority
of the community were behind me, l
should refrain from doing so.
Must Have Support of People.
1T is no use to have a law upon |
the statute books that cannot be en-
forced 1t only breaks down the |
force of the law. You can't pass
law and enforce it with an indiffer-
hah ip1if- |
ferent minority against it. But when
there is fierce fighting minority
bent on breaking the law you must
have the support of an earnest, Wig
orous majority whose enthusiastic
convictions will not permit it to fall
into lassitude or reaction. 1t Is for
this reason that do not believe that
party leader or chief executive
Of a state should pledge himself to
do what cannot be done without eff
fective support. A man can make
promises to catch votes and enter Of
flee.
"A man might even whip a reluct-
ant legislature into passing state
wide prohibition act, but if public
opinion were not strong enough to
close every saloon at once and keep
them closed he would set back the
fight against the evils or the liquor
traffic a whole half century-people
would grow discouraged and say the
evil was not eradicated.
II prefer to stand on the Republi-
can platform and in every way
strengthen, and maintain our present
local option law and then submit this
entire question to the people of this ]
state and with their decision every {
honest man should be satisfied. 1 do I
not believe that the liquor question
should be made partisan. but when it
S made so l believe that every man t
hould be honest and frank enough {
o let the people know where he
stands on that question.
"But whatever opinion any citizen
nay have no one can object to SUBJ
hitting the question of constitu-
ional amendment to the people and
hen it will be settled one way or the /
ther for years and this turmoil and I
trife will end and we will proceed 6
0 develop the resources of our state {
nd build a great commonwealth n
,ithout having to devote our time to Q
ne single issue. Let us settle this y
natter by electing the entire Repub- t
can ticket, which has pledged itself v
, reform. Idaho Daily Statesman. S