Cañon City record., 1911-03-09
GOVERNOR FOLK RE-
DEEMS EXPECTATIONS

If a government anywhere neg
lects the people it is because the peo-
pie first neglect the government The
lawless stand on the street corners
and talk for their side, while the law
abiding are timid and unobstrusiye
A dozen law breakers can make more
noise than five hundred law abiding
citizens, but they do not count for
much against the united efforts of the
law abiding. When the lawless get a
bad man into office they support all
the evil he does; but when the law
abiding get a man into office too often
they are ready to criticise him and
leave him TO fight the battles without
their active aid.
The character of government de-
pends entirely upon the will of the
majority, and no government is better
than the majority of its voters. To
arouse good citizens and make them
realize their civic duty is a matter of
supreme Importance all over this
country. In a monarchy all author
ity is the crown and is delegated to
those beneath. In a republic, such as
ours, the people the sovereign. Each
man is one ninety millionth of a SOW
ereign- 1t may seem small but il
marks the distinction between aciti-
zen and subject.
The welfare of the city and the
state should always be the first and
highest consideration. Some of the
people may belong 10 one political
party and some to another. but all
should be patriots. If the American
republic is to survive it must be saved
by the efforts of the patriotic citizens
who want nothing for themselves but
the advantages that accrue from the
general public veal. This govern
ment of ours has lasted for one hun
dred and thirtyfour years: a long
time when compared with the aver
age period of one mans public acti-
witty. but short in the history of ma
tions
Venice had a republican form OF
government for one thousand years;
Carthage endured as a republic for
seven hundred years and Athens last
ed nine hundred years. although there
were intermissions during that time
Florence was a republic for three hun
dred years and Rome for five hun
dred years. These governments were
once factors in civilization, and .their
citizens. probably. thought that they.
would last forever: that nothing could
overthrow them. The conditions that
caused the downfall of these old re-
publics, now almost forgotten. were.
the same conditions that will cause,
the downfall of the American repub-
lie IL IL is not to endure. The danger
lies in the hearts of the peope 81
Good government depends more
upon the man behind the law than
upon the law itself. The law is mere
J the weapon for the officials to use,
and. without officials laws would be
as useless as cannon in war without
men Civic evils cannot exist where
the republic conscience is aroused
Nearly all public wrongs grow out
of the indifference of the people. The
future of our government rests upon
the integrity of the citizen and his
activity in public affairs Good gov
ernment must begin at home in vii .
lagos. cities and towns and proceed
from there to the state and the nation
This government rests not on the
wealth of a few men. but. rather. up
On the honesty, industry and self-sac-
rifice Of the millions OF units that
compose it"
Governor Folk left here this after
noon for Delta on the Western slope.
where he will fill his next lecture en-
EaEement From Delta he will pro-
coed 10 Reno. Nevada. and thence to
the Pacific coast where he will speak
successfully at Los Angeles. san Fran
cisco. Portland. Seattle. Tacoma and
other places.