Evening capital news. (Boise, Idaho) 1901-1927, 1912-12-15

of caprice and intrigue. But those
who approach its renewed consideration
with an open mind, who study the
order, proportion and fitness which per-
vades the noble fabric, who while real I
izing fully that a government without
the means of some change is without
the means OF its conservation never |
theless appreciate how this charter OF |
ours stood tho strain Of civil strife, the |
supreme ordeal OF internecine war, how
1t has expanded and grown with the
expansion and growth of a mighty ma
ton will find II what indeed it is. the
most wonderful work ever struck off
at Il given time By the brain and pur-
pose Of man
1T Is idle to assume that there are
no storms ahead. It is useless to seek
to conceal the fact that thoughtful and
conservative men entertain fears con
corning the future of our republican
form OF government. We are seeking
TO adjust the details Of the government
to an industrial life OF which the fathers
never dreamed--the result must for
time remain in doubt. With political
power in the hands of the majority
and wealth drifting more and more into
the hands Of the minority. the supreme
test of the constitution Is still In the
future. The effect of another hundred
years upon the fundamental law no one
is wise enough to foretell nor foolish
enough to attempt to prophesy.
But this much we know that the con-
stitution, the frame work OF the gov
eminent under which a people live are
but the reflection Of the habits. the
customs, manners, intelligence and pa
trotism of that people. The people
| may retain for time the outward
forms and display for q season the pre-
| cepts of that freedom which they in
| fact have ceased to enjoy. But In time
| they Will either measure up to their
| institutions or their institutions will
| measure down to them. our constitu-
| ton was framed for a strong virile.
| self-reliant, self governing people and
can be fitted to no other kind. One Of
the burdens which the best of govern
| ment places upon those who would en-
| joy II Is everlasting preparedness
which Is only another name for indiyid-
nal sacrifice. ] have no faith In the
! constitution standing apart and In and
Of itself. bat as On instrument in the
hands Of strong and self-reliant peo-
| pie Il Will prove equal to every emery
| ency. Let us not drift into fetichsm,
| the dead deity of an idolatrous people,
but hold fast TO the faith Of the fathers
that behind all free government must
stand the citizen free and loyal 1t is
the venerable diplomat. the statesman
of two continents now sitting at the
table who says in his book read by all
Americans, To the people we come
sooner or later: II is upon their wis
dom and self -restraint that the sta
bility of the most cunningiy devised
scheme of government viii in the last
resort depend
Il like to think that whatever may be
the task, if We have contented, happy.
self-reliant citizenship. a compact and
united country. that task will In the end
be performed. 1t seems now as YOU
read the story, that it was impossible
for those men at Valley Forge and IT.
conderoga To have faiied--tt seems
equally certain that the men al Phila
delphia had to win. Such incarnation
of purpose and courage seem exempt
from the infirmity of defeat When
| Massachusetts and Virginia, the Pari-5
tan and the Cavalier. met together the
ordeal Of battle. when the men at Phil
adepha stood In mutual support about
the lofty figure of Washington, the
| young Republic met every requirement
and conquered every foe, Some people
seem to think that with certain
changes, with the adoption Of certain
amendments and the enactment Of Ger
tain laws this old republic Will run IT
self But you cannot legislate us into
a millennium. However desirable these
changes may be, and | believe in some
of them, they will not bring less but
even more responsibility TO the citizen.
No scheme, no plan, VIII relieve him of
his responsibility. Unless our citizen
| ship stands four square to all the winds
/ that blow our changes will work no Ill
innate good. ON the other hand, with
/ a people conscious Of their responsible
/ ity unseifish enough to leave private
affairs to meet the responsibilities of
good citizenship, with a united country
/ tolerant and hopeful. we can accom-
/ plish anything human justice requires
at our hands.
THE true friend. therefore, OF these
institutions. the real defenders and pro-
teetors of the constitution are the men
and women who seek to better condf-
/ tons and make more prosperous. SAM
tary and wholesome the life of the
average citizen, who at the risk Of be-
1 ing charged with insincerity and dema-
goguery are looking to the physical and
moral we'll being of those and their
children who have been less successful
/ than their brothers In the gathering of
/ this worlds goods, The statesman who
raises the average Of good citizenship.
who diffuses eontentment and happi-
ness and loyalty throughout the home
of the discontinued and discouraged,
who sees not alone to the cold legal
rights of man but to the doing of social
| justice as Well must In the end rank as