The Twin Falls times. [volume] (Twin Falls, Idaho) 1905-1916, 1912-03-01
BRYAN the Guest Of City.
Continued from Page 1.)

honest, Well-meaning man; but l be- |
lieve he looks at society from the
wrong standpoint His environment,
his history, his education, have kept
him from understanding the interests
of the common man. He has never
had to struggle; and he has never been
among those who had to struggle.
And it is because he does not know the
common people of this country that he
is afraid to trust the government in
their hands; if he could get down
among these people-people with hon
esty, strength and courage to make the
desert blossom as the rose, he would
take their advice in public questions,
and not the advise of Wall Street
tinanciers.
And, suppose, on the other hand, 1t
is Mr. Roosevelt who is selected to
lead the Republican party. Do you
think the Democratic party is going
to go out of business if Mr.. Roosevelt
is nominated? Not at all. Because
if he is a candidate, we will simply
be able to take his platform and show
that every good plank in it is taken
from the democratic platform. He
made the best speech of his life at
Columbus, Ohio, because he used more
arguments from the democratic plat
form. He said in that speech he was
in favor of electing senators by the
people When did he first say it? A
year ago last summer-and twenty
years ago democratic congress, of
which | had the honor to be member,
passed a resolution in favor of the
election of senators by the people. A
man cannot plead to a great deal of
credit on the fact that he comes in
nineteen years after the fight began,
just in time to throw up his hat and
say Il am with you" at the last.
Now he claims credit for, helping in
| the regulation of railroads. We can
point to the fact that we demanded
it in three national platforms before
he ever began, and the further fact
| that when he did begin he got more
| support from the Democratic party
than the Republican party. When did
| he commence to believe in the initia-
| tive and referendum? Why, in Neb-
raska we put that plank in our plat
form fifteen years ago last summer,
and as late as four years ago Mr..
! Roosevelt sent Mr.. Taft all the way to
| Oklahoma to tell the people of Okla
homa that they ought to delay state
hood until they could get a constitu
| IlOll IlictJ NOulu lCttNC ouL tllC ilitittlifN
and referendum. | am glad he is con-
verified. I am glad when any one is
converted; but if he is going to ask
the support of the people on the
| ground of reforms l am going to ask
| him why he did not recognize reforms
when we made the fight for, them?
I have gone as far as any democrat
has ever gone in commencing each in
dividual thing that Mr.. Roosevelt did
that | thought was right, and | rejoice
more than most republicans do that
he is as progressive as he is; but |
! cannot forget that the democrats were
more progressive, and progressive earl
| Ter, when I look back and see that we
had not only to fight without him, but
fight against him, it reminds me of the
colored man in the summer time: The
sun was coming down on him, and he
was required to wipe the Precipitation
from his face, and he looked up at the
sun and said: "Whah was you las
! December when we needed you?"
My friends, | have not time to make
a speech to you. If | had | would like
to show you how reforms have grown
and grown around the world; but not
any individual should be credited for
these reforms. ] think sometimes the
progressive republicans give MI. Roose-
welt more credit than he deserves, al
though he has done considerable work,
and I am not rejecting on Mr.. Roose
welt when | say this, as a matter Of
fact, | think the individuals part is
not so very much. One man alone is
very small factor; it is only as he
co-operates with a large number of
others. And if I had time | would
tp CHI hot ;c
ment of which we are a part is no
little movement; it is an international
movement There is a great reVclu-
ton sweeping around the world and
1t is Carrying the world forward more
RAPIDLY than it has ever gone before
and it is a revolution in all directions
everywhere. We find that education in
creases with leaps and bounds; we
find the percentage of illiterates de-
creases. That is progress. We fine
| the moral standards being raised
everywhere; we find people consider
ing questions more and more from the
moral than from the physical stand
point. That is progress. And you
will find it in the United States ano
all around the world, and you will fine
the democratic ideas everywhere
They had a Douma elected in Russia
that was a great democratic step III
itself-and neither Mr.. Roosevelt mol
myself can claim any credit for thai
happening. And down in Persia, didn'
they adopt a constitution with pro
gressive ideas-and neither of us wa!
there, Over in Turkey they have
adopted a constitution and representa-
tive body-and we were not there tt
tell them what to do. And over il
China 400,000,000 people, long pros
trate beneath the heel of despotism
rose in their might and proclaimed ;
republic, and they did it, and did i
well-and Mr.. Roosevelt and / wer
busy elsewhere. Not only that, bu
over in Great Britain-did you read O
that controversy between the Hous
of Lords and the House of Commons
did you read about that fight over tn
house, and of the victory of the Hous
1 i ,1TA H., 4