Weekly independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 1887-1914, 1912-08-09
A GREAT pROGRAM

iSdSSC Tue ISSUES VI luC CdiupdAHh
in a forceful way and left no doubt
of his position in the presidential
contest. In concluding. he said:
We have set ourselves a great
program, and il will be a great
party that ca, ries il out. IL must
be a party without entangling al
liances with any special iutere ST
whatever. 1t must have the spirit
and the point of view of the new
age. Men are turning away from
the republican party. as organized
under its old leaders, because they
have found that it was not free.
that it was entangled; and they are
turning 10 US because they deem Us
free to serve them. They are i'm
mensely interested. as we are, as
every man who reads the signs of
the times and feels the spirit of
the new sge is, in the new program.
1t is solidly BASED on the facts of
our national life: its items are items
Of present business; il is what every
mar should wish to see done who
wishes TO see u present distempers
made an end of aid our old free.
cooperative life restored.
We should 60 into this campaign
confident Uf only one thing--conf-
dent of what we want To do if en-
trusted with the government. 1t
is not a partisan fight we are enter
ing upon. We are happily excused
from personal attacks upon OPP
ponents and from all general indict-
ments against the men opposed 70
Us. The facts are patent to every
body: We do not have to prove them
the more frank among our op.
ponents admit them. Our thirking
must he constructive from start to
finish. We must show that we
understand the problems that con-
front US. and that we are soberly
minded to deal with them. applying
to them, not nostrums and notions.
but hard sense and good courage.
A presidential campaign may
easily degenerate into a mere
personal contest and so lose its real
dignity and significance. There is
no indispensable man. The govern
ment will not collapse and 60 TO
pieces if airy n of the gentlemen
who are seeking to be entrusted
with its guidance should be left at
home. But men are instruments.
We are as important as the cause
We represent. and in order to be
importanC must really ]represeut a
cause. What is our cause? The
peoples cause? That is easy to say
but what does it mean? The COM
mon as against any particular in
terest whatever? Yes. but that,
too, needs translation into acts and
policies. We represent tn. desire
to set up an u~nentsngled govern
ment, a government that cannot be
used for private purposes. either
in the field of business or in the
field Of politics; a government that
will not tolerate the use of the
organization of a great party to
serve the personal aims nd ambi-
tons of any individual. and that
will not permit legislation to be
employed to further any private IN
terest. 1t is a great conception but
am free To- serve il as you also are.
could not have accepted a nomin.
alton which left me bound to my
man or group of men No man
cali be just who is not free: and no
man who has to show favors ought
to undertake the solemn response.
bility Of government in any rank or
post whatever, least of all in the
supreme post of President of IN,
United States.
To be free is not necessarily 10
be wise. But wisdom m with
counsel, with the frank and free
conference of untrammeled men
united in the common interest.
Should be entrusted with the
great office of president. ! would
seek counsel wherever il could be
had upon free terms. | know the
temper of the great convention
which nominated me, ! know the
temper of the country that lay back
of that convention and spoke
through It. ! heed with deem
thankfulness the message you bring
me from it. feel that / am sur
rounded with men whose PRINCIPLES